"There is no scarcity of opportunity to live your dreams; there's only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen."
4-Dimensional Success
Grant Writing...
Where I get to fulfill my passion of helping Entrepreneurs improve how they write, publish and extend their business assets.
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Hiring Grant Writers and Consultants
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I know you... You are a novice at Grant Writing - although it holds promise of something that would empower you in bringing change to the world around you, it also represents so many unknown factors that you feel immobilized - frozen in the fear of the unknown - and your project falls, like a brillant orange fall leaf, floating slowly, yet unavoidably... to the ground, never to see its brilliance recognized. Unfortunately, getting a grant is not a quick and easy fix. It takes a fervent belief in what you want to create, and a disciplined commitment to doing everything it takes to go through the process. You have to understand that process and play by the rules, knowing that the money that may be available for a worthy project is there, but as a part of your future planning, not a choice that gets you out of some financial jam created by a lack of planning. You have a number of choices before you. You can: (1) Take it upon yourself to learn everything there is about Grant Writing and, understanding the learning curve, carve out a future for your proposed project that will most like not be realized by those who are not willing to put for the effort, and make this thing happen for you! (2) Realize the extreme value of including Grant Writing in the development of your non-profit and budget in financial resources to pay a grant writer as a part of your future business development - leaving yourself free to engage in other activities that only you can do as well as you do. (3) Engage the services of a Grant Writing Coach who will allow you a unique blend of the first two choices. With a Grant Writing Coach you will be able to short circuit the difficult steps of traveling through a dark, deep forest of unknowns and be taken on the shortest route through the grant writing process. You will have access to the best guidance and direction, yet maintain your own participation in a process that can be accelerated by making the right choices, crafting the right message, and making the right connections by using the right resources. Email me at VoicesInPrint@yahoo.com if you are interested in knowing more about grant writing services, or alternatively, working with a Grant Writing Coach. Anna Weber |
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| Grantwriting fees vary enormously, from $25 an hour for less-experienced writers to $1,250 per diem or $10,000 per government proposal prepared by consulting firms. To reduce costs, I frequently work with clients to prepare a boilerplate "case statement" that describes your organization and the various projects that need funding. Then you can cut and paste from this document to prepare proposals for specific foundations - there is normally a plethora of grants available. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A critical factor is understanding that for the most part, Grants are not provided to start-up companies or projects so grants should be looked upon as part of your future planning. You might be more successful in the start-up phase to partner with an established nonprofit organization in your area that has experienced staff and would be interested in co-sponsoring your project. Most foundations are hesitant to support brand new charities because of concerns about fiscal accountability. So the proposal would probably be far stronger if you could draw on the track record and infrastructure of an older institution. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Paying for grant writing frequently prohibits worthy projects from getting off the ground, causing new nonprofits to request commission arrangements, where the grantwriter only gets paid a percentage if funding is received. Please understand this is considered highly unethical. Most grantwriters require hourly or per diem compensation, rather than deferred pay contingent on grants received. In fact, the "Code of Ethical Principles and Standards of Professional Practice" of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives opposes deferred payment: "Members shall work for a salary or fee, not percentage-based compensation or a commission. Members shall not pay, seek or accept finder's fees, commissions or percentage compensation based on charitable contributions raised, and shall, to the best of their ability, discourage their organizations from making such payments based on charitable contributions." |
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To increase the possibility of a non-profit achieving its goal, when funds to pay for grant writing is not an option, I offer a Coaching Program for Grant Writing - providing the necessary assistance to help you do the work yourself, covering the four primary elements of successfully securing Grants for a worthy project: (1) The quality of your nonprofit organization. (2) The innovative nature or critical importance of your proposed project. (3) The emerging priorities of a funding source or the competition level in a particular grantmaking cycle. (4) Your skills in building a compelling case. No matter how carefully and strategically you prepare a proposal, these other factors impact the outcome.With this in mind, you can understand the task you have in front of you, the potential that is possible as a result of your effort, and the reason grantwriters deserve upfront compensation for their time. If your budget does not allow even for coaching, you might consider hiring a student in English, Social Work, Public Administration, or a related field to assist with editing and/or writing. |
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Grant Writing can open doors that would otherwise be forever closed to you. The process can be daunting and laborious, but provides significant results... empowering you to serve your community in a way not otherwise possible. Is it as simple as drafting a proposal? Hardly,! It is part of a process of planning.. and of research on, outreach to, and cultivation of potential foundation and corporate donors. Grant Writing is grounded in the conviction that a partnership should exist between the nonprofit and the donor. As you spend time looking for having your grant needs filled, remember that it is equally difficult to give money away because the dollars contributed by a foundation or corporation have no value until they are attached to an appropriate, solid non-profit program. Think about the beauty of this kind of relationship... you as a non-profit have the creative power of initiating ideas and expanding your capacity to solve problems, but you have no money with which to implement them. On the other side of the coin exists foundations and corporations who do have financial resources but lack that "something you have" that is necessary to creating programs. Bring the two together effectively, and the result... a dynamic, empowering collaboration! The difficult news to hear is that it is absolutely necessary to follow an exacting, step-by-step process in the search for private dollars. Nothing will replace the time and persistence necessary to succeed. Nothing will alter the fact that even having expended valuable time and resources to write a proposal, it could take as long as a year to obtain the funds needed to support your project,. Nothing can curb your disappointment in the end, that your perfectly written proposal submitted to the right prospect was rejected for any number of reasons. You just have to develop the mindset that Grant Writing in an effort to raise essential funds for your project is an important investment in your future. |
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In reviewing the following chart, you can see that the end result of your grant writing efforts are not overly large - noting that it requires an ability to present your request for grant funds in the most succinct manner.
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| One thing is for certain... if you never take the time to write a proposal for a Grant - you will never get one! |