Do you need a professional grant writer?
Well? Do you need a professional grant writer? Like, really?
That’s a pretty big question - and one without a straightforward answer - but it’s one that I’m going to walk you through on this blog. Then by the time you get to the end, you’ll be able to answer the question yourself, for your own organisation.
I’m a professional grant writer. I have been for more than 17 years and have been very successful over that time, securing more than £8m from all kinds of funders including Innovate UK, the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Youth Music Foundation. Grant writing requires a high level of skill, and even after all of my years in the profession, those skills still require continual updating and improvement in the face of a constantly evolving landscape.
The skill lies in being able to match my writing to my clients’ voice and tone, conveying their stories in a way that captures their passion and motivations, whilst speaking directly to each funder’s priorities and requirements. It’s about finding the right balance between conciseness and sufficient detail, and tailoring a proposal to those likely to be assessing it. It’s about understanding which funder funds what, and most importantly, why they choose to invest their money as they do.
5 reasons why you need a professional grant writer
To answer the question ‘Do you need a professional grant writer?’ though, we need to go beyond the skills of the writer, and think about the bigger picture. Here are five reasons why your answer to this question could be a massive ‘Yes!’:
They save you time
Remember that time when you Googled ‘grants for …’ and then spent ages going through each of the search results (on page 1 at least) to figure out whether or not you qualify? A professional grant writer should be able to fast-track you through the research phase of the process, being able to quickly and easily identify the right funders for you. Then once that part is done, they will be able to help you to complete the application process quickly, effectively and successfully by focusing on the right things, in the right order, with the right approach.
2. They provide an external viewpoint
While you could argue that someone from outside your organisation won’t be able to truly represent it (on the page), a professional grant writer will be able to replicate your authentic voice. Being external also brings the added benefit of being able to view your organisation and your grant application as another external person (the assessor!) would. This helps them to be able to look for weak points that an internal audience might not see; to see things from a different perspective; and to ask for extra details and information that you might not have thought to include.
3. They know what the questions are really about
This point is about the small print. The tiny criteria that are hidden in the Ts & Cs that you might not have spotted. The motivations that lie behind the questions that the funder poses. Mastering these points is crucial to submitting a successful application, and as such, this is one of the strongest reasons for working with a professional grant writer.
4. They are all about the detail
I mean ALL about the detail. A professional grant writer doesn’t only know what information should go where in your application (and yes, sometimes that does require duplication!), but they will also proof read thoroughly to ensure beautiful, and accurate presentation. They will spell- and grammar-check, and ensure flow and cohesiveness. In short, they will make sure that you put forward the strongest possible grant application.
5. They should be people-driven
This is an easily forgotten point, but an important one - and one that isn’t always the case with professional grant writers. While a good writer can, of course, write - a professional grant writer should be people-driven, just as much as they are good with the written word. But why? Because good grants are ultimately, rooted in people. A good professional grant writer will get to know their clients so they can ‘become’ their clients through their writing. To achieve this requires a high level of skill in relationship building, and for the grant writer to be an approachable, empathetic, curious, and an active listener. Likewise, a professional grant writer should be able to build relationships with funders either on your behalf, or by guiding you to do so.
And your answer is?
As a professional grant writer, I bring you all of the above. No guarantees of success (nobody can provide you with that) but instead, a firm commitment to Grants for Good, and to supporting your organisation to put forward the best, and most fundable application we can. I also bring a commitment to working with you in a way that works for you, with affordable fees and absolutely no ‘success fee’ once your grant is secure. My passion is to write grants that allow others to make the world a better place.
So what do you say - do you need a professional grant writer? If you do, get in touch and let’s discuss how we can work together on your Grants for Good.