12 weeks
Series at a glance
September 22, 2026
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET
Foundations — The Federal Grants Landscape for FBOs
Many faith-based organizations wrongly believe they're categorically ineligible for federal funding, when most funders actually welcome faith-based applicants under standard restrictions. This confusion persists because funders rarely conduct direct outreach to faith networks, leaving pastors and ministry leaders without the information or relationships needed to consider applying.
September 29, 2026
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET
Getting Grant-Ready — Registration, Systems & the "Short Onramp"
SAM.gov and grants.gov registration is technical and unforgiving of small errors, a major hurdle for organizations without dedicated admin staff. Smaller faith-based groups often lack the financial systems and grants administration capacity larger nonprofits take for granted, causing them to stall before ever submitting an application.
October 6, 2026
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET
Finding & Evaluating Grant Opportunities
NOFOs are dense and jargon-heavy, and organizations without grant-writing experience often misjudge fit or miss key requirements. Scoring rubrics also tend to favor applicants with existing vendor relationships or prior awards, structurally disadvantaging strong first-time applicants who simply lack a track record.
October 13, 2026
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET
Writing a Competitive Grant Proposal
Translating mission and impact into funder-expected narrative structure is a distinct skill many organizations haven't developed. This is harder still when programs are faith-integrated, requiring applicants to clearly frame fundable secular components without overstating separation or triggering compliance concerns.
October 27, 2026
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET
Budget Development & Financial Readiness
Building a credible budget requires technical knowledge — negotiating an indirect cost rate (NICRA), structuring matching funds, projecting costs — that smaller organizations often lack. Many awards are also reimbursement-based, requiring working capital to cover costs upfront, which can disqualify otherwise strong applicants.
November 10, 2026
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET
Application Assembly, Submission & Troubleshooting
Federal forms like the SF-424 carry technical requirements that trip up first-time filers, and small errors can trigger automatic rejection. Compliance certifications (civil rights, lobbying, debarment) demand specific legal knowledge, and a single portal upload error can derail a competitive application.
December 1, 2026
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET
Post-Award Compliance, Reporting & Grant Management
Faith-based organizations often face uncertainty about the line between permissible faith integration and prohibited use of federal funds, leading some to self-select out of eligible opportunities. Fear of post-award audits adds to this, especially for lean-staffed organizations worried they lack capacity to withstand scrutiny.
December 8, 2026
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET
Sustainability, Strategic Growth & Overcoming the Fear Factor
Some faith leaders worry that accepting federal funds invites government influence over their mission or programming over time. This concern is reinforced by real regulatory volatility — shifting priorities and rule changes across administrations make federal funding hard to plan around long-term.
