Hire a Contract Grant Writer

The grant-application process often requires a great deal of time, research, and painstaking attention to detail, but a successful grant award can help your organization realize much loftier goals than it would otherwise be able. If your organization is eligible for certain grants, federal[1] or otherwise, and you are at the stage of organizational development that you can make a compelling case for such a grant, it is worth considering hiring a dedicated grant writer who can complete this lengthy and resource-intensive process while you focus on other things. If you can't find someone in-house to do this task, can't afford to hire a full-time staff grant writer, or simply want to try before you buy, consider the following in hiring a grant writer on a contractual basis.

Steps

Preparing to Hire a Contract Grant Writer

  1. Define the project for which you will be hiring the grant writer. Before you begin the process of hiring a grant writer to help with your fundraising efforts, you will need to have a clear idea of the project that needs funding. The type of project dictates the grants for which your organization is eligible, which then informs you of the knowledge and experience your future grant writer should possess.
    • For instance, the needs of a community organization are different than those of a larger research institution. The size and complexity of the project, once defined, will give you an idea of the skillset you will need to target in a grant writer.
  2. Research the grant-writer market in your area. The more information you have going into this process, the easier it will be to set and meet your expectations. Spend some time and get an idea for what grant writers in your area charge based on the complexity of the grant proposal and the level of expertise and experience required to complete it. Try the following:
    • If you know of others that have hired grant writers for their organization in the past, ask what they paid and if they were satisfied with the quality of work they received for that pay. Asking around at several organizations in your area regarding grant writers with varying levels of skill and experience should give you a decent idea of what the market in your area looks like.
    • Contact professional fundraising and grant-writer affiliations in your area, and ask them what the market rate is for a grant writer that matches your project's needs.
    • See if you can find a survey of salaries for professional grant writers in your region, and compare these figures to the type of grant writer your organization needs.
    • Understand that aspects of your organization will affect the cost of drafting the proposal—the more prepared your organization is to begin the application process and to manage a grant writer, the less time (and therefore money) the project will take. [2]
  3. Budget for the grant writer. Hiring a contract grant writer should be treated like hiring the services of any other professional consultant. It is considered unethical in American fundraising to compensate the grant writer with a contingency-pay scheme (e.g., paying out of the funds received from the grant for which the writer drafted the application). It is also important to pay the grant writer promptly after he or she completes her work, with no regard to when the actual grant decision is made, and without regard to the success or failure of your application.[3]
    • Hiring a grant writer is an investment in your organization's future, so don't be afraid to spend the money required to acquire such an asset for your team. If you already have robust fundraising efforts in place, you could direct a portion of these to finance your new grant writer. Make sure to weigh the cost of the writer against the amount of the grant itself.
    • You will be paying the grant writer either on an hourly basis or on a per-project basis. The latter will allow you to control the total amount spent on the grant writer, but is harder to initially determine if your organization is newer or otherwise has little experience with writing grant applications. You will need to decide which pay scheme works best for your organization's needs.
    • Figure out how long you will need the grant writer. Will this just be a single project, or do you expect to be applying for multiple grants in the immediate future?

Finding a Contract Grant Writer

  1. Use your network to ask around. One of the more reliable ways to find a grant writer whose quality you will be happy with is to ask people you know and trust (be they colleagues, friends, family, etc.) if they have worked with any in the past that they would recommend. If someone whose opinion you value gives you a name, it is more likely that grant writer will be capable, professional, and reasonable when it comes to compensation. This can save you a lot of time and energy in the interview process, and afford you some confidence in your new hire before they write even a single word.
    • If those around you haven't worked with a grant writer, or haven't worked with the type of grant writer your organization requires, try asking if they know of any reputable grant writers in your area. Even if the people in your network haven't directly worked with a grant writer in the past, perhaps someone they know has, and they can provide an indirect referral.
    • You can also try asking around at organizations similar to yours that have launched successful fundraising efforts regarding grant writers with whom they have previously worked.
  2. Attend a professional-fundraising networking event. If asking around amongst your own contacts doesn't yield any results, try attending a networking event for professional fundraisers in your area. Even if you don't find the perfect grant writer amongst the crowd, you and your organization will still benefit from meeting like-minded individuals, expanding your own network, and learning more about the industry as a whole.
    • Check the websites of professional fundraising organizations, like the Association of Fundraising Professionals, for listings of these types of events and conferences.[4] You can also consider joining one of these organizations to receive regular newsletters and updates, along with access to their publications and resources.
  3. Search the websites of professional fundraising and grant-writing affiliations to find grant writers in your area.[5]These organizations compile lists of qualified individuals that may suit your needs, and looking for a grant writer in this fashion doesn't require any professional contacts or conference/travel fees.
  4. Place ads in more traditional sources. Try placing an ad for a grant writer in local newspapers, online job boards, or Craigslist. Make sure you detail exactly what you expect from the grant writer and how much you are willing to pay. Include contact information for your organization.

Selecting a Contract Grant Writer

  1. Select a number of potential candidates to interview. When soliciting new grant writers, make sure to ask for references and work samples. These are probably the best indicator of how successful your new grant writer will be. While certain types of projects can be completed by a fledgling grant writer (e.g., funding for a small community organization), a proven track record is important for more complex, technical work. You will want to review the prospective grant writer's previous grant applications if at all possible.
    • If you plan to apply for federal grants, it will be very helpful if your new hire has experience drafting proposals specifically in the federal context. The government has a complex and resource-intensive process that must be completed if your organization wishes to receive federal money. [6]
  2. Pay attention to the writer's style. Most grant applications are long, detail-oriented, and exceedingly complex, requiring many pages detailing your organization's specific objectives and how it intends to meet them. Make sure the grant writer has the ability to write clearly, concisely, and articulately, and that their work is free of any grammatical or proofreading errors. You will want to hire someone that takes pride in their written product.
  3. Consider the writer's education and experience. A writer who has previously drafted grant applications in a similar field to the one your organizations occupies will need less time to get up to speed.
  4. Set up and conduct interviews with potential candidates. After you have narrowed down the pool or prospective grant writers, you will want to sit down with each of them and assess whether or not they truly meet your organization's needs. Since you will have already vetted the writer on paper, make sure the questions you ask during the interview address the more intangible aspects of what makes a good grant writer.
    • Try to gauge the grant writer's enthusiasm and passion for the project at hand. A writer who cares about your organization's goals will be able to write that much more compellingly to secure the funding you desire than a writer who views this as simple mercenary work.
    • Pay attention to the questions the grant writer asks you. The more they know about your organization and the grant-writing process as a whole, the less time you will need to devote to managing them.
  5. Select a candidate and begin the grant-application process. When you have chosen the best grant writer from the bunch, take time to draft a contract that details the responsibilities of both you and the grant writer. Be sure to include timelines to establish deadlines for what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. Also be sure to outline what information you will need to provide to the grant writer and how long it will take him or her to learn about and understand your organization. Once expectations have been set on both sides, the grant writer can begin the contract for which you hired them. Best of luck in the application process!

Tips

  • Allow plenty of time for drafting, revising, and submitting grants. Grant writing is a collaborative process between organization and writer. It will take time for the writer to learn about your organization and its specific goals. Make sure you allot enough time for the writer to do his or her job, but make sure to establish periodic deadlines to keep yourself abreast of the application's progress.
  • Do your own research regarding the grant you are applying for so you can direct the grant writer's efforts. Also be sure to give regular feedback so that you are happy withe the product for which you are paying. The written proposal will represent your organization, so make sure it does so in a fashion you want.
  • Make sure your organization is in a good position to be applying for funding in the first instance. Grants are awarded not just on the quality of the written proposal, but also on the quality of the organization applying for it. Your reputation, connections, past fundraising, and past accomplishments will all be evaluated along with the proposal itself.
  • As the success or failure of a grant application depends on the strength of your organization just as much as the written grant application itself, make sure the payment scheme for your grant writer is divorced from the ultimate result of his or her proposal. Generally accepted accounting principles and the code of ethics for leading professional fundraising groups dictate that your writer be paid a fair wage at the time services are rendered.[7]Practicing this will not only allow you to enlist the help of a quality grant writer, but will ensure your organization doesn't run into any trouble if any audits arise.

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References

  1. ↑ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grant-eligibility.html
  2. ↑ http://www.grantwriters.org/how-to-hire-a-freelancer#
  3. ↑ http://www.thenonprofittimes.com/news-articles/paying-commission-grant-proposals-dont/
  4. ↑ http://www.afpnet.org/
  5. ↑ http://fundraisingconsultantsandresourcedirectory.com/?navItemNumber=545
  6. ↑ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html
  7. ↑ http://www.thenonprofittimes.com/news-articles/paying-commission-grant-proposals-dont/
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