Gardner-Webb Grant Writing Certificate Equips Professionals to Meet Community Needs

Participants Gain the Tools to Bring Ideas to Life

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—Professionals from across the region recently completed Gardner-Webb University’s Grant Writing Certificate program, developing proposals designed to address real needs in education, public safety, healthcare, and community development. Now equipped with practical skills and grant plans, participants are positioned to pursue funding and turn their ideas into action.

Offered through Searight Professional and Continuing Education (PACE), the five-session course provides hands-on training in identifying funding opportunities and building competitive grant proposals. Led by Dr. Bobbie Cox, professor and director of the Master of Public Administration program, the course culminates with participants presenting a grant proposal tailored to their organization’s needs.

For many participants, the course provided a framework to turn long-recognized needs into clear, fundable initiatives. Octavia Dorsey, a Gardner-Webb University learning management systems administrator, focused her project on literacy, an issue she has observed firsthand through her experience as a school librarian. “There is a gap,” Dorsey said. “The community wants to blame COVID, but COVID wasn’t the problem—it just shed light on the problem.”

Through the course, Dorsey developed a proposal for “Always Learning Tutoring,” a community-based initiative designed to strengthen literacy skills and expand access to educational support.

Similarly, Kimberly Logan of Haven Center in Forest City, N.C., wrote a grant to support the organization’s “Decision Camp” program that helps young people identify their strengths, explore career pathways, and build life skills through immersive, real-world experiences. Her organization’s programming includes year-round mentorship, cultural exposure, and scenario-based learning that enables students to see the long-term impact of their choices.

Several participants used the program to respond to pressing needs in their own communities.

Marie Hicks of Hendersonville, N.C., developed a proposal for an ADA-compliant playground at Upward Elementary School, where many students come from low-income families and lack access to safe recreational space. The only equipment they have now is a dilapidated swing set with one swing.

“There’s money out there for children and adults…so many programs could use [funding] but don’t have anybody to do grant writing,” Hicks said, noting that the course opened her eyes to the full process behind securing those resources.

Her proposal emphasizes not only accessibility for children with disabilities but also the importance of inclusive spaces where students from diverse backgrounds can connect and play together.

Nicole Ross of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Shelby, N.C., focused on financial literacy, designing a community-based empowerment program that will offer coaching, workshops, and access to professional guidance. “We’re seeking to provide financial literacy in our community,” Ross said, describing plans for programming that includes money management, savings strategies, and entrepreneurship training.

She added that the hands-on nature of the course helped build both skill belief in her abilities. “I’m confident now that I can write a proposal,” she said. “It taught me how to communicate the need—to help people see what you’re seeing and envision what you’re trying to do.”

Other participants focused on large-scale service initiatives with regional impact. Carlie Metts of the N.C. Lions Foundation developed a proposal to expand access to vision care through a mobile screening program for underserved and rural communities. The initiative aims to remove barriers such as cost and transportation while improving early detection and treatment.

In public safety, Seth Treadway, investigations captain with the Shelby Police Department, explored funding opportunities to enhance digital forensics capabilities. “Having never done this, I can definitely see it being a benefit in the future,” Treadway said. “Especially with technological advancements that are very expensive…the city doesn’t necessarily have the funds to cover those needs.”

On campus, Gardner-Webb staff also used the course to explore institutional improvements, including student technology access and long-range capital planning initiatives.

Throughout the program, participants emphasized that grant writing is more than completing an application—it is a strategic process requiring research, clarity, and attention to detail.

“I learned the small details,” Metts shared, noting the importance of staffing plans and operational considerations that go beyond the “big picture” of an idea.

Cox reinforces that perspective in her teaching, emphasizing that successful proposals begin with clearly defined needs and alignment with a funder’s mission. “The single most important lesson is that the need and the funder’s initiative have to be the same thing,” she said.

While each participant’s project is distinct, the collective impact of the program is clear. From literacy and education to healthcare, financial empowerment, and public safety, these proposals represent tangible solutions to real challenges.

Learn Grant Writing Skills to Expand Your Impact

The Grant Writing Certificate program is offered face-to-face and online, for five Fridays in May, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and awards 50 CE credits. Successful completion of the five-workshop series can be applied toward Gardner-Webb’s Master of Public Administration program (10-month MPA) in Gardner-Webb’s Master of Public Administration program.

Grow Your Career with Searight Pace

Gardner-Webb University’s Searight Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) programs offer relevant professional development across the disciplines. Designed for and taught by practitioners, Searight PACE programs allow you to grow your knowledge and skills within professional networks.

Advance your career through meaningful Searight PACE credentials, offered online and in-person. Searight PACE programs are open to everyone; GWU employees, alumni, and students receive a 20% discount. See all the offerings here.

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Become More at gardner-webb.edu.