Briana Pace | Southern Indiana Business Report
The deadline for the Fall 2026 Grant Writing Fellowship hosted by Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) is fast approaching. Applications are due July 17.
The program helps individuals pursuing projects and programs that improve quality of life across the Indiana Uplands region.
Applying is simple. The form requires basic information about the applicant, their organization, their experience with grant writing and why they should be selected for the program.
Those selected to participate in the program will develop their grant proposal writing skills, plus, they will learn how to identify ideal grant opportunities for themselves, ways to tell their community’s story, find metrics that show community impact and how to best visualize it. Fellows will be taught how to create partnerships with other businesses in their communities and make budgets. They will also learn how to sustain projects long-term and manage grants to conclusion.
“Our goal is to really grow the capabilities of grant writers across the region and to secure more grant dollars for great programs and projects in the Indiana uplands,” Regional Opportunities Initiatives director of marketing and communications Betsy Trotzke said.
The fall 2026 program will include eight sessions, some virtual and some in-person. Each session will focus on a different aspect of grant writing. The first class, taking place on August 13, will teach basic grant writing. In addition to organized classes, instructors will hold office hours occasionally to directly address topics induvial fellows want help with.
Instructors for the program include Purdue extension Cate Racek and ROI grants management specialist Josie Smith. Racek has helped research projects and programs receive funding from the National Science Foundation, U.S Department of Education, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Defense, National Endowment for the Humanities and Lilly Endowment.
Smith has over five years’ experience managing federal, state and foundation-funded programs. She has substantial experience in grant proposal development, compliance and budget management.
From teachers to economic development companies, in past iterations, a wide variety of organization types from areas across the region were represented.
“We try to be pretty diverse in supporting different kinds of organizations across all aspects of the region,” Trotzke said.
Fellows are required to attend all sessions. ROI covers all tuition for sessions, program materials, meals during in-person sessions and a stipend for travel.