How a Grant Writer Gets Paid
Grant writers are given the unique task of using their professional perspective to bring in money to a nonprofit organization. For example, a grant writer may have an understanding of the internal needs of a foundation issuing a grant and be able to effectively speak to those needs throughout the course of the application process. Organizations understand that grant writers who offer a strong professional perception of funding sources are critical to their organizations and hire them as consultants, employees or agents. Grant writers are paid according to their legal position with an organization.
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Salary
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Grant writers are sometimes employees of a nonprofit organization. Their sole responsibility is to research grant opportunities that match the organization's needs and complete the application in accordance with the grant maker's guidelines. Grant writers are paid by salary or hourly under this arrangement. The amount of the salary is determined by the grant writer's years of experience in the industry and track record of success. The operating budget of the nonprofit is also a considerable factor in how much a grant writer is paid.
Commission Plus Hourly
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Grant writing consultants get paid for the hours they commit to grant writing for an organization. They usually either estimate these hours in advance or track them throughout the course of the project and bill the client at an agreed upon rate. Consultants may also negotiate receiving a percentage of the grants they secure for their clients. This percentage varies by grant and organization.
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Project
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Grant writers may work for organizations that provide grant writing services. In this case, the grant writer is paid either as a full-time employee or contractor. Grant writers under this arrangement may get paid a flat fee on a project to project basis. This is especially true if the grant writer is not a full-time employee of the agency. Grant writers who represent a firm are typically not entitled to a commission on the funds raised.
Flexibility
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Grant writers have a large degree of flexibility in how much they can earn when working as a consultant. Grant writers who are employees have less leverage as they are working with the budgetary and operational restraints of the nonprofit organization they serve. Consultants may be paid rates comparable to those in for-profit sectors if they have the finesse needed to get an organization the funding they need to survive.
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