Working Your Skills: What does it take to be a fantastic Grant Writer?
A grant writer
performs a very important role for many charitable institutions and non-profit
businesses (such as, animal shelters, community outreach programs and cause
related assistantships.) Additionally, they may work with universities,
colleges, and community alternative education programs. Due to the lagging economy,
grant money has become far more difficult to obtain from private philanthropic
foundations, cooperate foundations, and individual donators. On one hand, this
makes the grants harder to get a hold of, however, the role of a highly skilled
grant writer has become a far more valued profession in the job market.
If
working within the sphere of non-profit and aide programs sparks your interest,
then take a quick mental stock of what skills you’ve already got, or are
willing to improve on, that are essential in becoming a grant writer, such as:
·
Excellent
Writing Skills:
Simply knowing the ins and outs of basic grammar won’t cut it. You’re going to
need to have a strong grasp on what makes a piece of writing convincing and persuasive, without sounding needy. Will your proposal stand out among
hundreds of other applications to capture a potential funder’s attention and
show that you’ve done the legwork to back up your project? Have you created a
persuasive voice that will inspire them to believe partnering with your cause
is mutually beneficial? Keep in mind that your client’s success in getting that
grant hinges largely on the quality of your written work; whether you are
writing for a request of $5,000 or $5 million, you need to be able to clearly
communicate how the funds will be effectively used to reach a worthwhile goal
for both parties. The only way to become an exceptional writer is to write, so
do it as often as you can. Keep a journal, write a blog, or do freelance work
writing articles and reviews, whatever it takes. (Fulbright)
·
Have a clear
understanding of how the process works: As a grant writer, you’ll be spending a
lot of time working and reworking your client’s ideas into a concrete program
that the funder will want to contribute to. While not ideal, you may work with
a program that is still in its earliest stages, so be patient and organized,
communicate with your clients consistently and don’t be afraid to make
suggestions that would better streamline the process. You will be the written
voice between the organization and the funder, so your documents have got to
assure the funder that any money given will be used in the best possible way.
Success in that is usually a strong chance for the organization to receive aid
in the future from that funder. Imagination is also a key factor, visualize how
that project will play out over the next few years; a well thought out, and
detailed image is what will get you that grant. (Fulbright)
·
Research Skills: Prepare
yourself for doing a lot of research.
Initially, this research is simply conducting interviews with the program heads
and project leaders, as well as seeking out financial documents, budgeting
costs and evaluating past programs. One of the most important parts of the
grant writing process is finding the perfect funder. The foundation and your
client’s missions need to be as close as possible for them to even be considered
among numerous other requests that funder may receive.
For example, a
philanthropic organization focusing on animal welfare is not likely to approve
an application for a children’s education program. Your chance of receiving the
grant for your client is much higher if your proposal is in line with the
funder’s goals. Pay close attention to who they’ve funded in the past. Have
they ever funded a children’s education group? And finally, check their
location. Many funders are location specific in their donations, for example:
if you’re located in Oregon, and they are an East Coast foundation, you might
keep looking for a better match. (Fulbright)
·
Discipline and
Organization:
Grant writing involves a lot of paperwork, so if you have a hard time
organizing your space you might consider working out a good system for keeping
track of your paperwork. There are also many dates and deadlines to consider,
if you’re seriously thinking about pursuing
this career, many experts in the field highly recommend setting up a
home office for yourself.
·
Know What’s
Going on Within the Field: As with many systems, trends change, so it’s
important to keep up on what’s going on within past and future funders to see
what changes have been made within the bureaucracy. One of the best and most
updated sources to find this information is the internet. The Foundation Center
is a great resource, however you will need to register and pay a small fee to
gain full access to the database that provides all of the funders currently
accepting grant proposals. If you’d rather have a book in your hand to
reference, try checking out the yearly published, Foundation Directory, or the Foundation
Grants Index. The downside to the
printed resources is that they only come out once a year and a funder may have
had to withdraw availability during that time. (Fulbright)
Myths
and Fears:
There are a lot
of myths about grants floating around out there. To be a savvy grant writer,
it’s important that you are aware of these myths, and can clear them up quickly
and sensibly if a client comes to you with a misconception of how it all works.
Grants are “Free Money”: Unfortunately not.
Although to the financially strapped college student a grant may appear to be
nothing more than some much needed extra goodies from the government, when you
are dealing directly with a funder, the money donated is a contract. They are
giving you this money to use for a very specific purpose, and many funders ask
for updates and evaluations on how that money is being used. A funder who finds
out that their contribution was not used for the purpose agreed upon has full
right to retract that grant, leaving the organization with not only a lack of
money, but a bad taste in the mouth of that funder. Word travels fast, and an
altercation with a particularly prestigious funder could spell doom for that
organization. (Brown and Brown, 4)
Writing Grant Proposals is a Huge Ordeal: Not so. While
it’s true that when you first begin a new career getting a handle on the ins
and outs can be challenging, once you’ve gotten into the groove of how grant
writing works, it will go by more quickly than you realize. Many grant
applications are similar in their questions and demands, certain papers are
almost always required such as, financial records, a budget outline, mission
statement of the organization, and a narrative outlining the organization’s
goals and proposal ideas. Once you’ve got a handle on how to acquire this
information efficiently, the rest will be up to your talent to create a
spectacular proposal. Don’t fall back on template sheets or prewritten grants,
funders will not be impressed by something so generic. Tailor each grant to its
program, and be creative! Again, one of the biggest keys is getting organized. (Brown and Brown, 6)
You Need to “Know Someone” to Get a Grant: Nope. Sure, it
couldn’t hurt to know someone within the foundation you’re applying for, but if
you’ve got the skills to write up a convincing, well thought out proposal, it’s
certainly not necessary. In some cases, knowing someone may end up in the plans
becoming sloppy because of a preconceived assumption that whoever this person
is, they will only breeze over the actual proposal and give the grant based on
personal connections. It could happen that they don’t end up being the one to
review the proposal, resulting in the organization, and yourself, putting forth
an image of half completed work. One part of getting a grant does rely on
recommendation, but your skills as a writer can be used to develop a personal
and professional relationship with whomever you hope to get that recommendation
from. (Brown and Brown, 9)
Grants are Few, Enormous, and National: Not necessarily.
A majority of grants are going to be smaller, numerous and local. While there
are many widely known large foundations, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation, many of the
funders you’ll be approaching are going to be less notorious, but just as
willing to give money to a great proposal. Most funders are willing to give between
$1,000 and $5,000, they may even state that they will only cover half of a
proposal’s provided budget. But don’t panic! Although these grants are smaller,
normally there is nothing stopping you from applying for more than one at a
time for your organization. In fact, many funders look more favorably on an
organization if they provide evidence of other funders sought. Most non-profits
receive up to six grants to subsidize costs for their projects. (Foundation
Center)
Where to Start:
A great way to
get started in the field is to become familiar with the organizations in your
area. You’re going to need to identify and make a list of possible clients that
you’d be interested in writing grants for. This could be large organizations,
(who often employ full time grant writers, but may be seeking contracted
writers as well). Developing contacts within these organizations and networking
will get you out there. A lot of grant writers begin by working solely with
charitable groups, this is a good way to build a strong résumé and become used
to the process. Another option is working for free, simply to familiarize you
with the research involved. Once you’ve got a good network base, and feel
comfortable with your routine, you can offer your services on the Web as well.
(Fulbright)
Working With Funders:
Like any
relationship, business or otherwise, communication is absolutely key. Whether
it’s by written letters, phone calls, or email, the funder will want to hear
from you from the moment you apply for the grant, to after you’ve gotten it.
They will want to know who you represent, the organization’s mission statement,
the project outline, why you picked that foundation specifically, and who else
you’ve sought funding from. They will also want to know how the project turned
out, and if it was a success, if you will be asking for their aid in the
future.
Income:
The amount you
charge as a grant writer will be up to you. There are a wide range of fees and
situations, so start out with something you’re comfortable with asking, and
expect a little bit less, especially in the beginning.
Hourly Rate: This will depend on your clientele,
level of experience, and success in getting the grants you’ve written so far.
The average rate for a competent grant writer is about $50 to $70. As your
repertoire grows, you could easily charge $100 an hour, but make sure you’ve
got the goods to back up your prices. To begin with, start out smaller, $25 is
usually a safe bet. (Fulbright)
By Project:
Some people prefer to charge by project, this can have some negative
outcomes if it takes you far longer to complete the project, but you will have
a fixed idea of how much you’ll be earning from the project. It’s really going
to depend on length and complexity, the fee could range anywhere from $1,000,
to $5,000. Another option is setting your rates depending on the organization;
a non-profit is likely to have far less money than a university, but a job is a
job, and every bit of experience will be a boon to you within this field.
(Fulbright)
By Commission: Some grant writers are paid depending
on how much money the organization is given when receiving the grant. This will
take you much longer to get paid, and can often be less than you may have
expected.
So what do you
say? Is this a career that appeals to you? This field is challenging, creative,
and rewarding, but can also involve long hours behind your computer screen,
loads of patience in dealing with a myriad of personalities, both professional
and novice, and a number of last minute reworking of ideas on a proposal you
may have thought you were done with. But don’t let the downsides scare you off,
this field is ever growing, and could certainly offer a fantastic experience
for any aspiring writer.
Sources
Cited:
“Top Funders,” foundationcenter.com,
05/08/10, http://foundationcenter.org/findfunders/topfunders/top100assets.html
Fulbright, Jenny, “How to be a Grant
Writer; Starting a Grant Writing Business, Powerhomebiz.com, 05/07/10, http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol121/grantwriter.htm
Brown, Larissa Golden and Brown, Martin
John, Demystifying Grant Seeking, Sanfrancisco, CA, Jossey-Bass, 2001.
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