What is a Grant Writer?

Ever wondered what a grant writer really is? Yes, they basically write, but what do they write about? They write grant proposals to get funding from certain foundations. It’s actually a pretty simple process. They research funders, write accordingly to a chosen funder’s guidelines, lay out the program intelligibly, and present it to funders (A last step may be to hope and pray for the grant to be approved.).

        The purpose of grant writing is to fund companies or corporations for their research in which the public is usually the beneficiary. Some non-profit organizations are funded well because of their well-meaning mission and vision.

Basic Responsibilities:

1.   Researches funding organizations’ mission and area of interests, as well as the guidelines

2.   Researches funders’ sole basis for funding corporations: what programs they fund, what population or geographic areas, and if they only fund certain entities (churches, government agencies, non-profits, schools, etc.)

3.   Communicates and meets with key contacts to establish relationships to increase the likelihood to get a grant

4.   Lucidly lays out the program so that the funders can clearly understand what to look forward to

5.   Concisely writes the purpose of the proposal and other important factors (goals, objectives, sustainability, cost, etc.), while following the guidelines of the foundation that the proposal is for

·         Basic Qualities:

1.   Must have excellent comprehension

2.   Must understand financial and budget matters well

3.   Must be capable of meeting deadlines

4.   Must have superior writing and grammar skills

5.   Must know how to research extensively

6.   Must have knowledge in the particular field that the company is in

·         Basic Grant Proposal Model:

1.   Executive Summary – this includes the program’s summary, what it will accomplish, and its cost

2.   Statement of Need – this includes the reasons why the program is needed and why the organization is the perfect candidate to fulfill needs (also includes statistical information to support reasons)

3.   Program Description – this includes the program’s design, implementation, goals, objectives, methods to implement them, program staff, improvement plans, success rate, and reporting process

4.   Organizational Information – this includes the mission, history, summary of former programs, and accomplishments

5.   Program Budget – this includes the outline of all the program’s costs and expenses

6.   Attachments – this includes the necessary documents, financial statements, and letters of support

·         Salary:

        The usual grant writer salary ranges from $50 to $150 per hour. Some have a flat rate set, and some are commission-based which usually ranges from 1% to 5% of the grant.