Stop Asking Grant Writers to Work on Commission (Ask These 4 Questions Instead)

Aug 2

Grants are great. They’re a significant source of income for many nonprofits. They can also be a stumbling block for organizations that think they need grants now for fundraising success. Securing grants is about more than hiring a grant writer and expecting them to work magic.

So, before you hire a grant writer and sit back and wait for them to win you major moolah, stop! Do not pass go! Do not collect $200 (or $200,000 from that big grant you want to win). Read this blog post. Then start taking the next steps to launch your grants program.

Question One: Are You Grant Ready?

Winning grants isn’t about sending request letters to local foundations and organizations. A competitive grant proposal is a snapshot of your whole organization. Your mission statement, evaluation plan, and financial position all paint a picture for funders. And, each proposal must be customized to address funders' specific questions and priorities. Applying for grants is a complex process with many moving pieces.

If you’re not sure if you’re grant ready, take our short quiz. A grant-ready nonprofit will have a strong grant narrative, clear goals, an evaluation plan, and current financials. If you'd don't have all the pieces yet, that's ok! Hit pause. Focus on your overall fundraising efforts while you develop what you need to launch your grants program.

If you’re ready to take the next steps with your grants program and want to hire a grant writer, hurrah! Let’s start writing!

Question Two: Do you know what you need your grant writer to do?

A grant writer is not a fundraising magician (although it might look like it! when they juggle deadlines, attachments, and more!) It’s important to understand what a grant writer can and can’t do, and your role in their success.

What responsibilities will your grant writer have? The answer to this will vary - and it will impact how much you'll pay and how active of a role you will need to take in building a grants program.

Do you need your grant writer to create your narrative from scratch, or do you have language to share with them? Do you have a populated grants calendar, or will your grant writer need to research funding opportunities? If you need someone to develop language, research, manage submissions, and write, you need a veteran writer (with a price-tag to match).

There’s a lot a grant writer can do, depending on the needs of your organization. But, no matter what role your grant writer plays, you should be ready to play an active role in developing proposals and cultivating funders. Do not expect to hand someone the reins and say “go write grants.”

Question Three: Are your expectations of your grant writer realistic?

The most common question our grant writers are asked is “what is your success rate when you submit grants?” But, honestly, that question is fairly meaningless. I’ve had a 90% success rate working with clients who have a history of securing funding and are submitting renewal proposals. And I've had a 20% success rate when helping clients build a grant program in a competitive field. Many variables go into winning grants, so asking a writer their success rate is a terrible way of gauging expertise.

Whether an organization wins a grant depends on myriad factors including organizational grant readiness, program quality, goals and evaluation plans, your organization’s reputation, and relationship with the funder and pure competition.

If you are launching a grants program or hiring your first grant writer, project a 20% response rate. And, set your grant writer up for success by having a grants calendar, boilerplate language, and an executive director ready to cultivate new funders.

So, instead of asking a grant writer about their success rate, ask potential grant writers how they work. How do they research and find funding opportunities? What do they recommend when looking for new grant opportunities? What’s the most challenging grant they’ve ever world on, and why? Grab our free Grant Writer Interview Guide for more information.

Question Four: Do you have the funds to invest in a grant writer?

Grant writing is a specialized skill and can be expensive. But if you have the funds to invest in a skilled grant writer, you will be able to build a robust revenue stream.

Keep in mind, grant writers do not work on commission - for many reasons! It devalues the actual skill of a grant writer, who should be paid for their work no matter what. It's considered unethical by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. And, few foundations allow you to include the salary of their grant writer into a grant budget.

If you are not ready to invest in a grant writer, consider bringing in a grants expert to help you create your boilerplate language, assess and audit your current grants, create your goals/evaluation, and/or coach you on how to write and submit grants. As a nonprofit professional, understanding how to build a grants program will be a critical skill for you to develop, so why not bring in someone to teach you, rather than just have them do it all yourself.

Not sure where to start?

Grab our free Grant Readiness Checklist & Interview Guide to help you take the next steps in your grant writing!

Megan Gopp