Grant writing, or, Your tax dollars at work

Next week I'm going to go to a workshop offered at our local arts center, aimed at helping people get Individual Artist Grants from the Indiana Arts Commission. There isn't a whole heck of a lot of money given out to artists in this state, but this is a nice little program that provides up to a thousand dollars for people to pursue specific projects -- including things like traveling to workshops. If I can get one of these, I can go to a workshop in Provincetown again next summer, something I don't think I'm going to be able to afford otherwise. ($1000 won't cover all of the expenses -- travel, workshop tuition, lodging, meals, cat sitter, airport parking -- but it would cover tuition and lodging, and maybe travel, so it would make it possible where it wouldn't be possible without the grant.) A friend of mine got one of these grants last year, so I know that writing workshops are something they are known to fund, and I think I've been published more than she has so hopefully the fact that she got one means I can get one too. Although she's got a lot more grant writing experience than I do, and that matters.

I'm happy that the Waldron is providing an informational workshop to help guide me through this process, and I'm glad that I'm able to take a couple hours off work to go attend it, but I think I need all the help I can get, so I'll gratefully accept any advice about writing grants for this kind of thing, if any of you have experience with it!