BEFORE YOU HIRE A GRANT WRITER

Grant funding is a valuable monetary resource that can help nonprofit organizations secure necessary funds to offset the expenses associated with implementing or sustaining projects and programs that benefit their communities.

Smaller nonprofit organizations simply do not have the funds to hire a permanent grant writer; therefore, hiring a professional, independent grant writer may be the solution. Here are a few things to consider before hiring a grant writer.

Grant writing is a skill that is perfected with experience. Most professional grant writers are certified as either a Certified Grant Writer (CGW) or Certified Grant Consultant (CGC).

REFERENCES

An independent grant writer often operates under a contracted confidentiality agreement with regards to their clientele and grant awards. Therefore, asking for references may not be an option. Would a prospective grant writer provide you with a bad reference anyway?

GRANT WRITER PAYMENT

It is unethical for a grant writer to be paid on contingency, percentage or from grant award funds. These ethical standards are supported by most professional grant writing associations including: The Grant Professionals Association and the American Grant Writers Association. Keep in mind that a grantor is not going to provide you with funds to ask them for money. The cost of hiring a grant writer should be written into the organization’s annual operating budget.

Some grant writers charge by the hour, others by the grant and still others by retainer. Separate services may be available such as, Grant Research, Award Reporting, Application Review and Strategic Development.

GRANT WRITING GUARANTEE

No one can guarantee grant funding. A professional grant writer’s job is to ensure that your application has the best opportunity for funding consideration. Matching the organization's mission to the mission of a potential grantor, is critical. A qualified grant writer will first identify what type of funding the organization is seeking and whether or not they are eligible for grant funding. This information is gathered at the time of an initial consultation. During the initial consultation, a grant writer will typically ask the following questions:

What is your Mission Statement?

Have you applied for grant funding before?

When was the organization founded?

Does your organization have a 501 (c) 3 IRS Designation Letter?

Does your organization have Articles of Incorporation?

Is your organization documentation up-to-date on Guidestar?

Does your organization have a detailed organization budget?

Did your organization file a 990 or e-Postcard 990-N (if revenues were under $50,000)?

What are the organizations projects and/or programs?

Are these projects/programs new or continuing?

How many volunteers does your organization have?

Does your organization have a spread sheet of volunteer names, contact info and qualifications?

Does your organization have a written list of qualifications for every employee?

Does your organization have an odd number, Board of Directors listing?

Is your Board of Directors 100% giving to your organization? (If those closest to your organization do not support it monetarily, why would you ask someone outside the organization to fund it?)

Does your organization have a written Mission Statement, Vision Statement and Non-Discriminatory Policy?

Does your organization have routine outside audits of books?

Does your organization have budgets developed for each program and/or project? (This is used to identify the funding request amount and discern the number of grants that may have to be written for a particular project or program.)

Has the organization developed demographics such as: Number of people served, income level of people served, ethnicity, ages and so-on?

GENERAL TIPS

The question, “How many grants have your clients received?”, will not tell you whether or not the grant writer can effectively write grants for YOU. Just because someone has written one grant and may have received one large award, does NOT demonstrate grant writing success. A prospective grant writer will explain their application strategy for securing funds for your specific organization during the initial consultation.

Beware of percentage boasts of success and misleading statements. Example: A grant writer boasts that they have 100% ROI (Return on Investment). In reality, the grant writer received two grant awards for their client, but failed to reveal that they only submitted two grant applications; thus making the statement 100%, accurate but misleading.

A grant writer should always obtain approval and signature from the organization before submitting any application.

A signed contract between the organization and the grant writer is essential. A contract is not solely for protection, but serves as a written expectation of understanding for both the grant writer and the organization.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST - Beware of Scams!

Never send money to someone who claims to be able to guarantee that you will receive funding.

An individual CANNOT obtain a grant to START A BUSINESS, GO BACK TO SCHOOL or BUY A HOUSE.

Use caution if a grant writer offers to write a specified number of grants for a flat rate, without asking a number of questions about your organization.

When in doubt, contact a reputable grant writing company. To find a reputable company, search resources such as, the Better Business Bureau, local Chamber of Commerce and Professional Grant Writing Associations.

Still have questions about grant funding?  Visit our website at www.writefunding.com or give us a call at 812-589-1575.