Grant writing: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What grant writing is

A grant writer researches funding sources, then drafts applications that match each funder's requirements. The core sections usually include a need statement, goals, a budget narrative and an evaluation plan. People hire one when their organization has a program to fund and not enough time or experience to write for funders.

Signs you need it

  • Your organization has a program that needs money and nobody has time to search for funders.
  • You have found a grant, but the application asks for sections you have never written before.
  • You applied before and were not funded, and you do not know what to change.
  • The funder's guidelines are long, and you are not sure what each section must include.
  • You need a budget narrative that explains the numbers you already have.
  • A funder deadline is near and the draft is only partly written.

What the pro does

  • Reviews your mission, your program, your past reports and any data you have already collected.
  • Checks the funder's guidelines and screens whether your organization meets their eligibility rules.
  • Drafts the need statement, goals and methods in the order the funder asks for them.
  • Writes the budget narrative to explain each line of the budget you provide, without changing the figures.
  • Builds an evaluation plan with measures you can actually collect, then checks the attachments list against the guidelines.

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Number and length of the sections the funder requires.
  • Type of funder, since government, foundation and corporate applications follow different rules and forms.
  • How much research is needed to find funders and confirm eligibility.
  • Whether you have past reports and data for the writer to draw from, or the writer must gather it.
  • Number of applications, and whether they reuse material from one another.
  • Number of review rounds and the submission deadline.

What a written quote should spell out

  • The funder and the application each covered by the quote.
  • Which sections the writer drafts, and which you supply, such as the budget and letters of support.
  • Whether the writer researches other funders, and what that search covers.
  • Number of review rounds and the submission deadline.
  • Who keeps the final drafts, so you can reuse them for future applications.

Questions to ask before you hire

  • How do you check whether my organization is eligible before you start?
  • Which sections of this application will you write, and which do I need to supply?
  • What past grants have you written, and what did those applications cover?
  • How will you match the budget narrative to the budget I give you?
  • Who will check the measures in the evaluation plan against what we can really track?
  • Can you help me plan the reporting if we are funded?

Red flags

  • Promises that the organization will be funded.
  • Claims a success rate or a funder relationship they cannot confirm.
  • Writes a budget narrative that changes the figures you gave them.
  • Recommends applying to funders you do not qualify for, to fill a set number of applications.
  • Asks for a large payment before the funder's guidelines have been reviewed.

What you can do yourself

You can gather your mission statement, past reports, program data and budget, then list the funders that fit your program by reading their own websites. Hire a grant writer when the application has many required sections, when the guidelines are complex, or when you have applied before without success and need an outside review.

Licenses and permits

Grant writing is not commonly licensed, so a license is usually not required for this work. Check with your state or local licensing agency about business rules that apply to you, and ask the writer for past applications in your sector as proof of skill.

Grant writing questions

Can a grant writer promise funding?

No. Funders decide based on their own priorities and on the competition for their money. A good grant writer makes the application clear, complete and matched to the guidelines.

Who owns the application?

Your organization should own the application and the final text. Put that in the agreement, along with who keeps the drafts for future use.

Do I need data to apply?

Most funders ask for some data on the need and on the results of your program. If you have no data yet, say so in the application and describe how you plan to collect it.

Pro reviewers

Pros who offer grant writing remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.

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