Navigating the Process of Engaging a Grant Writer

A step-by-step guide to engaging a grant writer for nonprofit organizations

Engaging a grant writer can feel intimidating and overwhelming. Handing your grant program to someone outside your team requires deep trust and respect. Additionally, several layers of approval may be required to begin partnering with a grant writer. In this blog post, I will walk you through the process of engaging a grant writer and provide tips on preparing for each stage to help you navigate the process with confidence. 

Why Engage a Grant Writer

Like most nonprofit professionals, I’ve worn many hats. With several years of experience in executive leadership, fundraising, programs, and boards of directors, I understand the many hurdles organizations face in fulfilling their mission. 

Applying for grants is a time-consuming process and requires constant attention from prospect research, managing deadlines, relationship building with funders, grant writing, and reporting. It entails more than simply writing grants. Managing the process with limited capacity and greater organizational demands can be tedious. From research and practice, I know that resources are abundant, and acquiring a sustainable base of funders invested in your nonprofit's mission is possible. 

A grant writer can help your organization secure the funds it needs to bloom. Grant writers have a specialized skill set to harness grants as tools to strengthen organizations. Grant writers are excellent communicators and project managers who thrive in untangling the complexities of your organization’s work and developing clear, concise language to communicate its unique mission-aligned impact to funders. 

However, a grant writing consultant can do more than simply write grants for your organization. At Bloom Grant Consulting, we offer various services, including leading all grant writing efforts as your outsourced teammate, building new grant programs, developing content or boilerplate, creating grant trackers and calendars, researching and qualifying funders, coaching, and more. Our comprehensive approach ensures your organization has the tools, resources, and language to communicate with funders confidently and consistently. 

Explore the financial benefits of hiring a grant writing consultant versus a full-time, in-house grant writer in our blog, Unlocking Savings: Why Contracting a Grant Writer is a Cost-Effective Choice for Your Organization.

The Process of Engaging a Grant Writer

Define Your Organization's Needs

First, it’s essential to outline your nonprofit’s grant writing needs. 

Consider the following questions to define your organization’s needs: 

1. What is the status of your organization’s grant program? Are you approaching grants for the first time? Are you restarting after a prolonged period of inactivity? Are you actively applying for grants? 

2. How much support does your organization need with its grant program? Do you want a grant writing partner to manage your grants start-to-finish, or are you interested in support with research and strategy? 

3. What are your funding needs? 

4. Who will be the primary contact for your grant program? 

5. What is your budget for grant writing? 

6. Do you need organizational approval from executive leadership or the board of directors to contract a grant writer?

   
   

Research Grant Writing Consultants

You can find grant writers on various online databases. Nonprofit professional associations or organizations may have trusted recommendations for consultants. We are members of the Puget Sound Grant Writers Association and the Nonprofit Association of Oregon and can be found in their respective grant writer and nonprofit service provider directories.  

Consider the following when researching grant writing consultants: 

• History of success: The grant writer has a portfolio of existing or past clients and has delivered results. 

• Referrals or testimonials: The grant writer is recommended by existing or past clients who speak highly of their work.  

• Excellent communication: The grant writer exhibits strong writing skills and is responsive to your outreach. 

• Service options: The grant writer offers various services to meet your organization’s needs within budget.

• Compatibility: The grant writer aligns well with your team. 

Your organization may have additional priorities when hiring a grant writing consultant, including familiarity with your organization, mission space, or location. 

Similarly, grant writing consultants have priorities when evaluating potential nonprofit partners. Bloom Grant Consulting is excited to work with passionate nonprofit leaders who are ready to make an impact. We prefer to work with established nonprofit organizations with paid staff and two or more years of 990 filings. These nonprofit organizations have a solid foundation to secure and implement mission-driven services and programming supported by grant funding.   

Schedule Consultations with Select Grant Writers 

Once you’ve narrowed down your research, contact the grant writing consultants on your list to schedule consultations to learn more about how they can support you and your organization. 

During a consultation, be prepared to speak about your organization's mission, goals, objectives, budget size, team structure, and more. 

As grant writing consultants, we are focused on building successful and collaborative partnerships with organizations to ensure long-term sustainability and mission impact. This requires meaningful participation and communication. This meeting is an opportunity to get to know one another and ensure compatibility for a future partnership.

Establish a Scope of Work and Sign a Contract

Following a successful consultation, we’ll align a scope of work for your nonprofit organization, valid for two weeks. Once we’ve agreed on a scope of work, we’ll prepare a contract for your organization to formalize our engagement. Once a contract is in place, we’ll begin the discovery phase. 

Dive into Discovery

The discovery phase is just what it sounds like! It’s an opportunity for our team and your organization to lay the groundwork for our work together. We begin discovery by providing our clients with a document discovery checklist. 

These core materials will help our team understand your organization’s structure and financial foundation. Many of these documents lay the foundation for future grant applications we will submit in collaboration with your team. 

We understand that our clients may not have all of the documents on our list, so we provide indicators for what documents you have, what documents are in progress, and the ones you don’t have. We’re here to help you fill in the gaps! 

We give our clients two weeks to complete the checklist before we jump into a kickoff meeting. Our client kickoff meeting is about setting expectations. In the first half of the meeting, we review the agreed-upon scope of work and timeline. The second half of the meeting is an in-depth discussion of prospect research. We discuss what type of funding prospects are suitable for your organization. This conversation leads seamlessly into the research phase. 

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Our Grant Readiness Checklist can help your organization prepare for the discovery phase. 

At Bloom Grant Consulting, we are all about finding ways to help you reach your grant potential. This will help you assess your grant readiness before investing in a grant consultant, including a comprehensive checklist, detailed assessment questions, and space to self-reflect and strategize.

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Begin Research

Research is pivotal to our work at Bloom Grant Consulting. Whether assessing an organization’s grant preparedness or identifying funding prospects, we are meticulous in our research. We use public data, subscription-based tools, and our experience in the field to provide you with an organized matrix packed with information to help your organization confidently approach the right funders. 

Continue Based on Your Scope of Work

Once discovery and research are complete, we continue based on your organization’s unique scope of work. Throughout our engagement, this could include reviewing funding prospects, providing personalized training, one-on-one coaching, and more. 

Our process for ongoing support is custom-made for our nonprofit partners. We become an integrated member of your team, executing your grant to-do list. This service is for organizations that need a partner to increase their capacity for grant writing, develop a regular cadence of proposal submission, meet deadlines, and build authentic relationships with funders. These are long-term engagements with six- to twelve-month contracts. We meet with our ongoing support clients bi-weekly for one hour to review and discuss upcoming grant proposals, develop funder outreach strategies, and provide cultivation coaching. 

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Engaging a grant writer is like planting the seeds for your nonprofit’s growth. By defining your needs and carefully selecting the right grant writing consultant, you can cultivate a partnership to help your organization thrive.

Plant seeds for future growth. Contact us to schedule a free 30-minute consultation today. We’re excited to meet you, explore how we can nurture your mission together, and watch it bloom! 

Unlocking Savings: Why Contracting a Grant Writer is a Cost-Effective Choice for Your Organization

In today's competitive nonprofit landscape, securing funding through grants is essential for organizations to thrive and make a meaningful impact on their missions. However, the question often arises: Should you hire a full-time, in-house grant writer, or should you consider contracting a grant writer? While both options have their merits, this blog post will explore why contracting a grant writer can be significantly cheaper and more cost-effective for your organization.

The Cost of Hiring Staff

Hiring a full-time grant writer may seem like a logical choice at first glance. After all, having an employee dedicated solely to grant writing can provide consistency and a deeper understanding of your organization's needs. However, the costs associated with hiring staff go beyond just their salary. Here are some key considerations:

• Salary and Benefits: When you hire a full-time grant writer, you not only have to pay their salary but also provide benefits such as healthcare, retirement contributions, and paid time off. These costs can add up quickly.

• Training and Onboarding: New employees often require training and onboarding, which can be time-consuming and may involve additional expenses.

• Overhead Costs: You'll need to provide office space, equipment, and resources for your in-house grant writer, increasing your organization's overhead costs.

• Limited Expertise: An in-house grant writer may have limited experience in various grant sectors, potentially missing out on opportunities that a specialized contract grant writer could identify.

The Cost-Effective Solution: Contracting a Grant Writer

Now, let's explore the benefits of contracting a grant writer and how it can lead to significant cost savings:

• Flexibility: Contracting a grant writer provides the flexibility to engage their services as needed. You can bring them on for specific projects or grant applications, eliminating the need to pay a full-time salary year-round.

• Reduced Overhead: Since contract grant writers work remotely, you don't have to worry about providing office space or equipment. This reduces your organization's overhead costs substantially.

• Specialized Expertise: Contract grant writers often have a diverse portfolio of experience across various sectors and grant types. They bring a breadth of knowledge and skills that can enhance your grant-seeking efforts.

• No Benefit Costs: When you contract a grant writer, you are not responsible for providing benefits. This can result in substantial savings compared to hiring a full-time employee.

• Scalability: As your organization's grant needs fluctuate, you can easily scale your contract grant writer's involvement up or down without the commitment of a full-time employee. Likewise, we at Bloom know that we're a temporary solution. Our goal is to increase your organization's fundraising capacity to ultimately expand your staff.

Contracting a grant writer offers a cost-effective alternative that can save your organization money. By leveraging specialized expertise, reducing overhead costs, and maintaining flexibility, you can maximize your grant-seeking efforts while staying within your budget.

Our team of experienced contract grant writers is ready to help your organization secure the funding it needs to thrive. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your mission while saving you money.

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The Power of Prospect Research with Bloom Grant Consulting

A new year brings with it the promise of fresh opportunities and a chance to embark on new adventures. For nonprofit organizations, this is the ideal time to set your sights on grant funding prospects that align with your mission and long-term goals. However, starting the new year with old grant prospects might not be the most effective approach. Instead, let's explore the power of prospect research and how Bloom Grant Consulting can help nonprofits unlock new funding avenues at any stage of their grant success journey.

The Pitfalls of Sticking with the Status Quo

It's easy to fall into the routine of pursuing the same grant prospects year after year. You might have developed relationships with some funders, and it's tempting to continue seeking grants from those familiar sources. However, relying solely on old prospects has several potential downsides:

• Missed Opportunities: By focusing exclusively on known prospects, you might overlook new opportunities that have emerged in the grant landscape.

• Stagnation: Your organization's mission and projects evolve over time. Relying on old prospects can hinder your growth and limit your ability to address current needs.

• Funding Shifts: Grantors can change their funding priorities, and what worked in the past may not align with their current focus.

The Power of Prospect Research

Prospect research is the process of identifying and assessing potential grant funders that align with your organization's mission and objectives. Here's why it's a critical step at any stage of your grant success journey:

• Expanding Opportunities: Prospect research opens the door to a wider pool of grant opportunities, both from new sources and those you might have missed previously.

• Strategic Alignment: Effective prospect research ensures that you're targeting funders whose priorities are closely aligned with your projects and goals, increasing your chances of success.

• Maximizing Resources: Pursuing grants that closely match your mission and projects means you can allocate your resources more effectively, reducing wasted effort and increasing your impact.

• Enhanced Fundraising: Accurate and up-to-date research can provide insights into funders' preferences, making your grant applications more compelling.

Bloom Grant Consulting: Your Partner in Prospect Research

Prospect research can be a complex and time-consuming process. That's where Bloom Grant Consulting comes in to assist nonprofit organizations at every stage of their grant success journey. Here's how we can help:

• In-Depth Research: Our team of experts will conduct thorough research to identify grant prospects that match your mission and goals.

• Strategic Planning: We'll work with you to develop a strategy that aligns your organization's initiatives with the funding opportunities we uncover.

• Customized Approach: Every organization is unique, and we tailor our research to your specific needs and priorities.

• Relationship Building: We can help you establish and maintain relationships with potential funders, increasing your chances of securing funding.

Conclusion

The power of prospect research can open up a world of opportunities and ensure that your organization is well-aligned with funders who share your vision. Whether you're just beginning your grant journey or looking to expand your reach, Bloom Grant Consulting is here to help you navigate the grant landscape with expertise and precision. Start the new year with a fresh approach to grant prospecting and take your mission to new heights.

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