How do I learn to write grants to fund projects?
Online grantseeking courses are available to learn to write letters, proposals, and applications for grant awards:
- Grant Writing for Nonprofit Organizations (for Foundation and Corporate Grants)
- Program Development and Proposal Writing (comprehensive course for Government, Foundation, and Corporate Grants)
What if a person wants to become a Certified Grant Writer®?
To earn the Certified Grant Writer® professional credential please click on the following to learn more:
Traits and Skills of a Successful Grant Writer
Are you well suited to become a grant writer?
Answer the following questions with yes or no:
- Willing to read instructions completely and thoroughly?
- Willing to follow directions explicitly?
- Are you extremely detail-oriented?
- Are you thorough, methodical, and persistent?
- Do you have strong math skills? Budgeting skills?
- Are you able to meet deadlines?
- Do you have the emotional stability to withstand repeated rejection by multiple funders?
- Do you have strong professional ethics?
- Do you have strong writing skills including grammar, punctuation, and spelling?
- Are you Proficient with Word, Excel, Power Point, and Adobe Reader software?
If you answered “yes” to all of these 10 questions, then you have the personal traits and skills to become a successful grant writer.
Does every business qualify for a grant?
Many businesses and government agencies may be eligible to apply for a grant. Consideration should be given not just to eligibility, but also whether or not the business or agency is competitive.
- Nonprofit Organizations with Exempt and Charitable status from IRS may qualify for Foundation grants, Corporate grants, and Government grants.
- A For Profit Business (corporation, partnership, sole-proprietor, limited liability company) may quaify for Government grants.
Business Participatation with the Grant Consultant
When a business hires a Grant Consultant to prepare a letter, proposal, or application for a grant award, there is a considerable amount of “EFFORT” that will still be required on the part of the business. So, one person in the business should be designated as the point person to work with the Grant Consultant. Typical responsibilities of the business that must be accomplished in a timely manner will include the following:
- Registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) will be required and must be maintained annually (if applying for a Federal grant)
- Provide the Annual Organization Budget for current year
- Provide the Project Budget (summary budget plus line item details for the Budget Narrative)
- Provide a Summary of project to be funded (services to be provided as well as scope of services, target population description, geographic service area, project staffing plan
- Provide Resumes of Key Personnel
- Provide Information for any forms required by the Grantmaker
- Reviewing documents prepared by the Grant Consultant; this review process may be repeated several times during the writing process
- Actual online submission or mailing of the letter, proposal or application to the Grantmaker