Intro to Grant Writing

This introductory workshop is designed specifically for nonprofit professionals who are new to grant writing and want to build a strong foundation. Participants will learn what it means to be grant ready, including the internal systems, documents, and organizational capacity needed to successfully pursue and manage funding. From understanding key readiness components such as governance, financials, and program data to preparing essential materials in advance, this session will help ensure your organization is set up for success.

The workshop will also walk through the core components of a strong grant proposal, including the statement of need, organizational background, project description, and evaluation plan. You will gain insight into what funders are looking for, the types of questions commonly asked in applications, and how to craft responses that are clear, compelling, and aligned with funder priorities.

Using real examples and guided practice, participants will begin developing the skills needed to communicate their organization’s impact and write proposals that are both persuasive and fundable. The session will also introduce helpful tools such as language libraries and letters of inquiry to support your work beyond the workshop.

This interactive, two-hour session is ideal for beginners and nonprofit staff who are looking for how to get started with writing grants.

No prior grant writing experience is required.

This is an in-person workshop in St. Louis.

About the Presenter

A native St. Louisan, Ravi Rao, JD, developed a passion for social justice during his college years at Washington University. A lifelong debater and coach, Ravi went from captaining the high school team at a well-resourced public school in the county to coaching debate in some of the city’s most under-resourced schools. That profound firsthand exposure to resource disparity remained with Ravi upon his return to St. Louis after completing his legal studies at Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Ravi co-founded and directed the St. Louis Urban Debate League, a non-profit organization that supported the establishment and growth of after-school debate teams in St. Louis’s urban schools. That experience convinced Ravi to pursue a career in nonprofit fundraising, where he combines his advocacy background with his passion for connecting prospective donors with the projects and causes that matter to them.

As a consultant to non-profits, Ravi combines his strengths as a researcher, communicator, and educator, locating the organizational stories that best convey impact to prospective donors while coaching staff and boards to maximize their resource development efforts.



A resident of St. Louis City, Ravi lives with his beautiful wife, Kelli, son Arjuna, and beagle Hype. He can often be found chasing after the latter two in the evenings at Lafayette Square Park, coaching at a local debate tournament, or cheering on his beloved Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues from the nosebleeds. In his spare time, he enjoys all things Star Wars.