MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
The Hutchinson Community Foundation is launching a series of workshops aimed at helping Reno County nonprofits strengthen leadership skills, improve organizational capacity and increase their chances of securing grant funding.
Senior Program Officer Jan Steen said the workshops are designed to provide nonprofit leaders, staff and volunteers with practical tools to navigate growing community needs and an increasingly competitive funding environment.
"We want people to be empowered, we want them to be efficient as nonprofits, and we want them to have data for grants that they're writing," Steen said. "Not just ours, but for external grants as well."
The foundation has seen increasing demand for grant-writing assistance as organizations seek new funding sources. Steen noted that during the foundation's most recent grant cycle, requests exceeded available funding by a four-to-one margin.
"The need is out there and the demand is out there," he said.
One of the first workshops in the series will focus on "All Things Kansas," a public data portal developed through Kansas State University. The online platform compiles thousands of data points from sources including the U.S. Census, health reports and childcare statistics.
Steen said the resource allows nonprofits to access detailed local information that can strengthen grant applications.
"You can go in and build a report for Reno County based on a certain topic that you're interested in, whether it's broadband access, child care, health care," Steen said. "You can even build maps that drill down to very specific community needs."
The workshop, scheduled for early June, will be presented via Zoom by experts from Manhattan and will include hands-on instruction for participants.
A second workshop, "When Everyone Leads," will be held June 18 and focuses on leadership development. Steen said the program is especially beneficial for nonprofit staff, educators and others who may not have the time to participate in the more extensive Leadership Reno County program.
The workshop is based on principles from the Kansas Leadership Center and emphasizes that leadership is not limited to those with management titles.
"We like to say that leadership is not a position, but it's an activity," Steen said. "Anybody can lead at any time."
Another workshop, "Data That Wins Grants," will teach participants how to effectively use statistics and research to support funding requests. Topics will include identifying reliable data sources, avoiding common mistakes and using both primary and secondary data to build stronger applications.
According to Steen, common grant-writing errors include relying on outdated information, failing to verify figures and neglecting to properly cite data sources.
Participants in the grant-writing workshop will also receive access to an artificial intelligence-powered grant review tool designed to evaluate applications and provide feedback before submission.
Steen said nonprofit organizations can further improve their chances of receiving funding by seeking letters of support from community partners and demonstrating that the need they are addressing is recognized by multiple organizations.
Registration for all workshops is available through the Hutchinson Community Foundation website. Interested participants can visit the foundation's news and events page at www.hutchcf.org to view upcoming sessions and sign up.