Relationships & Writing Go Together Like PB&J
Some people have a misconception that a good grant writer can, solely through their own effort and skill, rake in tons of money.
Yes, a good writer can do a lot to help put your organization on the map, tell your story, and communicate persuasively.
But they shouldn’t be working alone.
If you’re serious about raising money for your 501c3, a writer should fit into your larger grant seeking and fundraising strategies.
And it’s the relationship piece, in particular, that can transform your grant seeking efforts from unimpressive and sporadic, to strong and consistent.
Relying too heavily on a grant writer, without investing time and effort into building relationships – or at the complete exclusion of any broader fundraising strategy – is a recipe for burnout and bad results.
Because good writing, though essential, cannot do all the heavy lifting.
Winning grants is a dual effort between strong writing and strong relationships.
Organizations have far greater and more sustained success with grants when they develop and maintain good relationships with funders.
I don’t know who said this but it has always stuck with me – “Every opportunity comes from a person.”
Every opportunity we learn about or receive comes by way of another human being. That’s the power of relationships.
As an organizational leader, consider building relationships your primary responsibility when it comes to securing grants.
The relationships you build can open doors. Then, good writing can help you seal the deal.
While many grant opportunities don’t require a personal connection or invitation to apply, you’ll still get better results if you don’t skip this important step.
Here’s how building relationships can improve your grant outcomes:
You’ll meet funders who can invite you to submit grant applications to opportunities you don’t know existed (because they are invite-only and don’t necessarily appear in web searches or database prospecting).
Colleagues can introduce you to new funding opportunities you might not be aware of and help connect you to potential funders and partners.
You’ll build authentic funding partnerships based on shared visions - your funders won’t feel as if you’re only reaching out when you need money.
You’ll learn valuable information and receive feedback that can help make your proposals (not to mention your programs and services) better.
Your relationship with your grant writer will become more fluid and productive - they’ll be able to build on your efforts by writing a quality proposal that now has a greater chance of success because of the time you took to build a relationship.
Why your 501c3 needs an annual report
Does the term “annual report” make you cringe? Yawn? Feel overcome by a sense of dread?
You might picture a boring 20-page printout full of charts that just sits on a shelf.
Why would you spend time or money creating some document no one’s going to read?
Or maybe you think it’s a luxury you just can’t afford to focus on right now. You’ll get around to it some day, when you don’t have so much on your plate.
Often, nonprofits that are still small or growing don’t see the value in creating an annual report.
But without one, you’re missing out on a crucial marketing document that helps your organization showcase its expertise and accomplishments, demonstrate respect and transparency toward donors, command more credibility, and fundraise more effectively.
Why is an annual report important for your 501c3?
It acknowledges and shows gratitude for your donors. Donors like to see that their contributions matter and that they’re helping you reach your mission. Your annual report is an opportunity to formally acknowledge and thank them in a public-facing way.
It demonstrates that you’re responsible. It shows that you took the time to step back and reflect on your work and that you prioritize communicating transparently with donors.
It builds your credibility. We tend to view businesses and organizations as more credible, trustworthy, and effective if they can demonstrate results and speak about their work in a clear, compelling way in written materials.
It enhances your fundraising efforts & helps you raise more money. Some funders and grant applications may ask for an annual impact report; even if it’s optional, including it can help you stand out. It can also serve as an introductory document to those who wish to understand your work better. Think of it like a marketing tool that you can continue to use again and again for 12 months (until you write your next one!)
Basically, an annual report helps answer questions like:
What concrete impact is this organization making? What, specifically, has it achieved?
What concrete impact is this organization making? What, specifically, has it achieved?
Does this organization value and respect its donors?
Is this organization responsible and credible?
Who else supports this organization?
What should you include in your annual report?
Determine your angle. Reflect on the past year and decide on a general theme or sentiment that captures your work. What sort of challenges or opportunities did you face? What kinds of things “defined” your year? What new trends did you notice, what changes did you make, or what new priorities or insights did you have? Specifically, what made last year unique? This is the main story arc that can shape the rest of your report and help you determine what specific information to include.
Include a letter from your organization's leadership. Reflect on those themes from above and be sure to acknowledge and thank the people who made a difference last year.
Choose up to three accomplishments from the past year. Did you open a new location, expand a program, enroll more participants? Maybe it was a tough year and you just kept the doors open. That’s still a worthy accomplishment. What happened last year that you’re proud of? Try to limit this to no more than three things.
Show your numbers. How many people did you reach/serve, who were they (you can include general demographics or specific stories if that’s appropriate), what did you help them do, what progress did they make? Individual case studies, client testimonials, and quotes can be powerful here, but if you’re short on time, focus on total numbers.
Show financial transparency. How much money did your organization raise last year and from what sources? How did you spend this money?
Acknowledge donors and partners. Name and thank those that gave (including individuals, foundations, sponsors, and other contributors).
Optional: A brief overview of your programs, mission, and values. This is particularly helpful if you want to use your report as a general marketing document that reaches people who might not be familiar with your work already.
An effective annual report doesn’t need to be long or complicated – in fact, to be truly effective, it shouldn’t be too long or complicated. You want people to actually read it.
A well-written annual report is three things, primarily:
Concise. The length of your report will vary based on factors like your organization’s size, the visuals you wish to include, number and type of donors you have, and what kind of story you want to tell. But a shorter, concise report is better than a long-winded, unfocused report.
Direct. Remember your angle and focus your efforts here. Your report doesn’t need to be exhaustive – it needs to tell a story. Avoid filling your report with information that isn’t essential to your audience (primarily, your donors).
Visually appealing. You don’t need complex graphics or professional videos, but your report should be clean and easy on the eyes. Keep it simple and avoid unnecessary graphics, icons, and other visuals that cause clutter. Use no more than two (maybe three) fonts, and include enough white space on each page.
Don’t invent new programs just for a grant
Several problems occur when a nonprofit finds itself chasing grant dollars without a clear strategy.
One is a troublesome tendency to invent new programs or initiatives out of whole cloth when they find a grant opportunity that isn’t really a good fit for the organization.
They see a grant opportunity and dollar signs flash in their eyes. In an instant, they forget they have a specific mission, a set of programs they already work so hard to deliver, and a team that’s likely already stretched thin.
They’re blinded by the potential for money, no matter the odds of actually winning.
Like walking by a casino, seeing the flashing lights, and getting sucked in to play blackjack even though you’re on a budget and you weren’t actually planning to play.
So they devise a last-minute “concept” for a new program or initiative they can launch to fit the grant. Or they stretch and contort their existing programs to the point they’re almost unrecognizable to fit the parameters of the grant.
So what’s wrong with this “reactive” approach:
You waste precious time and resources applying to a grant that doesn’t make sense for you to pursue. Grants are neither “easy money” nor “quick money.” The strategy, effort, and time you and your team puts into winning grants is significant – it should be honored and valued by working smart, not just working hard.
It creates unnecessary and completely avoidable stress, depleting your energy and resources that could instead be directed toward applying to grants that are better fits.
If you actually win the grant, your team now has to scramble to create and implement an entirely new program that isn’t necessarily in line with your vision. Usually this looks like existing staff getting saddled with new responsibilities, causing burnout and lowering the quality of services you provide.
You never feel in control of your grantseeking. You stay stuck in a cycle of chasing funding. Whenever you see a new opportunity, you jump on it – no matter the fit and no matter the deadline.
Now, of course there are times when it makes sense to seek funding to expand, change, or build upon your existing programs. Applying to grants to support pilot programs and organizational growth in new areas is fantastic. Analyzing funding trends and strategically deciding to refine or pivot your programming is great.
But your strategy needs to come first. It’s the dog that wags the tail.
Developing strategy and programs on the fly in response to a single grant opportunity is the “tail wagging the dog.”
To optimize your resources and maximize your chances of success, a grant should either be:
Aligned with the mission and work that your organization already does.
Aligned with a new program or initiative you already had plans to launch.
Aligned with a new strategic direction or pivot that makes sense for you to apply resources toward at this time.
Start by understanding your own vision, goals, and unique challenges and assets as they stand at this moment in time.
Then, seek out funders that are interested in supporting that vision.
You can integrate feedback from funders to help shape this vision. But the starting place should always be your organization – not the grant.
Start by defining your vision and goals. Ask yourself:
Where do I want my organization to be in 1, 3, 5 years? What, specifically, would look different?
Where specifically is funding needed? (Adding more staff? Scaling our program to another 250 clients? Opening another location? Developing an online version of our services? Developing a pilot project?)
How much funding do we aim to raise over the next year, and through what sources? How would grants fit into this?
What are our unique assets as an organization? What are we currently doing well? How might we build on this over the next few years to increase our impact?
Where are the greatest challenges facing our organization? How can more resources help us mitigate or address these?
Then, research and assess prospective funders to identify grant opportunities that are aligned with your answers to these questions.
What if something seems like a unique opportunity but you’re not sure it’s right?
New grant opportunities are always emerging and sometimes it can be hard to distinguish if something is a good fit, a stretch, or a bad fit.
Nowadays, there are some really unique grants that don't necessarily come across as your typical, straightforward program applications. Sometimes they’re the result of unique philanthropic collaborations, they fund innovative approaches to longstanding problems, or they offer funding for a new type of service model or approach.
You certainly don’t need to rule these out simply because they don’t sound like more traditional program grants. Your work could be a great fit – maybe you just need to talk about it in a different way, highlight specific features, or frame it in a more interesting way to align with the grant.
So let’s distinguish between a grant that’s a unique opportunity worth pursuing – and one that’s just a bad fit.
Here are some questions to make that assessment:
Will you have to invent an entirely new program? (If yes, it’s probably not a good fit. If you can expand or pivot an existing program and this makes sense for your vision, then it might be worth it).
Was this something you were already planning to create? (If so, this could be the grant you’ve been looking for to finally launch that program. If not, reconsider it).
Does it fit with the general direction you’re looking to take the organization in the next 1-5 years? (If not, forget it).
Will you have to serve an entirely new population? (Unless it’s a population you’re already serving or are planning to expand into, it’s probably not a good fit).
Does it support your current mission as defined? (If not, it will likely cause “mission creep” that hinders your ability to deliver on your current mission, which could raise serious red flags among donors and your board).
Do you actually plan to hire new staff or personnel to carry out these new functions, or at least reconfigure the current team’s roles? Does the grant support hiring new staff? (If not, forget about it).
Is the deadline right around the corner? (You can probably already guess the answer!)
How to evaluate your programs to win more grants
Evaluating your nonprofit’s programming is crucial if you’re looking to raise money through grants. Concrete data that shows your work is, well, working, helps funders feel more confident investing in you.
Among the various fundraising avenues, grants arguably necessitate evaluation the most.
Winning grants requires making a persuasive, logical case for investing in your organization. And without some data, this is really hard to do.
But as a small organization, evaluation might feel overwhelming – another thing to add to your to-do list that never seems to get done. It might feel too technical or confusing. You might think you need to hire some evaluation expert to even get started. The word “evaluation” itself might make you feel like you’re under a microscope, under constant pressure to perform perfectly.
But evaluation doesn’t have to be painful.
Putting a simple system in place can help you gather data to strengthen your grant proposals and ultimately attract more money for your mission.
Here’s how to get started:
Decide what’s most important to measure.
Let go of any expectations that your program evaluation should be a herculean task, complete with 10 pages of spreadsheet tabs.
When you’re getting started, less is more.
Just as bad as having no evaluation system at all is having one that is too complex to execute.
Some organizations overwhelm their small teams with efforts to capture every possible data point about participants, including things that aren’t relevant to the programs or are a clear violation of personal privacy.
Consider the wise words of Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism, a great book on how to be more productive: “Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it's about how to get the right things done.”
We can apply this to evaluation: It’s not about measuring everything, it’s about measuring the right things.
Choose 3-5 core metrics that best illustrate the impact you’re hoping to make.
For example, let’s say you’re running a program to help veterans re-enter the workforce. Some key metrics could be the percentage of vets you serve who obtain a job within a certain timeframe, their median wage, how long they remain employed, and their job satisfaction.
If you’re running an educational service to help homeschooling parents, you could measure student progress on key subjects, student graduation rates compared to public school students, and what fields or vocations those students enter, for example.
Stop there. If you’re a relatively young organization or are new to evaluation, you don’t need a 5-page logic model or complicated spreadsheet.
Before you try to measure everything under the sun, get really good at delivering on your core service and capturing a few key metrics. These can evolve as your organization grows.
Measure outcomes, not just activities.
In the absence of a good evaluation system, some organizations default to measuring and reporting on activities. You should measure activities for your own knowledge (or for funders who are interested), but talking about activities without addressing outcomes doesn’t exactly instill confidence in a funder that their money will be put to good use.
To demonstrate concrete impact – the kind that you need to craft compelling, persuasive grant proposals – you need to show outcomes, not just activities.
An activity is something a participant does. An outcome is the result of that activity.
Consider the difference between:
90% of our participants attended workshops (activity)
90% of participants gained a new skill in XYZ industry from our workshops (result)
Or
75% of participants utilized our food pantry last year (activity)
75% of participants surveyed indicated they no longer had trouble feeding their children (result)
Outcomes are simply more compelling. They highlight the transformation that occurred because of the activity, and they help us understand why the activity (your work) is necessary in the first place.
Make sure your metrics are actually quantifiable.
You probably have lofty visions for your organization’s impact, but your evaluation efforts can be more practical. You don’t need to prove tomorrow how you’re single-handedly reducing intergenerational poverty across an entire state.
Making a lasting impact like this takes time. Start with where you are now and what you can actually deliver upon and measure.
Over time, as you gather more data, learn more about the impact you’re having, and continue to refine your efforts, you can adjust your evaluation metrics accordingly.
It shouldn’t feel like pulling teeth to gather the data you need.
For example, let’s say you want to measure where your participants end up five years after your program, but you can never seem to track them down their phone numbers or you only get a handful to pick up the phone.
This metric might not be feasible yet. Maybe you can start with gathering data from participants 6 months after program exit, when they’re likely to be more responsive.
It’s better to have robust data that you can actually collect and measure (even if it doesn’t feel like the perfect metric) than to have insufficient data on a seemingly perfect metric.
Separate subjective feelings from concrete deliverables.
Some nonprofits make the mistake of measuring only the subjective feelings of participants without capturing tangible outcomes. This is similar to only measuring activities, but participant feelings or opinions can disguise themselves as outcomes because it may seem that how someone feels is the result of your activities.
Some examples of this are: participant satisfaction rate with your program, participant confidence, participant self-esteem, and other subjective indicators that are largely based on someone’s internal feelings.
This kind of data is actually quite important. It can help inform your program design and indicate whether your participants had a positive experience. Like any business, measuring customer satisfaction is important and I recommend that you do capture this if you can.
When it comes to evaluation, measuring feelings isn’t bad – it’s just incomplete.
To make a compelling case for a funder to invest in you, the question you need to answer is: “So what?” So what, your participants enjoyed the program? So what, they felt better? Then what? Did they achieve some sort of tangible difference in their lifestyle, patterns of behavior, socioeconomic status, etc?
Unless your program is explicitly designed to improve mental health or your participants’ internal states of being, you need to measure other things.
Even if your program is designed to boost confidence in young people, for example, it’s still more compelling to measure what happens as a result of their increase in confidence, rather than simply saying that they reduced anxiety or boosted self-esteem.
A good way to test for this is to ask yourself, “If an outside observer were to look at a before-and-after snapshot of a participant, and they couldn’t interact with the participant to ask how they were feeling, what objective differences would they be able to observe?”
Would they see that the participant used to be homelessness and is now sheltered and taking career classes? Would they see that the participant used to be dependent on public assistance and is now living independently? What specifically would they observe to draw the conclusion that your program had made its intended impact?
Make evaluation a habit, not an event.
Scrambling to gather data at the last minute before a report deadline or whenever a funder asks for it will only reinforce the pressure that’s associated with evaluation. If it’s something you only do reactively, you’ll never feel in control of it.
Make evaluation a proactive habit.
Maybe that means dedicating an hour every Friday to review participant progress and update your master database. Maybe it’s picking one day a month to dive deep into gathering and reviewing data, identifying what needs to be improved, and brainstorming solutions.
Consider ways you can make evaluation feel more natural and less forced.
Build surveys into your existing systems of participant intake, progress check-ins, and program exit. Whenever you have meetings with participants or clients, consider how you might capture data then and there so you don’t have to carve out additional timeslots. Utilize software (like SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, or Jotform) that aggregate data so you don’t have to do it all manually.
Don’t copy/paste: How to tailor your grant proposal to the funder.
It all begins with an idea.
If you’re submitting a series of grant proposals for the same general work, it can be tempting to copy/paste language from one proposal to the next.
Why not just save time and money by sending out the same proposal to multiple funders?
Applying a one-size-fits-all approach to your applications won’t yield good results.
Each funding organization is as unique as the individuals running it and staffing its board.
When you don’t take the time to tailor your application to a funder, it will show – perhaps not so much in the words you write, but in the words you don’t write.
Does this mean you should reinvent the wheel each time you need to write a paragraph about how your organization was founded?
No.
Absolutely, you should develop core language that you can use as a basis for your grant content. You can and should use and build upon language from previously successful applications.
But don’t stop at a copy/paste.
Each new grant proposal should include some original content unique to that application.
After repurposing your existing content, there are five crucial steps you can take to tailor your application and increase your chances at winning:
Reach out to the funder to gain insight. This is perhaps the most important step, but it’s often neglected. Building a relationship before submitting an application will boost your chances of success – not just because you can build a personal relationship, but because you can glean important insights that you wouldn’t otherwise have if you just review the funder’s website. When you speak to a representative from the funding organization, you can gain important intel to help tailor your application – including the correct amount to request and what specific aspects of your programming to focus on. It can also help you adjust your expectations about your chances of winning and better determine how much alignment you have with the funder.
Reflect the funder’s own words. Review the funder’s website and the grant application instructions. What are some keywords or phrases that you see? What sort of specific solutions does the funder prioritize? Use these keywords and messaging in your own proposals to demonstrate alignment. For example, let’s say a funder mentions “promoting self-sufficiency among participants.” Make sure you demonstrate how your programs do that. It should feel pretty natural to reflect the funder’s language in your proposal. If you feel like you’re forcing it or it seems like a lie to talk about your organization that way, the funder or grant opportunity might not be a great fit after all.
Explicitly demonstrate alignment. Remember, your proposal isn’t just about you – it’s also about the funder. Show the funder exactly how your work advances their mission and goals. Don’t be afraid to spell it out: “Here’s how our work aligns with your foundation’s mission.” State specific examples. Show that you understand and care about the funder’s mission. Look on their website for any published reports, strategic plans, or multi-year priorities, for example, that you could mention in your proposal to show how your work fits into their broader strategy.
Consider the funder’s current knowledge and your relationship. Is the funder well-versed in your subject area? If so, maybe you don’t need to go as in-depth into the statistics. Do you have a previous relationship with them? If so, you might not need to overindulge about your organization’s history. You can include language that thanks them for their previous gift and explain how their investment made an impact on your work. If it’s a new relationship, you may want to give more context to your organization’s founding and history, and include more language that introduces your work.
Follow instructions to the T. If a funder asks for a 3-page letter, give them a 3-page letter. If they ask for a bulleted list, give them a bulleted list. A grant proposal is not the place to color outside the lines. Honor the funder’s unique specifications by following the instructions for formatting and submission.
The more tailored you can be, the better your chances of winning.
Learning from rejection: How to salvage a declined grant proposal
It all begins with an idea.
Hearing “no” from a prospective funder after spending hours on your application can sting.
It might make you wonder if you’ve just wasted time and money.
It might make you question your entire strategy.
It might make you want to cut your losses and just give up.
But here’s the thing: Rejection is a guaranteed part of the grants game.
Anyone who’s written more than a few grants knows this.
Successfully winning grants doesn't happen overnight. Especially if you’re new to grant seeking, there's some groundwork to lay.
You need to learn what works with your funders. You need to test your assumptions. You need to get past your fear of rejection. All of this will make you a better writer (or a better leader who works with writers).
So, if you can learn to look at rejection the right way, it can actually be a crucial component of your strategy itself.
Here's why rejection isn't the end of the world:
A rejection may actually move you closer to an award in the future. Applying to the same funder several times over the years may increase your chances of receiving an award. That means your first or second “no” might be moving you closer to that eventual “yes.”
You can repurpose your written content. Writing a grant proposal helps you put your ideas into clear, persuasive language, develop a plan, and better understand your organization’s own needs and goals. Assuming the proposal was well-written, it can be repurposed (and improved upon) for future proposals, your website copy, brochures, or other organizational materials.
A rejection can help you narrow in on and refine your strategy. A rejection might indicate that the funder simply isn’t a good fit for your organization or specific funding need. If you notice you’re getting a lot of rejections from a certain type of funder, for example, you can use this data to refine your strategy to optimize your resources moving forward. Rejections give you valuable data to improve your strategy over time.
It can be a conversation starter. Turn your setback into an opportunity to learn what you could have done better. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback and continue to build a relationship with that funder. It could blossom into a funding partnership in the future. Or, that funder could refer you to other funders that are a better fit. If you follow up after a rejection, you can learn valuable insight on how to improve your request – you might also just learn that the funder was overwhelmed with quality proposals this year and that you don’t need to take a rejection so personally.
What kind of grant professional should you hire?
It all begins with an idea.
So you’re thinking about hiring someone to help you find, write, and submit grants for your 501c3.
But should you hire in house or contract out? Do you need a freelancer or a consultant?
You’ll want to weigh your budget and available resources against the experience and skill you can obtain with each route, the time you’ll need to spend training or managing someone in each route, and how this person might fit into your existing efforts.
First, decide: Will I hire in-house or contract out?
Option 1: In-house hire
Benefits:
You get to design the specific role and assign tasks based on your needs
Full-time availability and dedicated 100% to your mission
Can be trained to adapt to your organization's specific processes
Has more ability to take on “other duties as assigned”
Can help with a steady, high volume of proposals or steady grant writing needs
Consider that…
You’ll need to factor in payroll taxes, benefits, and other workplace expenses in addition to salary to get the full picture of cost
To get someone with significant experience, you'll pay a higher salary (for a lower salary, you’ll need to dedicate significant time to onboarding and training)
As this person’s boss or supervisor, a big part of your role will be management
If you have inconsistent or fluctuating grant needs, it may not make financial sense to have someone on salary
This person could quit at any time, leaving you with hanging deadlines or gaps in your activities
Option 2: Freelance grant writer
Benefits:
A freelancer can be more affordable than a full-service agency or consultant
Through sites like Upwork, you can find a range of rates based on experience
Can be very adaptable to your specific needs
May be able to help you with faster turnarounds if they have fewer clients
Best if you’re looking for someone you can delegate specific tasks and projects to
Consider that…
Their capacity may be limited or fill up quickly, as they are just one person
It can be difficult and time-consuming to navigate the complex landscape of freelancers
They may have very inconsistent or unpredictable availability to meet your deadlines due to juggling multiple clients
You likely won’t get high-level guidance or clear processes and systems
Due to lower pricing and high workloads, freelancers can get burnt out, affecting the quality of your grant proposals
Option 3: Grant consultant or consultancy (also sometimes called an agency or full-service grants business)
Benefits:
You’ll get the support of an experienced professional (usually with a team)
You won’t have to manage or train anyone - they come in as an expert with lots of experience and results
You’ll be able to hand more aspect of your grant seeking over to a trusted partner, creating efficiency and reducing touch points needed to complete projects
You’ll get a higher level of consultation and strategy, not just task execution
They can help guide you through your entire grant seeking process in a cohesive way, from beginning to end, rather than only filling in specific pieces
Consider that…
It will be more of a financial investment, which might not be feasible if you’re still a startup or have a very small budget
They might be booked out farther in advance or have a waitlist
They might have a more robust vetting process for potential clients to ensure you’re a good match for one another
They might not be as flexible as the other two options, as their services will likely be more defined
You’ll have to work more with their business systems and processes (like contracts, payments, policies and procedures)
Bottom line – ask yourself:
Am I looking for an “expert?” (Someone to guide me and/or manage things for me?)
Or am I looking for an “executor?” (Someone I can manage/delegate to?)
There’s no right answer. It just depends on your needs.
It won’t always be black and white. An expert can certainly execute, and an executor can lend guidance. But in general, which one is more in line with your needs, goals, working style, and preferences?
If you want someone fully dedicated to your team (and you’re ok with paying a salary, training, and management), hiring in-house might make the most sense. Depending on their experience, an in-house hire could be more of an entry-level “executor” (grant writer, grant associate) or more of a higher-level “expert” (director of grants, development director).
If you’re looking for more of a “plug and play” situation where someone helps you with various tasks as needed and as assigned (and you’re ok with some unpredictability), a freelancer might be a better choice. Some will charge per project and some will charge hourly, which could give you more flexibility if you aren’t sure exactly what you need yet or how someone will fit into your organization.
If you’re looking for cohesive strategy, expertise, and guidance (and can pay the higher price tag and you’re ok with someone guiding you through their systems), then a consultant oragency is probably best. They likely won’t charge hourly, but rather on a project basis, monthly retainer, or package rate.
Grant Writer vs. Grant Consultant vs. Other Grants Professional: What’s the Difference?
If you hire in-house, you have more flexibility to design the role you need. If you decide to contract out, you have another question to consider:
What kind of professional do you need?
The line between grant writer, grant consultant, grant manager, and other professionals isn’t always clear. Just as no two nonprofits are exactly alike, no two professionals will have the exact same experience or skills.
Generally speaking, a grant writer is more of a specialist. They focus mostly on crafting a compelling written proposal. Some also assist with prospect research and other tasks, but they typically won’t be looking at your entire grant strategy or giving high-level strategic advice (though this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule).
A grant consultant is usually more of a generalist and may focus on other areas like your grant strategy, identifying grant opportunities, optimizing your processes, and more. They might assist with the writing itself, but will be more interested in working with your leadership team to develop capacity and skills and lend strategic advice.
A grant consulting agency/business/organization usually has a broader range of capabilities and can provide a more “full-service” approach that includes developing your strategy and grant calendar; finding, writing, and submitting proposals; grant reporting; as well as consulting and strategic advice. The distinction here is usually you’re getting a team instead of just one professional.
How do you decide which one you need?
First, get clear on your fundraising goals:
How much grant funding are you looking to raise?
Where do you have existing capacity? (Try not to just default to, “We can do that in-house, no problem.” Honestly assess your capacity: Does it make sense for your Executive Director to be writing grants? Does it make sense for your Development Director to be under a pile of deadlines instead of building relationships and cultivating big donors?)
Where could a professional make the biggest impact or difference in your efforts?
What level of involvement do I (or my team) want or need to have in the grant seeking process?
Answering these questions will help both you and your prospective grant professional assess whether you’re good matches for one another.
Second, identify where in your grants pipeline you need support:
Designing your grant strategy? (setting goals, identifying areas of need, developing funding concepts, etc.)
Researching and identifying where to apply?
Building relationships with funders?
Crafting general language for your programs and organization?
Writing specific proposals?
Creating or assisting with grant budgets?
Submitting proposal packages?
Managing deadlines?
Reporting grant outcomes to funders?
Keeping track of and organizing files and grant-related correspondence?
All of the above?
If you’re still not sure, ask your professional if they can assess your organization and advise you on what you need.