Genmar Solutions
Why hire a grant writer?
We’ve all heard the old saying “you can’t beat a person at their own trade”. Well the same thing applies to grant proposal writing. Grant proposal writing is not “rocket science” but it does require a bit of knowledge in order to be successful. Not just successful in preparing the grant but successful in expressing a written need and cause for your organization that is in line with the funding foundation or organizations guidelines.
A professional writer with a background in grant writing and fundraising is the ideal person for this job. Of course it doesn’t hurt if this individual has experience in the same field that your organization is involved in. The grant proposal writer must have the experience and knowledge to take an organizations needs and programs and paint a written picture for the funders to see.
Not only does the grant proposal writer bring expertise to the table, they remove the burden of another task, with deadlines, from an already over burdened member of your organization. Most organizations already have enough on their plates just taking care of the normal day to day operations and training that's required. The grant writer removes that load. So unless a member or volunteer in your organization is an accomplished writer, it’s not the best use of the organizations limited resources to be trying to wear another hat that may not fit. Grant proposals and fundraising letters are highly specialized forms of writing that require special skill.
How does a grant writer get paid? Grant proposal writers get paid for their experience, expertise, and time requirements of the project. This payment is based on their fee structure which is not based on any percentages or percentage based commissions from the amount of the grant funds obtained. Fees may be hourly or based on projects. Most grant proposal writers will charge a flat fee for most projects based on their experience. Fees can range anywhere from $60-$100 dollars an hour or $1500-$7500 per project. These fees are non refundable and are not based on the success of the grant award. Remember, there are never any guarantees that your proposal will be awarded.
Hiring a grant proposal writer is a good return on investment (ROI). The grant proposal writer knows the legalities of writing where an unknowing writer from your organization may not and stumble into legal trouble for not adhering to copyright standards and law.
Yes you can probably write your own grant proposal, and many Fire and EMS organizations have done so very successfully. But why would you want to? Couldn’t your time be better spent serving your organization?
