How to Get Paid for Grant Writing
Grant writing has the potential to be a lucrative form of freelance writing for the right person. If you are detail-oriented, enjoy research and are passionate about helping nonprofits meet their goals and provide services to the community, this may be the opportunity for you!
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Instructions
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Gain Experience, Market Yourself and Communicate Efficiently
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Gain experience writing grants. If you have little or no grant writing experience, take a course in writing grants at your local community college. Offer to write a grant for your nonprofit employer or an organization you may be involved with as a volunteer. Once you have written a few successfully funded grants, you can start charging for your services.
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Market yourself. Suggest your services to an organization you may be involved in as a volunteer. Create business cards and a brochure outlining your services and highlighting the successful proposals you have written. Network with local nonprofit organizations and learn the names of the executive directors. You may also find work online utilizing freelance sites such as Elance and Writing Bids.
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Decide on a fee before you agree to write for a client. Discuss your fee in advance with your client. Will you be paid per hour, by a flat fee or based on a percentage of the funding received? Many nonprofits would prefer to pay based on a percentage of funding received, but this is your decision. If you are a new grant writer you may agree to this, but once you gain more experience you can ask for payment in advance whether it is by hourly rate or the flat fee.
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Communicate with your clients effectively. Determine in advance what you will need to do and what your client will be providing you. Are you responsible for researching possible funding sources or have they already been identified by the organization? Understand the client's mission and familiarize yourself fully with the project to be funded. The better you know your "product" the easier it will be to write passionately about why it is critical it receives funding.
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Always be mindful of the details, guidelines and deadlines. Be aware if you need to submit a letter of intent prior to writing a grant proposal. Read all guidelines on the foundation's website and note deadlines. Don't assume that because a funder's deadline was April 1 last year it will be the same this year. Pay particular attention to the supplemental materials required that will need to accompany the grant application. Keeping track of the details will only serve to make your job that much easier!
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Tips & Warnings
Take a basic or advanced grant writing course. Join online freelance writing sites. Build a positive, ongoing business relationship with your client contact person. Be VERY detail oriented--this is critical in grant writing.
Don't wait until after you start writing the grant to discuss form of payment. Only include what the funder is asking for; don't include too much information as this will work against the application. Only apply for grants your client would be eligible to receive.
Resources
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