How to Prepare for a Career As a Grant Writer

• Step 1

  Hone your writing skills and your experience writing professionally. While you don't have to have a degree in English or writing, it is a big boost to your credentials. Having professional experience writing, as well as training and information about grants, is also important.

• Step 2

  Become informed of the various groups in your area that might have the need for a grant writer, either on a full-time or freelance contract basis. These will be nonprofit organizations, government agencies, research groups and colleges and universities.

• Step 3

  Put together a resume and a portfolio, either for your website or to present at a job interview. You should list any degrees, writing experience, the grants your clients have been rewarded with through your work and other desirable traits on it. In the portfolio, include some of your best grant writing work for potential clients to look over.

• Step 4

  Make contacts, especially if you wish to write government grants. Knowing the right people--and having a face to your name--can make all the difference in whether you win the contract over someone else. The same is true for getting a full-time job at an organization that needs staff grant writers.

• Step 5

  Continue to build up your experience and your resume to receive bigger and more prestigious contracts. The more grants your clients receive because of your hard work, the better your reputation will be.

• 4
• Reading books or talking to other grant writers can be a great resource to improve both your writing and your ability to win contracts. It might be easier, in the beginning, to just pick one type of grant to focus on at a time, as the requirements and format are different for each different type of grant, and it can be confusing learning more than one format at the same time. Many large organizations have their own teams of grant writers, so they won't often have jobs for freelancers. Still, it is worth keeping them on your resource list for the occasional small job that might materialize.
• Reading books or talking to other grant writers can be a great resource to improve both your writing and your ability to win contracts.
• It might be easier, in the beginning, to just pick one type of grant to focus on at a time, as the requirements and format are different for each different type of grant, and it can be confusing learning more than one format at the same time.
• Many large organizations have their own teams of grant writers, so they won't often have jobs for freelancers. Still, it is worth keeping them on your resource list for the occasional small job that might materialize.
• Some organizations do not look favorably on commission payments (where you earn a percentage of the grant's payout if the client wins the grant), especially some government agencies. Be careful when taking these high-risk jobs, and make sure you know what your other potential clients feel about this type of work.
• Some organizations do not look favorably on commission payments (where you earn a percentage of the grant's payout if the client wins the grant), especially some government agencies. Be careful when taking these high-risk jobs, and make sure you know what your other potential clients feel about this type of work.

References & Resources

• American Association of Grant Professionals
• Grant Experts
• Non Profit Guides