The number-one challenge to grantseeking success? Lack of time and staff for grantseeking activities, according to GrantStation’s The 2020 State of Grantseeking Report.

For organizations without the resources to support hiring a full-time grant writer, engaging the services of a grant writing consultant on a part-time or episodic basis might be a good strategy. A consultant can help the organization increase capacity to identify and respond to grant funding opportunities.

What are some key considerations and tips for successfully engaging and working with a grant writing consultant?

Step 1: Clearly identify your grant pursuit needs

Has your organization already identified funding opportunities for which you are eligible and for which there is alignment with your organization’s strategic and programmatic goals and objectives, relevant experiences and capabilities? Or do you need help identifying the right funding opportunities to pursue?

If you have identified and vetted opportunities to pursue, do you need assistance in developing a proposal response that is compliant with application requirements and responsive to published funders’ review criteria? Do you have internal Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to help develop content in response to the opportunity(ies) but need a dedicated proposal manager to drive the process, collect and assemble all narrative components and required attachments (e.g., budget and budget narrative, staffing profile, logic model, proposed project workplan and timeline)?

Clarity about these needs will help in defining the “Scope of Work” (defined activities and deliverables over a specified period of performance, contract duration) as you search for a grant writing consultant with required/desired skill sets, experiences to serve in this position.

Step 2: Search and vet potential consulting candidates

Strategies for searching and vetting appropriate candidates include:

• Requests from colleagues for referrals
• Searching in consulting directories or databases like the Grant Professional Association (GPA) Consultant Directory
• Reaching out to your local or statewide nonprofit association (e.g., local to this article’s author is the Michigan Nonprofit Association) for potential consultant directories and/or referrals

Due diligence vetting potential grant consulting candidates might include interview and resume information that addresses:

• Key project/proposal management skills
• Number of years and depth of experience in grant proposal writing, reviewing and editing
• Experience in proposal package assembly and submission
• Experience in grant funding strategies or managing team dialogues about responsive program development strategies

Request writing samples to get a feel for the grant writer’s writing style—is it clear, well-organized, easy to understand? For more tips on the selection an vetting process, check out the GrantsPlus article: Hiring a Grants Consultant: FAQ & Qualities to Look For.

Step 3: Execute a consulting contract

Execute a written contract (your standard contract if you have one or use the consultant’s standard contract) that includes a clear Scope of Work (SOW) that describes tasks/activities, deliverables, period of performance (contract term), costs/fees and payment terms .

Understand that ethical grant professionals work for a fee, not on a contingency basis or for a commission for the grant win. In accordance with the GPA Code of Ethics, grant writers work for a salary/wage or fee (and may opt to perform Pro bono work) and may accept performance-based compensation, such as bonuses.

For guidance on hourly rates, GrantWatch provides the following tiered range:  $20-$35 per hour for beginners, $50-$75 for intermediate, and $75 - $200+ for more seasoned/advanced writers (taken from GrantNews article How Much Should You Spend on Hiring a Grant Writer?) Consulting arrangements also differ and can be structured on a retainer basis (e.g., for a set flat rate with parameters around minimum and maximum hours of effort) for periods of performance ranging from 3-month or 6-month trial arrangements to one or two year contracts.  

Working relationship and expectation management for success

Whew, you contracted the grant consultant—that’s it, right? Contracting the consultant is just the beginning step. The grant writer’s job is to support your organization:

• In correctly identifying and vetting funding opportunities for which you are eligible, that align with your strategic programmatic goals and objectives and capabilities and for which your team has the “bandwidth” to pull together a competitive response within the time allotted by deadline.
• Organizing the relevant Subject Matter Expertise (SME) content that your team provides (e.g., program and service delivery, relevant performance metrics, etc.) to support the grant writer in developing a compelling narrative that is: 1) adherent to funding opportunity announcement requirements; and 2) responsive to published grant review criteria.

The table below provides a snapshot of examples of the competitive nature of funding opportunities underscoring he imperative for developing grant application responses that are adherent and responsive.

 

Source: Townsel Consulting LLC research on posted funding opportunities and research on number of applications received.

While they are talented professionals, grant writers are not Rumpelstiltskin spinning straw (or air) into gold. The most successful grant applications involve an engaged client team meeting the following expectations:  

• Grant seeking organization meets grant readiness criteria.
• Grant seeking organization can provide documents showing how their vision or existing program meets the funder’s criteria for a highly competitive grant application.
• Grant seeking organization is an ongoing team member working with the grant writing team members to complete the contracted scope of work in a timely manner and the client takes the responsibility for the application’s submission (with relevant/applicable portal accounts and log-in credentials).
• Grant seeking organization understands the urgency of deadline-driven tasks and is responsive to the grant writer on a timely basis.
• Grant seeking organization includes the following team members in grant proposal planning and development as applicable/appropriate: program implementation staff, staff responsible for grant application submission, finance staff and external relations/strategic partnerships staff.

Photo by Nate Smallwood for Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh

This project was supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $5,000,000 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.