GrantWatch, an ever-expanding database of grants and funding opportunities, receives many inquiries regarding the grant application process. Applying for a grant requires research about the funding source, the applicant agency, the data and the conditions/environment surrounding the need for and use of the funds. And if you are an inexperienced grant writer, the probability of preparing a professional, focused document and receiving a grant is slim to none.
As always, GrantWatch is here to help! Our grant writing division, GrantWriterTeam.com, pairs skilled grant writers with grant seekers – applicants seeking to submit grant proposals. If you can’t decide between hiring a seasoned professional or attempting the task yourself, here are five factors to take into consideration:
1. Cost
In most situations, hiring a contract grant writer is less expensive than employing a full-time writer. An in-house grant writer may offer advantages such as immediate availability and company exclusivity, but his/her employment generates unnecessary costs. You must provide the writer a desk, a computer, a phone, physical space in the office, worker benefits, etc. Don’t forget about paying his/her yearly salary and payroll taxes.
An out-sourced grant writer offers more advantages than that of an in-house employee at a lesser cost. You may not be applying for grants every day of the working year. Regardless if your in-house writer is working on an application, you still need to pay him/her; you only pay an out-sourced grant writer when he/she is completing your grant proposal. Another advantage is the number of grant applications you will be able to submit in a short time frame. While a single, in-house writer may (depending on experience) be able to finish two or three grant applications with the same deadline, a grant-writing firm with multiple employees could complete numerous proposals in any given time period. Outsourcing your grant proposals allows you to apply for three or more funding opportunities where you might have to choose one or two for your in-house grant writer. By cloning your original ad, GrantWriterTeam will bid out your second job without an additional cost for a grant writer request.
2. Control
You want to have control over various factors during the grant application process. You will oversee writing procedures and review proposal drafts before they are submitted. Consider what you would do, though, if the procedures you oversee are disorganized and the drafts you review are inadequate, both which are caused by various problems with the grant writer.
If you have hired a full-time writer, in whom you have invested training time and compensation, you risk losing that time and money twice: first when you fire the writer who received that investment and second when you replace that writer. If you have hired a contract writer, though, you can easily change writers or fire the firm entirely, saving you precious time and money while giving you complete control over the grant proposals you’re submitting. GrantWriterTeam will replace a grant writer as long as you are up to date with deliverable payments to the grant writer you want to release.
3. Expertise
Most grant writers are more knowledgeable on one topic than another, but no writer is an expert in every subject. Hiring an in-house grant writer with exclusive expertise does not necessarily limit your ability to submit grant proposals outside of your writer’s expertise, but hiring a grant writer with adept knowledge on the type of grant and funder you seek will increase your chances of receiving the grant award. By hiring a contract grant writer, you will be able to match writers with specific expertise to your grant proposals, increasing the probability of earning the funds.
4. Deadlines
I am sure you would agree that the most important part of a grant proposal is submitting the application on time. An out-sourced grant writer from a firm will have the professionalism, writing techniques and time management skills necessary to prioritize work and meet deadlines—more so than the beginner you may hire as a full-time employee. A grant-writing firm will guarantee that the team member you hire will be an experienced writer with substantial time to focus on your individual proposal as well as the professional writing and organizational skills to execute it efficiently.
5. Variety
Every grant writer has an individual style and unique voice. Hiring an in-house grant writer limits you to one person’s voice/style. Contracting a firm to complete your numerous grant proposals allows you to experience multiple writers and their techniques. After a few applications, you will find methods and characteristics that you prefer over others. And those techniques may be more effective in winning grants.
Just as well, every writer will have a new perspective of your company—a perspective you may have never considered. A new perspective could be the “boulder” standing between you and funding; and you never would have gained that perspective had you assigned all your proposals to the same writer.
GrantWriterTeam.com is a division of GrantWatch that allows you, the applicant, to find the perfect grant writer for your individual proposal. Hiring a professional from GrantWriterTeam will save you money, give you control over the application process, ensure you submit every proposal on time and allow you to explore a variety of techniques, voices, styles, perspectives, etc. from our grant writers, giving you a better chance at winning the grant!
About the Author: Kayli Tomasheski is a Copy Editor for GrantWriterTeam
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