Tell me more about your experience

I’ve worked in the nonprofit sector since 2002, specializing in fundraising. For the past 10 years I’ve focused on grant writing. I’ve successfully written and secured grants from local and national corporations, foundations, city/county/state governments, along with federal grants, ranging from $2,500 to multimillion-dollar awards.

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Do you only write grants, or do you offer broader support?

I offer much more than grant writing. My services encompass grant readiness assessments, grant research, grant program creation & development, grant tracking and evaluation, post-award grant reporting and funder stewardship support. My goal is to help you build and grow a sustainable, robust grant program, not just secure individual grants.

 

What types of organizations/causes have you written grants for?

I’ve worked with a variety of nonprofits ($500K-$15M+ budgets) with causes including hunger and homelessness, basic needs, early childhood development, cybercrime support, community development, and STEM education.

 

How do you identify and evaluate potential grant opportunities?

I place a high priority on seeing if the funder’s giving interests truly align well with the nonprofit’s programs. I typically review the funder’s list of awardees and/or their 990 to see whom they’ve awarded funds to, along with their giving amounts. This helps greatly to further gauge alignment. I also try connecting with the funder to make an introduction, and to hear their input on potential synergy. Doing this first reach out step often goes a long way rather than just submitting a proposal cold.

 

How do you approach grant strategy?

I first consider how much you’re aiming to raise with grants, and then I review your grant history. Securing renewed funding from previous funders is key. If you already have a decent base of grant funders, you’re ahead of the game. If you’re growing a new grants program, it will take more time. Depending on your fundraising goal, it’s best practice to submit 3 to 4 times the number of grants needed, given that your win rate won’t be 100%. A good rule of thumb is to submit at least 4 grants per month to have enough in the pipeline each year.

 

How do you manage deadlines and ensure timely submission of grant proposals?
In a nutshell: planning ahead and good time management. I never miss a grant deadline and I don’t scramble at the last minute to submit a grant. When I work with a client, I work a month in advance on their grants, with the priority deadlines first. I typically will submit a grant several days if not a week early. 

 

How involved does our team need to be in the grant process with GreaterGrants?
Your involvement is crucial, but our process is efficient. We lead the heavy lifting of research, writing, and strategy, but we rely on your team to provide program details, organizational data, testimonials, and to review drafts. Your insights are essential for crafting authentic and powerful proposals.

 

How do you track the progress of grant applications and outcomes?
For each client, I manage a Grant Tracker that records all of the details of the grant and the status.

 

What is your experience with writing grant reports and ensuring compliance with funder requirements?
In addition to grants, I regularly write grant reports as well. This is where having good communication and information with program staff is key. It’s very difficult to write a viable report without clear outcomes, results, and success stories. Managing this data is a good and expected practice from nonprofits.

 

How do you measure the success of your grant writing efforts?

For each client, I create a Return on Investment (ROI) tab as part of their Grant Tracker to see the ROI for each grant, and then over the course of a year. I also create mid-year and final reports for each client, detailing how many grants were submitted, how many awards, how many declines, the ‘win’ rate, how many new/renew/lapsed grants were submitted, trends, and any notable successes. 

 

Can you guarantee that we will receive a grant?

No reputable grant consultant can guarantee funding, as the ultimate decision rests with the funder. However, we guarantee our commitment to maximizing your chances of success by delivering high-quality, strategically aligned, and persuasive proposals that make your case of proven impact and strongly match funder priorities.

 

What is your win rate?

The answer is nuanced. With a mature grants program with a solid base of annual funders, my win rate has been over 75%. With a new grants program, the rate can be 50%. Also, winning grants from new funders is often harder than securing renewed funding from a previous funder. The key is doing due diligence with funder alignment, writing a strong proposal, and building the relationship. 

 

How much do you charge to write a grant?

I structure most of my services on a per grant basis. For a typical corporate or foundation grant with 10-12 lengthy narrative questions, it can take roughly 8 hours, especially for the first grant. Once a solid grant narrative is created, it often takes less time to complete a grant. If budgets need to be created, additional time will be needed. My hourly rate is in line with market rates for experienced grant writers. However, to offer flexibility for clients with different budgets, I set my hourly rate on a sliding scale.

 

How long do you take to write a grant?

It really depends on several factors including how many questions there are, how detailed the questions are, and if specific data is needed. The key is having a solid write-up of the who, what, where, when, and why of your program already in place. From this, I can customize the narrative for each grant. Most corporate and foundation grants have at least 8-10 standard questions. With ready content, I can typically complete a grant in 8 hours or less. Government grants are more complex and require more hours.

 

Do we still need to pay you if we don’t get the grant award?

Yes. When you work with me, you’re paying for a service and for my time. You’re also paying for my years of experience with grants, quality of grant writing, relationships with grant funders, and project management. Every grant proposal is created with due diligence, highest-quality writing, and best practices for the greatest chance of success. In-house grant writers also expend a cost for their time, whether or not grants are awarded.

Can you provide references or testimonials from previous clients?
Yes, I’m happy to provide references and testimonials from previous and current clients.