Show Me The Money: Foundations of Grant Writing
Dr. Lidia Fonseca
Session Overview:
The purpose of the proposed workshop is for participants to learn about the foundations of grant writing, what skills are needed to be a successful grant writer and how to identify grant opportunities that meet the needs of their organization.
Learning obejctives of the workshop include:
- Background
- Key terminology
- Types of external funding
- Finding funding sources
- General principles
- Writing the proposal
- Peer review process
- Common sections of a grant
Additional Materials for this Session:
About Your Presenter:
Dr. Lidia Fonseca (she/her)
Dr. Lidia Fonseca is the Director of Programs at Valley Association for Independent Living (VAIL), located in south Texas. She has served her community as a disability justice advocate and provides overall supervision, management, development, and implementation of programs at her center. The programs that she has developed have helped promote the independent living philosophy, consumer control, and systems change so that independent living is possible for all persons with disabilities. Dr. Fonseca’s advocacy efforts are related to the discussion of issues that relate to equity in the workplace, accessible transportation, and leveraging resources among community partners. Dr. Fonseca has a bachelor's degree in Rehabilitative Services from The University of Texas Pan-American, a master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Texas Tech University, and a Doctorates degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She has 10 years of experience in the independent living field. Her focus is on public policy changes that promote disability rights. Her interests are in emergency management, resource development, expansion of employment services for people with disabilities, and training on leadership and advocacy.
Dr. Fonseca serves as the President of TEXCIL, an association of centers for Independent Living in Texas, which provides technical assistance, training, and resources for centers across the state. She also serves as the President of the Regional Transportation Advisory Panel (RTAP), inwhich she advocates on the accessible transportation needs in the rural areas that VAIL serves and is also serving her first term as an APRIL board member.