Workshops for Warriors

Workshops for Warriors is a nonprofit school that provides veterans and transitioning service members with industry-leading advanced manufacturing education and job placement. The organization trains, certifies, and places a veteran into a high paying entry level job in four to eight months. 

The charity hired Fordable Fundraising in 2016 to write their case for support and provide grant writing services. At the time, Rachel Luis y Prado who served as Chief Academic Officer and CFO was new to grant writing and seeking ways to more efficiently manage the process and increase funding. “I had a lot to learn when we first started. I was already trying to learn the ins and outs of putting together a nonprofit, so the education on this front was needed,” Rachel explained. 

Janeal Ford and the team at Fordable Fundraising got to work to develop the case for support messaging to support community solicitations and grant applications. The first year Fordable submitted 60 grant proposals and the case for support helped to submit them in a rapid and efficient manner. As grant funding began to flow, Workshops for Warriors expanded their services and grew in sophistication to manage the funding. Rachel began to understand what grant makers are looking for and their perspectives. This insight along with the support with grant writing freed Rachel up to pursue the relationships that could result in funding.

Since 2016 when the partnership began, more than $6 Million has been secured for the advanced manufacturing program for young veterans. “Smaller nonprofits may avoid hiring a grant writer, but I recommend hiring someone who is well-versed in the subject area. It may take time to see the payoff but the return on investment is much bigger if you stick with it.” shared Rachel. 

In 2014, Workshops for Warriors graduated 42 students and now, in 2021, the organization will graduate 192 students, a  357% increase in veterans trained and employed.