Empowering Students and Non-Profits Through Grant Writing at ISU
Elisabeth Curtis
November 20, 2023
Kellee Kirkpatrick, an associate professor in Political Science at Idaho State University (ISU), has been making a significant impact on students and the community through her innovative grant writing class.
Kirkpatrick's connection with ISU spans ten years. Originally hailing from Kansas, Kirkpatrick found her home at ISU and has since been teaching American politics and public policy, contributing to the academic growth of countless students.
One of Kirkpatrick's notable contributions to ISU is her Grant Writing class, known as POLS 4457/5557. This unique course is designed to equip students with the essential skills needed to excel in grant writing—an area where many individuals lack prior experience.
Students and staff from various departments across ISU have benefitted from the course. Kirkpatrick's teaching approach is not only theoretical but hands-on, allowing students to work with real clients from the community.
Vannesa Truchot, MPA student at ISU, says that Dr. Kirkpatrick’s dedication as a teacher and the real-life application during the course, helped her get the job she’s currently in, as the Tribal Justice Grant Coordinator for the Shoshone Bannock Tribes.
Kirkpatrick collaborates with non-profit organizations and individuals in the community, who become clients for her students. These clients work closely with students, providing insight into their organizations, needs, and goals. Students then research, identify grants for the organization, and work on proposals for the client.
Each student in the course writes a full grant proposal, with clients typically having access to 30-40 potential grant opportunities. This relationship benefits both students, who gain invaluable real-world experience, and the clients, who receive professionally crafted grant proposals.
“We’ve worked with many amazing clients in the community,” Kirkpatrick says. “Grant writing is a partnership. We can change lives together.”
Students who complete the course gain a valuable skill set that opens doors to careers in nonprofits, government organizations, or academic research. Grant writing, often overlooked in traditional curricula, is a valuable skill set in today's job market.
Moreover, the class allows students to gain a deeper understanding of community needs and challenges. They learn how to navigate the complex world of grants, discovering the importance of sustaining everyday operations for non-profits, especially during economic downturns.
“Careers can go in any direction,” Kirkpatrick says. “Employers love students with a broad liberal arts education and skills in thinking, writing, data analysis, and grant writing.”
Kirkpatrick says students can apply the grant writing course for work with nonprofits, city or government organizations, organizations who are giving grants or receiving grants, anyone working in philanthropy, and someone looking to fund their own interest in research.
Derek Velasquez, another grant writing student, not only excelled in grant writing but also made significant contributions to a local non-profit organization, 208-CARE. His exemplary work led to his appointment to the organization's executive board.
Kirkpatrick says that “they were so impressed with Derek’s work, they wanted him to be a part of the organization long term.”
As a student in the course, Derek Velasquez worked with the 208-CARE Project, a local nonprofit that collects and distributes duffle bags stocked with essentials to area high school students.
“It ended up being one of those assignments you fall completely into,” Velasquez says, “one of those projects that throws you off axis just enough to permanently shift who you were going to be into who you actually become.”
Volunteers delivering 208-CARE bags to Pocatello High School
Velasquez says that he thinks good people who want to become involved in solving community problems are often stalled out and ultimately sidetracked because they don't know where or how to start. “Becoming educated about a simple, but vital part of community funding was a great first step and it opened my eyes to how community needs actually get met by unimportant, everyday people just looking to pitch in,” he says.
208-CARE is a non-profit focused on helping teens by providing items that can help take stress off their lives. Christina Edgley, the founder of 208-CARE says that the organization started small with 20 duffle bags for high school students filled with something to keep them warm, clean, and fed, as well as something fun. Their largest campaign thus far has been 84 bags.
Edgley shares the great story behind how the 208-CARE project came about:
“As a hairdresser, I talk with my guests in order to catch up between visits. One day, a guest was in my chair and told me about a friend of her son’s. He had a mother who was an addict, a father who was in prison, and his only goal in life was to finish highschool. He was "couch surfing" and was homeless. They brought him into their home and provided him with provisions to help him succeed. It gave me the idea for 208-CARE.”
208-CARE became involved with Kirkpatrick’s grant course when Kirkpatrick asked if they would be willing to present 208-CARE to the grant writing class.
Edgley says that the grant writing class has had a great impact on the organization. “It was brought to our attention that if we wanted to grow the charity, we would need help,” she says. “We were able to form a board of four members in addition to my husband and myself. They have already (after only one board meeting) helped us with so many things. We are also planning to move forward with growing the charity to be able to help even more students next year.”
Edgley says they have a goal of distributing 100 bags. In order to meet that goal, they are planning on applying for at least three grants.
“We feel confident we will get some funding to allow us to meet our goal,” Edgley says. “We want to be a resource for the schools throughout the whole school year, not just during the holidays. We have been able to help two students "off campaign" and it was a great feeling to be able to take that focus off of Maslow's hierarchy of needs so they could focus on finishing school.”
What’s it like working with ISU students? Edgley says that the students were impressive. “Every single student was passionate about the charity. They all truly believed in what we were doing and all still want to be involved in some way. I know if we contacted any one of the students we worked with, they would do anything they could to help us.”
Kirkpatrick's journey into grant writing was inspired by her parents' work in grant writing for cities. She watched her parents with fascination and recognized the impact they had on communities. Her passion for grant writing led her to propose the course at ISU, benefiting both students and the community at large.
Kirkpatrick's vision for the future includes continuing the hybrid format of the class, which is being offered this spring. For more information please contact Kellee Kirkpatrick at (208) 282-2550 | kelleekirkpatrick@isu.edu.