Is it Time to Hire a Professional Grant Writer?

A high quality, well-written grant application can greatly improve the likelihood of receiving funds from a donor, however, many nonprofit leaders struggle with the idea of hiring a professional grant writer.  Instead, this task is often left to a staff member (who also wears many other hats) or, in smaller organizations, to a well-meaning volunteer.  While this strategy may have worked in the past, today’s grant environment is providing a good reason for administrators and boards to reevaluate whether a professional grant writer might provide a better return on their investment.

Competition for federal, state, and foundation grants has never been greater.  Part of the reason is that the number of nonprofits vying for funding has increased dramatically in recent years while the pool of funds available has decreased. To illustrate this at a state level, according to National Center for Charitable Statistics, the number of registered nonprofit organizations in Florida grew 10.4% between 2008 and 2011 from 70,653 to 78,066. 

Over the course of that same time period, statistics from The Florida Philanthropic Network show that  grant giving in Florida declined 8.3% from 2008 to 2009 and another 8% from 2009 to 2011.  This situation is not unique to Florida either.  On a nationwide  level, the success rate for grants issued by the National Institutes of Health decreased from 21.8% in 2008 to 17.7% in 2011.  As funds become harder to get, it is more critical than ever for nonprofit organizations that rely on grant funds to devote their resources to increasing both the quantity and quality of their funding requests. 

Like legal, accounting or carpentry services, there are many solid reasons why it makes good sense to utilize a highly qualified professional grant writer. The biggest reason is cost effectiveness.  

With contracted professional grant writers, organizations pay only for the services they receive.  Since professional writers don’t do anything else there is no learning curve for them; they are more productive from the outset. 

While the hourly rate of a professional may be higher, there are a number of other expenses that are avoided. Some of those are obvious like taxes and benefits, however, productivity, utilities, parking, office supplies, and knowledge acquisition should also be considered in calculating the relative return-on-investment. Furthermore, the organization is only paying for their time engaged on the grant, not for meetings, staff events, breaks, and distractions on other tasks.  Because of this focused time on task, a professional writer will likely be able to complete more grant applications than a staff member, thereby increasing the likelihood of success.

The benefits to using a professional grant writer don’t stop there; here are some other reasons that may not readily come to mind:

• A fresh perspective: The grant writer doesn’t know the organization from the inside out so will be able to write a more objective proposal from the viewpoint of an outside grant reviewer
• Clear, concise writing: The grant contractor does this for a living and has learned what grant donors are looking for in a proposal.
• Research and statistical expertise: The professional grant writer likely has a library of research and statistics available to strengthen the proposal.  Statistics on community social capital, for example, can be valuable for many grant proposals.
• Pay for performance: if the grant writer doesn’t meet the organization’s needs or an unforeseen event occurs, the nonprofit is not locked into paying salary and benefits. The contractor agreement can be terminated easier than an employee can be laid off.
• High standards: The professional knows that the next job depends on the current job so they have to give 100% all the time
• The job will get done on time: professional grant writers live by deadlines and will likely build in time for contingencies as well.

For organizations that cannot afford to have a dedicated grant writer on staff, it may be more beneficial in the long run to outsource this function to an experienced contractor.

Once an organization’s leaders decide to utilize the services of a professional grant writer, there are a number of steps that can be taken to assure the relationship’s success. 

First of all, due diligence should be taken to select the most qualified professional. The grant writer should have a track record of successful proposals. That is not the same as saying the professional should be evaluated based on the dollar amount or percentage of grants received, though, since there are many variables beyond the writer’s control that ultimately impact whether an application is funded. However, the writer should be established, possess verifiable relevant experience, and have completed some advanced professional training.

The Grant Professionals Association (GPA) and the American Grant Writers Association (AGWA) both offer rigorous grant certification programs and can provide lists of qualified individuals.  In addition, the grant writer should provide the organization with a list of all contract deliverables and the dates that each will be accomplished. 

As competition for grant funds increases, the professional grant writing industry is growing to meet the increased demand for services.  Astute nonprofit leaders are recognizing that utilizing the services of a professional grant writer may be in line with the organization’s best interest more now than ever before.