Hire a Grant Writer

Many nonprofits nowadays try to obtain grants from the government and foundations because they significantly boost their funding mix. Although grant opportunities are numerous, receiving a grant is not easy. Creating a winning grant application takes considerable experience as well as outstanding research and writing skills.

Some non-profit organizations are lucky to have a professional grant writer on their team. This is particularly important for organizations with long-term grants programs. For those who do not have a staff grant writer, hiring one for a limited time is a viable option. We think hiring a professional grant writer or a consultant comes with some pros and cons. Have a look at them before making the final decision.

The Benefits of Hiring a Grant Writer at 300Writers.com

• Unlike staff grant writers, a grant writer from 300Writers.com will not be wasting time on numerous meeting and discussion, he/she will start working on your proposal immediately. A common poor strategy of some non-profits is assigning a proposal to a team. What they receive in the end is most often an incoherent piece consisting of different parts.
• Our writer will finish the proposal on time. We do not cooperate with writers who cannot meet the deadlines. The proposals are written to get financial support, so it is only logical that no time should be wasted. Surprisingly, many grant authors these days have time-management issues and often miss the deadlines. A professional writer will deliver a completed proposal early enough to enable reviews and revisions before it is submitted to the funder.
• You have the freedom of hiring a grant writer and firing him/her if your expectations are not met. This will not work with a staff member. Sometimes you do not notice that a writer on your team has time-management issues until he/she works for you for as long as half a year. Finding a good substitution takes time, which you might not have. With a hired writer it is easy: you just do not continue your cooperation if you are not satisfied with their services.
• Another benefit is the consultant's previous experience. A good expert usually has already cooperated with many funders and different systems, which means he/she knows their quirks. Such an experience is invaluable because it can save you from a million-dollar mistake you might make if you are not familiar with the peculiarities of an application system.

The List of Services Provided

Organizations can benefit from the following services 300Writers.com provides:

• Grant opportunities research
• A development of a program based on a logic model
• Creation of proposals for foundation and corporate grants, including the description of the budget and budget narrative
• Reviewing and proofreading your own proposal / application / budget (narrative)
• Drawing up a business plan (standard or investor quality)
• The analysis of the grant competitive qualities your organization has
• Creation of an application package for non-profit organizations with limited experience
• Small business grants (SBIR/STTR)
• Conference grants
• Creation of clinical research center grants (P50) and core center grants (P30) expiration announcement
• Loan payment programs
• Administrative supplements

How to Make Sure Your Grant Writer Is an Expert?

Many potential employees and online agencies promise high-quality services but it is very important to analyze their profiles to make sure who you are hiring is reputable. Try to avoid:

• Inexperienced grant authors. An extensive and proven record of successful grants is the most obvious indication of professionalism.
• Grant writers whose remuneration depends on a commission from the grant. This is illegal and can lead to negative consequences for your organization.
• Writers who can submit one proposal to several funders. Grantors check the applications against their databases to make sure they are original and written specifically for their programs.
• Grant writers who ask you to fill in a questionnaire and then simply copy your answers into the proposals without changing anything. Of course, a reputable writer will interview you but he/she will use your answers only as the basis for the proposal.

Ineffective approaches to grant writing not only waste your time but also deprive you of a chance to win a desired grant. More than that, a poorly written grant can damage your reputation and you do not want the community and funders to underestimate the efforts your organization makes. To avoid mistakes, remember to do some fact and references check before hiring a grant writer.