In this session, we are going to explore grant writing and how to approach it for the first time. We’ll walk through the ABCD framework as a tool for conceptualizing your grant projects.
Mentor Bio
Bea Rodriguez-Fransen is the Program Manager of Innovation at the City of Aurora, IL. She manages Thrive Collaborative Center, the first incubator and coworking space in the Fox Valley region that focuses on the growth of nonprofits and social enterprises. She also manages the Aurora Financial Empowerment Center, a program that offers free 1-on-1 financial counseling to individuals as a public service, the first of its kind in the State of Illinois. Throughout her 18-year career as a nonprofit and higher education professional, Bea has raised millions of funds as a grant writer, funds that started or cultivated programs that continue to make a transformative impact on diverse communities. Bea currently serves on the Racial Equity & Social Justice Committee of Chicago Women in Philanthropy. She holds a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies – Writing, Editing & Publishing, and has published her poetry, fiction, and feature articles both in the Philippines and in the United States.
