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Becoming a Grant Writer

Become a Professional Grant Writer - Grant Writing Career. Proposal Writer, Grant Writing Consultant

Are you interested in becoming a grant writer? Do you want to make a living putting words down on paper that help organizations get much-needed capital to carry out their mission? A grant writing career can be very rewarding, and in some cases it can provide a great deal of autonomy and flexibility for those who enjoy working from home.

Just conduct a search for yourself by typing in an online search on the phrase, “grant writing jobs” and you will discover well over a million results. Why? One reason is because winning grant money is one of the popular ways that nonprofit organizations raise funds. As of 2010, there are over 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in the United States, according to the National Center of Charitable Statistics. Many of these organizations will eventually attempt to secure funding through grant opportunities. A career as a professional grant writer can allow you to tap into this nonprofit sector which is continually growing.

“The median expected salary for a typical Grants/Proposal Writer in the United States is $55,660,” according to HR-reported data as of November 2010. Independent grant writing consultants tend to make significantly more than grant writers who work for a single organization, and fees vary depending on one’s experience and, more importantly, their success rate. Highly skilled grant writers can earn upwards of $2,500 or more for one 8-10 page grant proposal. Government grants command a much higher fee since they tend to be longer. Whether you are seeking to become a grant writer for an organization or starting a business as a grant writing consultant, below are few questions to consider beforehand to help you determine if this is likely to be a good fit for you.

Quick Self Test:

• Are you self-motivated and able to communicate effectively in writing?
• Do have good knowledge and a strong grasp of basic grammar and sentence structuring?
• Are you able to translate ideas and concepts into words that tell a coherent story?
• Can you work well alone without a lot of direct supervision?
• Are you able to work well under tight deadlines and on multiple projects?
• Do you have an inquisitive mind and are you good at researching topics?
• Do you have a knack for paying attention to details?
• Have you worked for a nonprofit or do you have any business experience?
• Do you have average or above-average computer skills on programs similar to Microsoft Word?
• Are you willing to learn the correct way to develop a grant proposal?

If you were able to answer yes to the vast majority of these questions, a grant writing career might be worth exploring more because these are a just a few of the things a professional grant writer will need to know and are likely to encounter. If this is something you would like to pursue further, our recommended next step is that you take a grant writing course and talk with a professional grant writer to gain even more insight into this interesting and growing field. Remember, this is a career that you can gradually move into as you gain more experience in writing grants!