Avoid Costly Mistakes: 5 Essential Tips for Hiring a Grant Writer

Qualified organizations doing great work need grant writers for a variety of reasons. 

The reasons include:  

• Events like staff turnover resulting in a loss of an internal grant writer, 
• An existing grant writer’s full plate, 
• Not having any staff person dedicated to writing grants, 
• Launching a fresh message and needing a fresh perspective, or
• Being an emerging organization with limited experience in pursuing grants. 

There is no wrong reason or time to hire a grant writer. A good grant writer can act as a coach, and help refine your organizational approaches and strategy with objective eyes. A grant writer can also make recommendations based on what they know to work based on past experience. However, there are many options for hiring a grant writer. It is important to know what to look for when you search for one. 

Here are 5 tips for hiring a grant writer. 

1. Expect to pay for the time the grant writer puts in.

Grant applications can be widely variable in length and complexity. More complex applications (particularly state and federal applications) can take up to 120 hours to complete. This is three full weeks of a person’s time, whether this is your team members time or an external contractor. An ethical grant writer will put a significant amount of time into your application, and your organization should anticipate paying accordingly. You may find a grant writer who is willing to work on a commission, but this is not industry best practice. Funders will not fund for the time spent put into an application, and some applications even include a disclaimer that your organization will not be compensated for time spent. Funders and grant writers see it as a red flag if an organization is not able to pay for an application without dipping into the award. If the writer is good, they are likely to be working on multiple applications or projects at one time. Paying appropriately for their time ensures your application gets attention. 

Profound Hope Industries has a transparent pricing matrix so you know what to expect based on your application. Book a quick call for more detail. 

2. Hire BEFORE the grant round opens when possible.

It may not always be possible to hire an external grant writer in advance because some opportunities are unexpected. However, your organization will get the highest value when you do so. Ideally, your grant writer will put some time into reviewing and refining your strategy. Doing this before the deadline allows space to think clearly and develop strong plans. Research has proven that people make more impulsive decisions when they are time scarce. Do not let this happen to your grant application – especially if your organization is facing a cyclical opportunity. Take that extra advance time to craft your strategy. You and your grant writer are best served spending time on editing, refining, and accounting for technical issues once the application period opens when possible.

3. Ask about the grant writer’s track records, but remember these win rates are variable. 

Your organization will find varying sources on standard win rates. However, first time applicants may need to anticipate that less that 10-30% of their applications will be funded. This percentage should increase as you successfully manage awarded funds. Be wary of “sounds too good to be true” statistics as well. This could indicate the potential grant writer has not taken on any new clients in a while, is rejecting potential clients that will not contribute positively to their track record, or may even be exaggerating a client’s capacity. At the same time, an experienced grant writer is likely to spot an application that does not have a competitive strategy. Sometimes grant writers are put in a position where they are skeptical about the potential to win. Ask candid questions about your own strategy, and ask for honest feedback. The input may sting, but it is worth your time to know if your strategy is not truly competitive.

4. Expect to participate in the process.

The experience with a grant writer can vary, depending on their own process. Some grant writers will coach you through the application, while others will take a ‘done-for-you’ approach. (Profound Hope Industries works on a ‘done-for-you’ basis). Regardless, an external contractor can never know more about your operations and successes than you do. Your organization needs to provide all the inputs and metrics that will position them to write the best possible application for you. Share your successes, and provide some data and stories for your writer to work with.  When a grant application gets to the draft stage, you should have moderate revisions to the application. Just because it is ‘done-for-you’ does not mean you cannot make it better! It is still your responsibility to make the application as strong as possible, especially if you are spending money for support. The goal is not to critique your grant writer, but to see them as a partner in crafting the best possible language, strategy, and metrics.

5. Do not allow your grant writer to overcommit you. 

A good grant application should look like a stretch goal, but it should not be out of reach. A grant writer can give you guidance on what makes a competitive application. If you set the bar too low, your organization might not stack up well against your competitors. However, if you set the bar too high, you may overwhelm your staff and underperform. This will make it harder for you to win funder’s trust. Grant funders do know who is delivering and deserves more funding. You will also need to share your track record in future applications. At the end of the day, your organization still needs to deliver on the plan you proposed. Make sure its feasible. A grant writer who knows your industry can make suggestions and recommendations but do not let them set the metrics that your organization is responsible to deliver if you are not comfortable with what is proposed. 

Ready to write your next grant? Let’s talk.