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Grant Application Bootcamp: Elizabethtown

Tuesday, March 31, 2026 (9:00 AM - 4:00 PM) (EDT)

Description

The Grant Application Bootcamp, hosted by Kentucky Nonprofit Network and Grant Ready Kentucky, is an intensive, hands-on workshop focused on strengthening the core components of a competitive grant proposal, with an emphasis on clarity, alignment, and reviewer expectations. 

Limited to only 25 individuals with active grant applications, participants move step by step through readiness and funder alignment, crafting a compelling need statement supported by credible data, designing programs that directly respond to identified needs, and developing clear goals, measurable outcomes, and practical evaluation plans. The session also addresses how to build coherent budgets and sustainability plans that reinforce the narrative, followed by guided polishing and peer review to improve flow, consistency, and impact. The workshop concludes with action planning to help participants translate what they learned into immediate next steps for improving current or upcoming grant applications.

Details: 

  • Lunch will be provided (You are welcome to bring your own coffee and breakfast.)
  • Space is limited to 25 participants.
  • You must have a specific grant you intend to submit within the next 180 days in order to attend. 
  • Laptops are required. 

In order to participate, your organization MUST: 

  • have a specific grant you intend to submit within the next 180 days.
  • be one of the following: 
    • Nonprofit with 501c3 Status
    • State Government
    • County Government
    • City or Township Government
    • Special District Government
    • Regional Organization
    • Public School District
    • Public School
    • Private School
    • Public/State Controlled Institution of Higher Education
    • Housing Authority
    • For Profit Organization
    • Small Business
    • Library

 

About the instructor: 
Melissa Vermillion is the Chief Strategy Officer at Grant Ready Kentucky, a nonprofit committed to enhancing grant readiness and capacity-building across the Commonwealth. With a rich background in higher education and community services, Melissa dedicated over 14 years to Hazard Community and Technical College, where she served as Director of Grants and Contracts and Dean of Institutional Effectiveness Planning and Research.

An educator in grant writing since 2016, Melissa is among only 14 individuals in Kentucky to earn the Grant Professional Certification from the Grant Professionals Certification Institute, marking her as a pioneer within the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). She is also an Approved GPA Trainer.  Her ability to secure funding is demonstrated by her success in obtaining almost $50 million through federal, state, and private foundation grants.

Before her tenure at the college, Melissa was the Director for Aging Programs in Perry County, where she significantly increased program funding, tripling resources through her grant writing and fundraising efforts. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an MBA from Morehead State University and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Adult and Higher Education at the same institution.  Melissa has been married to Kevin Vermillion for 37 years and is a proud mother to two adult children, Rebekah and Alex. Her extensive experience and dedication continue to drive her commitment to advancing grant readiness and resource accessibility for under-resourced organizations throughout Kentucky.

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Pricing

KNN Members: $120

Potential Members: $170

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Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
600 College Street Road
Elizabethtown, KY 42701 United States
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 (9:00 AM - 4:00 PM) (EDT)
Categories
Fundraising/Development
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