Nonprofits at all stages of development can benefit from hiring a grant writing consultant. Organizations seeking grant funding for the first time can turn to a grant writer to review their grant readiness and identify suitable opportunities. 

At the other end of the spectrum, nonprofits that have secured several grants may need help managing the extra administration and writing tasks that often accompany grant awards. Either way, grant writing professionals are valuable, both in terms of money and skills. To make the most out of the collaboration, you’ll want to be prepared before you spend money on these services.

3 signs you’re ready to hire a grant writing consultant:

1. You have the required registrations and financial information in order to be eligible for grants. Without this crucial piece, you’re likely not ready to hire a grant writer. If you have all your federal and state registrations and you have an accountant who specializes in nonprofit finances as well as a projected and actual annual budget for your organization, you’re likely ready to apply for grants. And hiring a grant writing consultant can help you put together strong and persuasive applications.
2. You have the capacity to run your programs, and the only missing piece is funding. Often nonprofits fall into a trap of applying for funding for programs they don’t have the capacity to deliver. For example, if you don’t have the human power to implement your programs, then there’s little sense in applying for funding. Similarly, if you don’t already have systems in place to monitor and evaluate the success of your programs, you’re probably not going to have much success with grants. Funders want to see that you have all these pieces in place before they award you money. If you know that you have everything in place to be successful in delivering a grant funded program, you might be ready to hire a consultant to help you apply.
3. You’ve already had success with small grants, and you’re ready to apply for bigger, more complex opportunities for bigger award amounts. Even if you have a development director or if you’ve written successful grants as an executive director, it may be wise to bring on a consultant who has experience with large government grants. These lengthy applications and the budget requirements trip up even grant writers who have a track record of success with foundation grants. If you’re ready to apply for bigger, more complex grants, let’s talk!

We’re accepting new clients for July, so if you’re ready to hire a grant writer and want to work with us, just fill out this quick questionnaire. 

We’ll then reach out to schedule a discovery call if we think it will be a good fit.For more information on the grants we’ve written, check out this short video.

Here’s what our clients say about working with us:

We are so thrilled to be working with Krista Kurlinkus on our grant process. We have worked with other grant writers before, but Krista has made the process easy and professional. Krista has helped us get international grants from 4 different governments to help fight human trafficking in Southern Africa. She is a delight, incredibly smart, and easy to work with! I highly recommend Krista! –Jennifer Crow, Executive Director, Beautiful Dream Society, Client of 3 years

We were in the process of starting a grant application and quickly realized it was an impossible experiment without guidance from someone experienced…. Once we were introduced to Krista we developed a comfort level that she was the person to help us…Krista was always helpful and very good at follow-up…. Krista is a very warm and understanding individual. She was a pleasure to work with and helped us better understand the system. –Thomas Stose, Director and Professor, Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Education Center, Awarded $1.7 million in federal funding

Working with Krista and her team is a joy. She is a superb listener and was able to quickly come up to speed on our organization, synthesize our strengths and identify many new potential donors that would connect with our mission. She is a straight-shooter who communicates and plans well and meets deadlines consistently. Her writing is passionate and articulate. West Virginia Dance Company has been thrilled to have her lend us her voice and we’ve been rewarded! –Kelli Whitfield, Development Director, West Virginia Professional Dance Company, Client of 4 years

If you’re ready to talk about how we can help you get the funding you need to do the work you love, request a discovery call by filling out this short questionnaire.

How to get started hiring a grant writing consultant

Hiring a grant writer is a big decision. As grant writing consultants, we don’t take it lightly. We know that our clients are investing a lot of time, money, and hope in us. 

I’ve also worked with other grant writing consultants through Boss Club.

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my years doing this work and from hearing about Boss Club members’ experiences, it’s that the most successful partnerships between grant writing consultants and clients are based on trust and built on a shared understanding of how the business relationship will work.

Before we bring on a new client, I very clearly outline what they can expect from us. I let them know how quickly they can expect us to respond to emails. I tell them how many LOIs or applications we will submit per month, if they’re hiring us on a retainer basis. We talk about how frequently we’ll meet.

Remember, it’s a partnership

I also make sure they understand what we expect from them. Some clients come to me with the misconception that hiring a grant writer means they don’t have to put any effort forth on grants anymore. But it’s a partnership. We can’t be successful unless the client responds to requests for information in a timely manner. We also can’t be successful if they give us opportunities they want to apply for without enough lead time to put together a strong application.

So, when we kick off a new client relationship, we very clearly outline the shared expectations.

And if you’re considering hiring a grant writer, the best advice I can give you is to find one who has all these work processes outlined. I recently began working with a new client who came to me after hiring another grant writer. And it was a disaster. She paid a lot of money for their services, and at the end of the work, the grant writer shared no deliverables. You should know exactly what a consultant will do or create for you and on what timeline before entering into a contract.

Interested in working together?

If you’d like to discuss working together, we’d love to get to know you!

Please fill out this questionnaire to request a discovery call.