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Course Catalogue Metasoft Online Education

Module 1 Making the Case for Funding: How to Build a Compelling Case for Support

The Case for Support is the key document that tells funders why your organization deserves to be supported. Comprising six distinct sections and concluding with the 'Case Statement', the Case for Support should be put together before you start the grant writing process. The lessons in this module will guide you through the major steps of gathering information for each section and creating a persuasive document.

  • Cost: $349
  • Number of Lessons: 8
  • Duration: Approximately 8 hours
  • Access: 3 Months
  • Prerequisites: None
  • CFRE points awarded: 8 points
Enroll Now

Lessons may be purchased individually or mixed and matched, however, it is strongly recommended that students take the full module in order to have a complete understanding of the subject area. It is also recommended that, when possible, students follow the order of the lessons below for maximum benefit.

Module 1 Lessons

Module 2Finding Funders:
How to Conduct Effective Prospect Research

Prospect research is the process of finding funders who are best suited to supporting the work of your organization. The lessons in this module teach you to conduct effective prospect research on non-individual donors, such as foundations, corporations and government. Each lesson focuses on a particular aspect of the prospect research process, and combined, will give you the skills to conduct effective prospect research for your organization.

  • Cost: $249
  • Number of Lessons: 8
  • Duration: Approximately 6 hours
  • Access: 3 Months
  • Prerequisites: None
  • CFRE points awarded: 6 points
Enroll Now

Lessons may be purchased individually or mixed and matched, however, it is strongly recommended that students take the full module in order to have a complete understanding of the subject area. It is also recommended that, when possible, students follow the order of the lessons below for maximum benefit.

Module 2 Lessons

Module 3 Approaching Funders:
How to Write a Persuasive Letter of Inquiry

Letters of Inquiry have become an efficient and professional way for non-profit organizations and funders to establish a match early in the grant application process. The lessons in this module will guide you through the steps necessary to put together a concise Letter of Inquiry. The final lesson in this course will introduce a relatively new occurrence in the grant-writing world, the eGrant, grant applications that are done on the internet.

  • Cost: $175
  • Number of Lessons: 4
  • Duration: Approximately 4 hours
  • Access: 3 Months
  • Prerequisites: None
  • CFRE points awarded: 4 points
Enroll Now

Lessons may be purchased individually or mixed and matched, however, it is strongly recommended that students take the full module in order to have a complete understanding of the subject area. It is also recommended that, when possible, students follow the order of the lessons below for maximum benefit.

Module 1 Lessons

Module 4 Securing Funding:
How to Write a Winning Grant Proposal

The lessons in this module break down the process of writing a Grant Proposal into clear and approachable steps. You will first be introduced to the concept of a Grant Proposal and then examine the different components which are usually found in any grant proposal. The lessons have been created to be accessible and useful for different types of non-profit organization with a variety of grant-writing needs.

  • Cost: $395
  • Number of Lessons: 9
  • Duration: Approximately 9 hours
  • Access: 3 Months
  • Prerequisites: None
  • CFRE points awarded: 9 points
Enroll Now

Lessons may be purchased individually or mixed and matched, however, it is strongly recommended that students take the full module in order to have a complete understanding of the subject area. It is also recommended that, when possible, students follow the order of the lessons below for maximum benefit.

Module 1 Lessons

Metasoft Online Education Course Catalogue



Module 1. Making the Case for Funding: How to Build a Compelling Case for Support




Enroll Now! 		The Case for Support is the key document that tells funders why your organization deserves to be supported. Comprising six distinct sections and concluding with the 'Case Statement', the Case for Support should be put together before you start the grant writing process. The lessons in this module will guide you through the major steps of gathering information for each section and creating a persuasive document.

Cost: $349
Number of lessons: 8
Duration: approximately 8 hours
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 8 points
Lessons may be purchased individually or mixed and matched, however, it is strongly recommended that students take the full module in order to have a complete understanding of the subject area. It is also recommended that, when possible, students follow the order of the lessons below for maximum benefit.

 Lesson 1. Case for Support: An Introduction

This lesson introduces you to the fundamentals of creating a compelling Case for Support.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand the purpose of a Case for Support
  • identify the key elements of a Case for Support
  • take the initial steps in building your organization's Case for Support

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

 Lesson 2. Case for Support: The Mission Statement

This lesson examines the role of the mission statement section in the Case for Support.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand what your organization's mission statement should communicate
  • recognize the key components of a mission statement
  • understand the purpose of including a mission statement in the Case for Support
  • write a compelling mission statement for your organization

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

 Lesson 3. Case for Support: History and Organizational Background

This lesson examines the history and organizational background section of the Case for Support.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand the purpose of the history and organizational background section in the Case for Support
  • know where to gather the appropriate information about your organization's background
  • write a comprehensive history of your organization

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

 Lesson 4. Case for Support: Organizational Assets

This lesson examines the organizational assets section of the Case for Support.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand what organizational assets are and why they must be documented
  • represent organizational assets to show your organization's capabilities
  • gather information and write the organizational assets section for your Case for Support

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

 Lesson 5. Case for Support: The Need and Opportunity

This lesson examines the need and opportunity section of the Case for Support.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • recognize the benefit of using statistics to illustrate the need for your organization and its projects
  • research relevant data from reliable sources for the need and opportunity section
  • understand how to clearly describe the opportunity that exists within a community

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

 Lesson 6. Case for Support: Projects and Programs

This lesson examines the projects and programs section of the Case for Support.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • clearly outline your organization's services and programs
  • recognize the necessary components of the projects and programs section
  • write a concise projects and programs section for your Case for Support
  • document future plans for your organization's sustainability and growth

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

 Lesson 7. Case for Support: The Financial Plan and Budget

This lesson examines the financial plan and budget section of the Case for Support.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand the purpose of including a financial plan in the Case for Support
  • recognize the key components to the financial plan section
  • gather the appropriate data to complete the financial plan section
  • write the financial plan and construct a budget in your Case for Support

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

 Lesson 8. Case for Support: Putting it All Together

This lesson examines how to compile the sections of a Case for Support and write a Case Statement.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • ensure that each section of the Case for Support is complete and contains all necessary information
  • order and assemble the various sections of the Case for Support into one concise document
  • condense your Case for Support into a Case Statement

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: Module 1, lessons 1-7
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!


Module 2. Finding Funders: How to Conduct Effective Prospect Research




Enroll Now! 		Prospect research is the process of finding funders who are best suited to supporting the work of your organization. The lessons in this module teach you to conduct effective prospect research on non-individual donors, such as foundations, corporations and government. Each lesson focuses on a particular aspect of the prospect research process, and combined, will give you the skills to conduct effective prospect research for your organization.

Cost: $249
Number of lessons: 6
Duration: approximately 6 hours
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 6 points
Lessons may be purchased individually or mixed and matched, however, it is strongly recommended that students take the full module in order to have a complete understanding of the subject area. It is also recommended that, when possible, students follow the order of the lessons below for maximum benefit.

Lesson 1. Prospect Research: An Introduction

This lesson introduces the process of conducting effective prospect research.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand the process and importance of prospect research
  • recognize the different types of funders and determine which are most likely to support your organization
  • adapt the general principles of prospect research to the needs of your organization
  • structure your research and compile your findings using research templates

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

Lesson 2. Prospect Research: Defining your Organization

This lesson examines the process of creating a research profile to use when conducting prospect research.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • appropriately define and describe the work of your organization for prospect research purposes
  • understand the role of a research profile in focusing prospect research
  • create a research profile for your organization that can be adapted to specific projects

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

Lesson 3. Prospect Research: Researching Foundation Funding Opportunities

This lesson examines the process of researching funding opportunities from foundations.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • recognize the different types of foundations and their typical giving patterns
  • identify the resources needed to research funding opportunities from foundations
  • eliminate low-potential prospects and find the foundations that are most likely to support your organization
  • know how to make first contact with a prospective foundation

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

Lesson 4. Prospect Research: Researching Corporate Funding Opportunities

This lesson examines the process of researching corporations and corporate giving programs as potential funding opportunities.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand why corporations give to non-profit organizations
  • recognize the different types of corporate giving programs and their typical giving interests
  • identify which corporate funders are most likely to give to your organization
  • create a corporate gift acceptance policy for your organization

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

Lesson 5. Prospect Research: Researching Government Funding Opportunities

This lesson examines the process of researching funding opportunities from all levels of government.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • recognize which types of government grant are suited to your organization
  • research funding opportunities at the federal, state and local levels of government
  • understand the application procedure for government grants

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

Lesson 6. Prospect Research: Ranking Prospects

This lesson examines the process of ranking potential funders.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand the concept of ranking potential prospects
  • rank potential prospects based on your organizational needs
  • integrate a prospect research system and ranking plan into your organization

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: Module 2, lessons 1-5
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!


Module 3. Approaching Funders: How to Write a Persuasive Letter of Inquiry




Enroll Now! 		Letters of Inquiry have become an efficient and professional way for non-profit organizations and funders to establish a match early in the grant application process. The lessons in this module will guide you through the steps necessary to put together a concise Letter of Inquiry. The final lesson in this course will introduce a relatively new occurrence in the grant-writing world, the eGrant, grant applications that are done on the internet.

Cost: $175
Number of lessons: 4
Duration: approximately 4 hours
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 4 points
Lessons may be purchased individually or mixed and matched, however, it is strongly recommended that students take the full module in order to have a complete understanding of the subject area. It is also recommended that, when possible, students follow the order of the lessons below for maximum benefit.

Lesson 1. Letter of Inquiry: An Introduction

This lesson introduces the concept of the Letter of Inquiry.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand the purpose of a Letter of Inquiry and when it is appropriate to use one
  • identify the key elements of a Letter of Inquiry
  • take the initial steps in writing a Letter of Inquiry for your organization

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

Lesson 2. Letter of Inquiry: Content and Structure

This lesson examines the different components and general structure of a Letter of Inquiry.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • gather the necessary information to write an efficient and well thought-out Letter of Inquiry
  • understand the purpose and content of each section
  • know what potential funders are looking for in a Letter of Inquiry

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

Lesson 3. Letter of Inquiry: Putting it Together

This lesson uses a sample letter to demonstrate how to put together a full Letter of Inquiry.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand what questions each section of the Letter of Inquiry should answer for the potential funder
  • ensure each section of the Letter of Inquiry contains complete information
  • tailor a Letter of Inquiry to the goals and mission of a potential funder

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

Lesson 4. Letter of Inquiry: An Introduction to eGrants and Online Applications

This lesson introduces the types of grant applications that can be found on the internet - electronic grants (eGrants) and online grant applications. It has been included in this module because eGrants and online grant applications tend to use condensed information similar to that found in a Letter of Inquiry.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand the main uses and purposes of eGrants and online applications
  • navigate and complete an online grant application or eGrant
  • apply best practices when filling out grant applications on the internet

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: Module 3, lessons 1-3
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!


Module 4: Securing Funding: How to Write a Winning Grant Proposal




Enroll Now! 		The lessons in this module break down the process of writing a Grant Proposal into clear and approachable steps. You will first be introduced to the concept of a Grant Proposal and then examine the different components which are usually found in any grant proposal. The lessons have been created to be accessible and useful for different types of non-profit organization with a variety of grant-writing needs.

Cost: $395
Number of lessons: 9
Duration: approximately 9 hours
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 9 points
Lessons may be purchased individually or mixed and matched, however, it is strongly recommended that students take the full module in order to have a complete understanding of the subject area. It is also recommended that, when possible, students follow the order of the lessons below for maximum benefit.

Lesson 1. The Grant Proposal: An Introduction

This lesson introduces the concept of the Grant Proposal.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand the purpose of a Grant Proposal
  • identify the key parts of a common Grant Proposal
  • take the initial steps in writing a Grant Proposal for your organization

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

Lesson 2. The Grant Proposal: The Needs Statement

This lesson examines the needs statement, an integral part of the Grant Proposal.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand the purpose and goal of the needs statement within a Grant Proposal
  • know where to gather the internal and external data and statistics that support the needs statement
  • write a clear and concise needs statement within your Grant Proposal

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

Lesson 3. The Grant Proposal: The Project Objectives Section

This lesson examines the project objectives section of a Grant Proposal.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand the purpose and goal of the project objectives section within a Grant Proposal
  • recognize the difference between goals and objectives and be able to clearly define your project's objectives
  • write a project objectives section that clearly illustrates what your organization plans to accomplish

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

Lesson 4. The Grant Proposal: The Methods Section

This lesson introduces the types of grant applications that can be found on the internet - electronic grants (eGrants) and online grant applications. It has been included in this module because eGrants and online grant applications tend to use condensed information similar to that found in a Letter of Inquiry.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand the purpose and goal of the methods section within a Grant Proposal
  • recognize the difference between objectives and methods, and be able to define your project's methods
  • write a methods section which clearly describes how you are going to reach your project's objectives

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

Lesson 5. The Grant Proposal: The Qualifications Section

This lesson examines the qualifications section of a Grant Proposal.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand the purpose and goal of the qualifications section within a Grant Proposal
  • gather the appropriate information to show that your organization has the resources and experience to meet your stated objectives
  • write a qualifications section that illustrates your organization's ability to execute on the proposed project

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

Lesson 6. The Grant Proposal: The Project Evaluation Section

This lesson examines the project evaluation section of a Grant Proposal.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand the purpose and goal of the project evaluation section within a Grant Proposal
  • track and quantify the effectiveness of a project
  • write an evaluation section that demonstrates a well thought-out plan to assess the impact of your project

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

Lesson 7. The Grant Proposal: The Project Budget Section

This lesson examines the budget section of a Grant Proposal.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand the purpose and goal of a budget within a Grant Proposal
  • recognize the key information that communicates your organization's financial needs in the project budget
  • identify the information potential funders expect to find within the project budget section

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

Lesson 8. The Grant Proposal: Concluding Sections

This lesson examines the sections commonly found at the end of a Grant Proposal.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand the purpose of a project sustainability, funder recognition and appendix section in a Grant Proposal
  • identify which concluding sections would best fit your Grant Proposal
  • write a concluding section that creates an effective and complete Grant Proposal

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: None
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!

Lesson 9. The Grant Proposal: Cover Letter and Executive Summary

This lesson examines the introductory sections commonly found at the beginning of a Grant Proposal.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • understand the purpose of a cover letter and executive summary
  • identify the key parts of each introductory section and the information that should be included in each one
  • present your Grant Proposal with a strong and clear introduction that communicates the merit of your proposal

Cost: $49.95
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Access: 3 months
Prerequisites: Module 4, Lesson 1-8
CFRE points awarded: 1 point

Enroll Now!