What Does a Grant Writer Do?

People don't understand what we do — and it’s no wonder!

Most conversations about my work as grant writer go something like this:

How long does it take to write a grant? It depends.
How do you know who will be interested in your grant proposal? It depends.
How long does it take to get a grant? It depends.

The truth is, everything from the political climate to the economy to changing cultural landscapes can affect a grant professional's work. Not to mention Saturn’s position in the solar system.

But there is a way to define what a grant professionals is. We are writers, change agents and sometimes even thought leaders. We research and compile bespoke funding opportunities, create proposal calendars to manage deadlines, oversee complex application processes (including taking the sting out of budget creation for busy clients), and we produce professional and compelling narratives that people actually want to read.

We serve as the conduit between those who have the skills to do good things and those who have the resources to support that work. Personally, I’ve never had my efforts tie so directly to doing good.

One of the things I love the most about, let’s be real, this somewhat mundane process at times, is taking a very technical exercise and writing about a project or organization in a way that teases out the passion that started it, the personality that makes it its own, the freshness in the approach and the wisdom of experience. All the things that inspires donors to believe, and all in about 1,500 characters.

For busy professionals, looking for funding can be an overwhelming task. There are going to be days when you just don’t have the time to keep moving towards your goals. If you find yourself having one of those days and are in need of some support, now that you know what we do, let us know and we can help!