How to Become a Freelance Grant Writer

In the current economic climate, charitable contributions are down, and dollars are ever harder to come by for nonprofits, community-based organizations, universities and colleges, medical organizations, and others. Grant writers are important to fund raising for all these organizations. If you can write clearly and analytically yet with creativity and passion, you may find freelance grant writing a rewarding career path. The following information can help you pursue this goal.

Instructions

1. To be a grant writer, you need to have certain skills and qualities. First, you need clear, excellent, concise writing skills. You also need the ability to be analytical about what is most important when reading grant guidelines and the ability to honestly and creatively translate why your organization meets those guidelines. You also need an understanding of basic financial statements and organizational documents for the sector you are working in, a real understanding of the organization's goals and objectives, and good contacts within the organization to help you with questions and documentation.

2. To be paid for grant writing, you must first have demonstrated that you are a grant writer. The best way to do this is to have written successful grants. To do this, you will likely need to volunteer first. Local nonprofits need grant writing services, so volunteer there. Keep your day job, but contact nonprofits that you have an interest in and volunteer. You may have to do the research to find available grants or you may be given sources. The organization may already have a paid or volunteer grant writer, but this person may be happy for your help. Keep looking and asking until you find the right organization for you. Start small while thinking big.

3. Network and locate larger local nonprofits and institutions that write grants. Make a list of larger organizations in your area that either have staff grant writers or may sometimes use contract writers. Develop relationships not only with the people in these organizations but also with your community as a whole. Sometimes an organization without a full-time grant writer will pay for one to write an important grant. Networking is key.

   If you have experience within a particular field, such as education, medical services, animals, housing, social services, or financial services, use your expertise and your contacts in your field to open doors.

4. There are many ways to study grant writing. Although college degrees in grant writing are not typical, both free and paid curricula are available in this genre. Be discriminating when signing up for grant writing training. Some free online courses are very good, and some paid courses are not so good. Investigate the opportunities. Take advantage of the best educational opportunities while avoiding those that may tap your resources without actually teaching you new skills or focus.

5. Take advantage of free resources, such as the local library, to learn all you can about grant applications and your local picture. Study copies of successful grants, including those from organizations you want to apply to. Research potential grants in the fields you are interested in. You may be able to tell a local organization about a grant opportunity they were not aware of.

6. After you have successful grants under your belt, learn more about marketing on the Internet and keep networking. Think about how to structure your business. For example, it is usually not advised to take a percentage of a successful grant as payment. This arrangement may by itself torpedo the chance of a grant's success because funders generally want to see their funds used for the purpose they were dedicated to, not to pay the grant writer. In some cases, this arrangement can actually be deemed unethical. A better choice is to market grant writing either on an hourly basis or on a project basis. Either way, the better your track record, the higher the fees you can expect.

Tips & Warnings

• Be methodical and research oriented as well as creative. If you have questions for the orgnization you are writing for, get answers. Understand the organization you are writing for. Write, write, write, and write some more. The best writer will bring home the bacon in grant writing.

• A grant writing freelancer builds up a practice over time. This is not a quick-income business to start.

References

• PowerHomeBiz: What it Takes To Be A Grant Writer
• eSSORTMENT: How To Become A Grant Writer