How to Hire The Right Grant Writer
Some times a grant project is just to big for one person to handle and a professional grant writer will need to be hired. There are thousands of grant writers for hire, with all the grant writers it is hard to know where to start and who to hire.
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Instructions
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Write out your projects mission and the grant project's goal. Be specific. This will help perspective grant writers to determine if they have the desire and knowledge to write your proposal. The best proposals come from grant writers who have a passion for the project their trying to fund.
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Write down what you need the grant writer to do. Do you need funding sources found, contacted, statistics researched, and proposal written. Or if you have some writing skills and the ability to learn as you go you may just need a grant writer that over sees the project.
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Just like every other profession their are specialist grant writers and there are generalist. Generalists will cost a great deal less then specialists. Generalists are okay to use to save money when you have already identified your target donors and funding sources. Specialists are grant writers who have a great amount of experience seeking and getting funding for a specific type of organization.
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Determine if you want to be able to work with your grant writer in person or if you do not mind to have all contacts via internet/phone/fax. Usually the cheapest root is to have things done via communication devices, but if new to the grant writing steps a personal visit from the grant writer may make all the difference.
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With your information on what you are looking for in a grant and what you need from a grant writer it is time to start looking for the right grant writer for your project.
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The best way is to get a referral from a project organizer that has gotten grants similar to grants you are seeking. If you are able to get a number of a grant writer that has done similar projects give them a call or shoot them a e-mail. If you have both email them the specific of what what you need and them give them a follow up call. If they do not have the time to take on the project ask if they know of any grant writers who would be good for the job. Word of mouth has to be one of the most effective way to get the right grant writer for the job.
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If you are unable to find a grant writer through word of mouth make a short advertisement on your local freelancer page for writers. In the advertisement let them know what type of project you are trying to fund and what you are looking for in a grant writer. Also request three references of previous customers. If the grant writer can not come up with three references do not hire them. Look through the responses for grant writers that offer affordable rates but also have the experience you need.
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After you have at least four applicants in hand call call all their references. Ask the references: Did you think they had reasonable rates? How do you feel their communication style worked with yours? How much legwork was required of the organization? How did the grant writer in question involve the members of the organization in the grant writing process? Was their grant proposal successful? Was the grant writer timely on their projected writing goals?
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If your grant writer will be involved in reading confidential information make sure to run a back ground check before signing a writer. The grant writer should always sign a confidentiality agreement before beginning the grant writing process.
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Tips & Warnings
Most seed or grassroots organizations hire grant writers that over see a project not that do all the details. This is done not only because it saves on average 75% to 90% but grant proposals written by a individual of the organization helps the grant reviewer connect with the program.
Many times a organization that has written grants in the past will hire "a professional specialist for assistance" in areas that they may not be knowledgeable about.
Most grant writer's bill by the hour not the project but you may give a grant writer a allotted amount of time to work. Given that allotted time they will try to write the grant to their ability and will request hours as needed. It is best to ask the grant writer how long the project will take them to get an idea of the budget needed.
Most grant writers believe that being paid by a percentage of the grant money won is unethical.
