Self-Paced Grant Writing Sprint for Nonprofit Leaders
Tired of Watching Grant Awards Pass You By?
Unlock Our Proven System to Write Strategic Proposals Without the Overwhelm.
Join us for a focused 17-day sprint designed to take you from blank page to submission-ready proposal—complete with guided resources, expert prompts, and a community of leaders working right alongside you.
Are you putting off that grant application?
But getting started is harder than it sounds.
You sit down to write, and immediately the scope hits you: a 10-page narrative, a complex project budget, outcomes you’re not sure how to measure. You’re already stretched thin. The application feels like a second job. So you put it off until the weekend. Then next week. Then “when things calm down.” But that free time never comes…and before you know it, another funding award quietly slips by.
Your Organization Deserves That Funding. Let’s Build the Proposal to Prove It.
You can’t control what a foundation decides. But you can control the clarity, logic, and strength of your proposal—without sacrificing your nights and weekends to get it done.
The real difference between leaders who win grants and those who stall out isn’t endless free time or a magic way with words. It’s a focused approach. One that turns a daunting, chaotic application process into a bite-sized, step-by-step plan.
Introducing…
GRANT WRITING SPRINT:
From Idea to Fundable Proposal
This isn’t a course you’ll watch and forget. It’s a no-fluff, structured, self-paced sprint designed to move you through every critical stage of the grant writing process—from clarifying your concept to drafting a proposal you’re genuinely ready to submit.
You’ll work through curated resources and expert-designed prompts at your own pace, with a facilitated small group of nonprofit leaders navigating the same process. No guesswork. No spinning your wheels. Just focused momentum toward a real result.
Give us 17 days, and we’ll give you one of the most valuable skills a nonprofit leader can have: the ability to craft and complete a strategic grant proposal…ready to submit.
Your Sprint Guide
Jasmin Avakyants
Member Programs Specialist at the Nonprofit Leadership Lab
Before she was hosting Action Plan Calls, connecting with members in the Village, or supporting leaders in the Lab, Jasmin Avakyants was most recently a Program Officer at REACH Healthcare Foundation, where she led grantmaking efforts, informed strategy, and partnered with the Kansas City community to advance equity in health coverage and care.
Jasmin is also the CEO of Creative Consultations LLC, where she helps busy, mission-driven professionals turn stress into creative resilience through trauma-informed leadership and strategy. She brings extensive experience and deep knowledge across both the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, giving her a unique lens on how funding, strategy, and impact intersect.
With over 15 years of experience, Jasmin has led and supported initiatives that strengthen organizations, build meaningful partnerships, and center human sustainability. Her expertise includes program development, strategic planning, community engagement, equity-centered grant making, and trauma-informed care.
Thank you so much for this course and your efforts. It was an awesome course and helped me prepare my first grant application. I am grateful to you guys and the work you do. Joining NLL has been the best money I have spent on this journey to build our nonprofit. Please tell your entire team I am grateful for their hard work.
I really have appreciated this class. And even though I have had some successful grants, I didn’t really have a clue what I was doing. I think the program kinda sold itself, but this way I was able to understand how to create the concept paper and the impact statement. And I thank you. I really appreciate it.
The Lab has given me the confidence and tools to be a better non-profit leader. I never would have dreamt that I would get a significant grant to help the foundation achieve its fundraising potential. I look forward to what we are going to accomplish next year.
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We just won our first ever foundation grant!!! This was the first process where we had to submit a LOI, then an application, and then do a site visit. Thank you, Lab, for the support and confidence; I kept revisiting all of the materials and trainings from the course. This was incredibly validating. Now, the foundation is delivering the check next week!!!
This sprint is tailor-made for you if you…
Have one or more grant opportunities bookmarked, tabbed, or scribbled on a sticky note…but can’t seem to find time to start the application
Started a proposal but got pulled away and haven’t gone back to it
Feel paralyzed by the blank page of your grant application
Know your organization needs grant funding but don’t know where to begin or which funders are worth your time
Have written proposals before but want a sharper, strategic approach to make your next one stronger
What to Expect Inside the Sprint
All resources are self-paced, so you can work through them on your schedule. You’ll also have access to a facilitated small group for questions, feedback, and accountability throughout the entire 17-day sprint.
Before you write a single word of your application, you need to know two things: what you’re proposing and who’s most likely to fund it.
April 13th – 19th
Week 1: Crafting Your Concept + Finding Foundations
Craft a clear concept that communicates what you’re proposing, why it matters, and why it deserves support
Identify aligned foundations so you can stop chasing long-shot applications and focus on funders who are a genuine fit
Turn that clear concept from week 1 into the core components of a compelling, submission-ready proposal.
April 20th – 26th
Week 2: Writing the Application + Proposal Budgets
Draft the key sections of your application using structured prompts that eliminate the guesswork
Build a funder-ready budget that clearly connects every dollar to the impact you’ll deliver
Bring your narrative together so your proposal tells a coherent, compelling story
Confidently answer the tough questions that lead to most proposals becoming stalled or rejected.
April 27th – 29th
Week 3: Tackling the Tough Questions
Define your intended outcomes so reviewers see a clear and credible picture of what success looks like
Navigate the evaluation questions that often determine whether a proposal moves forward or gets set aside
Strengthen your full case for support by identifying the supporting documents, data, and evidence that bring your narrative to life
Get a front-row seat to a Program Officer’s thought process as she breaks down actual proposals, shares what catches her eye, and reveals where applications commonly lose momentum.
Thursday, April 30th at 2pm ET
Case Study Session: Live Grant Proposals Review
Spot the patterns where proposals commonly drift, so you can catch those issues in your own work
Walk away with actionable improvements you can immediately apply to sharpen your proposal’s clarity and increase your overall chances of getting funded
Early Bird Bonus
Register by Midnight on Friday, April 3rd to claim this bonus tool absolutely free:
BONUS: The Concept Paper Blueprint
A concept paper is a concise blueprint that captures your project’s core idea, objectives, and methodology in one place, aligning your thinking and your team before the pressure hits and giving you a low-stakes way to test funder interest before investing hours in a full proposal. Best of all, its components transfer directly into formal applications—so you can craft it once and pull from it every time you apply.
(A $45 dollar value!)
Sign up by Friday, April 3rd at midnight ET.
Two Ways to Join the Sprint:
OPTION 1
Become a Member
The sprint is FREE for Nonprofit Leadership Lab members! Membership costs $490 per year—a significant savings compared to paying monthly.
Get full access to expert guidance, strategic tools, and a supportive community of nonprofit leaders to help you stay on track long after the sprint ends.
OPTION 2
Sprint Only
A one-time fee of $197 ($500 value) includes full access to the sprint, materials, and small group for the duration of the sprint and two weeks afterward.
End the cycle of missed funding deadlines and unlock a repeatable framework to secure the resources your mission deserves—one submission-ready proposal at a time.
Want More Than Just a Sprint?
Get the Year-Round Support Every Nonprofit Leader Needs
The Nonprofit Leadership Lab is the premier online program designed specifically to support board and staff leaders of small and mid-sized nonprofits.
As a member, you’ll gain complete access to:
Ongoing Training and Leadership Development: Live and recorded trainings covering essential topics like grant writing, fundraising strategies, online marketing, strategic planning, board governance, and more.
Time-Saving Resources: Including downloadable templates, checklists, assessments, and more.
The MOST Generous Community: Connect with a network of nonprofit leaders for invaluable support and networking opportunities.
Support On Demand: Get timely advice and answers from our team of experts and fellow members whenever you need it. Plus, we have an AI bot available 24/7 that has been trained on everything we’ve ever offered.
And More: Monitor your growth and track your achievements, access exclusive discounts and offers, implement a quick win, get book recommendations, access our job board…
Hi there! We’re theNonprofit Leadership Lab |  |
Since 2017, we’ve helped more than
20,000 organizations thrive.
As the world’s best online program for board and staff leaders of smaller nonprofits who want to raise more money, build a 5-star board, attract more supporters, grow as leaders and managers, and live more balanced lives, we’ve had the privilege of helping thousands of nonprofit professionals across more than 100 different sectors.
Through our work, we’ve seen that the most successful nonprofit leaders don’t just react to challenges — they remain nimble and lead intentionally with a clear plan, consistent messaging, and their teams in mind.
By focusing on these areas, we’ve helped countless leaders transform their organizations, supporting board engagement, sustainable funding, and stable ground in a shifting climate.
Learn more about all the benefits and join our thriving community today!
Still have questions? We’ve got answers.
Who is this sprint for?
- This sprint is designed for staff and board leaders of small to mid-sized nonprofits with at least 2-3 years of operations who want to make real progress on a grant proposal—whether you’re starting from scratch, picking up a stalled draft, or looking to sharpen your approach.
Do I need grant writing experience?
Not at all. The sprint is built for nonprofit leaders, not professional grant writers. If you know your mission and the problem you’re solving, we’ll provide the structure to get it on paper in a way funders respond to.
What if I don’t have a specific grant opportunity in mind yet?
That’s perfectly fine. Week 1 is specifically designed to help you identify aligned foundations and clarify your concept. You’ll leave the first week with a clear direction.
Is this self-paced or live?
The sprint is self-paced, which means you work through curated resources and guided prompts on your own schedule. You’ll also have access to a facilitated small group for questions and feedback throughout. The only scheduled event is the live case study session on April 30th.
What if I can't finish everything in 2.5 weeks?
The sprint is designed to create momentum, not pressure. Work through what you can, and you’ll still walk away with meaningful progress. All resources remain accessible for an additional 2 weeks after the sprint ends.
What are the benefits of joining the Nonprofit Leadership Lab?
By joining the Lab, you gain access to:
- Workshops on essential topics like grant writing, fundraising strategies, board governance, and volunteer management.
- A comprehensive library of masterclasses, expert seminars, and Q&A sessions.
- Downloadable templates, checklists, and resources.
- A generous community of nonprofit leaders for networking and support.
- On-demand support from our team of experts and fellow members.
Can I really cancel my membership at any time?
Yes, you can cancel your membership at any time without any penalty. We believe in providing value, and we want you to stay because you’re benefiting from our resources, not because you’re locked into a contract.
If you sign up for an annual plan, you can cancel any time during the year with no further payments (though you’ll remain a member for the year you already paid for).
Once you cancel your account, you will retain access to the Lab until your current subscription period ends. You can, of course, rejoin during any future open registration period at whatever the current price is at that time.
What if I have more questions or need support?
If you have any questions or need additional support, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]. Our team is here to help you every step of the way.
That grant proposal isn’t going to write itself.
You already know that.
This sprint won’t write the proposal for you. But it will give you the process, the structure, and the support to finally get it done…
So the next time a grant deadline approaches, you’re not scrambling. You’re ready.
You’ve been staring at that open tab long enough. The funding is there. Your work deserves it. And the only thing standing between your organization and a competitive proposal is the decision to get started and the strategic approach to get it done—the right way.
Say yes to a clear process.
Say yes to focused momentum.
Say yes to a proposal you’re actually ready to submit.
Click the button below and join the sprint. We’ll see you on April 13th!
APRIL 13 – 29, 2026