Why you don’t need to hire a grant writer for your organization
In the face of fundraising goals, many NGOs and nonprofits consider hiring an external grant writer or a nonprofit fundraising company. Sometimes this works fabulously. And sometimes it becomes a horror story of time and money wasted, proposals promising results you can’t deliver, and deadlines missed when the grant writer ghosts you. And this shouldn’t surprise us.
The reality of external grant writers
An external grant writer will very rarely be totally passionate about your work or have a really good understanding of your programs. And the cost is a real challenge, which becomes clear when we ask the question “how do grant writers get paid?”. Professional grant writers can charge hefty fees, which may be much higher than your local salaries. They might charge hourly rates, per project fees, or a retainer. Some even work on a commission basis, though this is less common and can raise ethical concerns.
Now don’t get me wrong. External grant writers or nonprofit fundraising companies can sometimes be the perfect solution— such as if you need extra hands for a short time to tailor existing proposals to quicky send the off to additional funders. In fact, I previously worked as an external grant writer and at a nonprofit fundraising company, so no shade. I just want you to know the potential risks and to be clear on how do grant writers get paid.
AND I want to share with you an alternative that can be even more effective, affordable, and empowering for your organization: training up your existing staff.
Train your staff in grant writing
Your communications team already knows how to write compellingly about your work, right? You probably have other team members who know your programs inside and out and are also good writers. By equipping your team members with the skills to write grants, your team can do the job authentically and powerfully!
The benefits of training up your in-house team
Cost-effective: Training your staff is a one-time investment that pays off in the long run. Particularly if they are more junior staff. There are numerous free and low-cost resources available to help your team develop grant writing skills.
Sustainable: Having grant writing expertise within your team ensures continuity and sustainability. Your staff can continuously apply and refine their skills.
Tailored proposals: Your team will create richer, more accurate grant proposals. Your team’s direct involvement with your programs allows them to include nuanced details and insights that an external grant writer might miss, and to only propose activities that the team can deliver.
Finding the right grant training resources
There are excellent resources available for training your team in grant writing. In fact, at Social Impact Compass we have a 4-month small-group grant writing intensive to fully power up your grants team to exceed your annual fundraising goal.
During the intensive we show you the best grant finders for your work (by grant finders I mean databases (like Candid Foundation Directory and FundsforNGOs), teach you strategies to identify foundations and calls for proposals that align with your mission and guide you on setting up your in-house grants team, so that all the key roles are covered (even if you are a team of just two people!). Then we teach you how to write grants, including giving you a Word grant proposal template and samples of best in class grant proposals. We even teach you how to reach out to the funder directly, before submitting a proposal. In short, Funded with Ease gives your new grant writers the training, tools, materials and hands on support they need!
(If this sounds like what you need, grab your spot in the small-group intensive. Curious but not ready to commit? Check out our free webinar “5 Steps to Win Grants with Ease”.)
So to wrap up, while hiring a grant writer or a nonprofit fundraising company might seem like the easiest solution, training your existing team can be far more beneficial for your organization in the long run. By leveraging their passion, program knowledge and communication skills, you can send off compelling grant proposals that truly reflect your organization’s mission and impact. Invest in your team’s development and watch your grant success rate soar!
To stay up-to-date with our fundraising & grant writing tips and tools follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to our newsletter.
