Freelance Grant Writing Myths

Many people think grant writing is a mysterious endeavor, but to those of us who have made it a career, it is rewarding, interesting work. It may seem puzzling because each grant maker has a unique vision and application process, but with dedication, I believe anyone who likes to read and write can achieve success as a freelance grant writer.

Myth number 1:

Grant Writing is Hard

Grant writing is not hard, unless you hate to read and write, and then it can be a miserable chore. It really is not rocket science. It is more like putting a model airplane together. There are a lot of pieces and you need to follow the directions correctly in order for it to look like an airplane when you are finished. For people who are detailed oriented and enjoy a challenge, it can be great fun! The key is to read and re-read the grant application. Identify the instructions (make notes) and follow them. Most of the work a grant writer does is not writing-it is researching, reading, talking to clients and helping them summarize their project. The final step in the process is the writing. Just like a model airplane-you lay out the parts, match them up to the instructions and recheck everything before you open that bottle of glue.

Myth number 2:

Grant Writers are Creative Writers

Wrong again. Grant writing is not creative writing. You do need a command of the English language (if you are writing for US grants) and you need basic grammar skills, but the funding agency dictates what you write. Almost all of them tell you exactly what information they want and where they want you to put it on an application. It needs to be a compelling story of your client's project, but this can be accomplished without advanced writing skills. In fact, many grant reviewers know nothing about the projects they are reviewing, so the shorter the sentences and the easier the story is to follow, the better. For example, I currently write grants for the health care industry and one Federal granting agency told us that they have volunteer reviewers all over the country, some who know nothing about health care. This means I need to write clearly about the importance of 'telehealth home care for rural patients' and explain each point in language that the average person can understand. This is not creative. It's not even great writing.

Myth number 3:

Only Needy Non-Profit Organizations Can Get Grants

Nope. I have worked with several multi-million dollar organizations that received very large grants. Each funder has a mission. There are big social problems they want to help solve. The organization that comes closest to proposing a realistic solution is the one that wins. Grant makers tend to be more interested in your client's proposed remedy than in their persistent problems. (You will have to explain both in the grant application, but the focus should be on how their project is the best solution and why it will be successful.)

Myth number 4:

Grants are Free Money

This is my all time favorite. People who have never written a grant actually believe this! Grants are in fact investments in society by the government, corporate or private foundations to impact social problems. These funders want to see a return on their investment in the form of lives changed, research initiated, communities impacted, etc. They are usually willing to provide seed money-part of the cost of a project to help get it off the ground-but I have seen very few grant makers willing to pay 100% of the costs of a project. Occasionally a Federal agency or large foundation will announce a grant that claims no matching funds are required, but they will also tell you that to be competitive you need to put up some funds of your own or have other funding partners.

It is beyond the scope of this article to go into the details of grant writing, but suffice to say that freelance grant writing is challenging and rewarding. There is nothing quite like finding money for groups who are changing people's lives. It is truly worth pursuing if you are looking for meaningful work and enjoy puzzles or model airplanes.

Ms. Strotheide has been in the Community Development field for fourteen years and written successful grants for organizations, cities, and counties in several states. She has six years of successful freelance experience. She currently works fulltime writing and administering grants for the health care industry.

She has created a guide with more information on starting your own 7day.bizgrantwriting.com Grant Writing Business.