Grant Writing

There is a lot to grant writing. I assume you are interested in working for non-profits and are in writing applications for grant funding, as opposed to working for the funding organization and writing the actual grant proposal? Writing applications for grant funding is one part of the process. First, there is digging/research to find appropriate grants that may fund the type of non-profit you are supporting and understand the grant cycle (calendar). As a grant writer, it's important to understand the goals of the organization, why they are different than others in their category, their successes and future plans, history of the organization, etc. The most important part of writing an application for grant funding is understanding that telling this story is not about the non-profit; it's about the grant funder. What are they interested in? How does your non-profit (and its goals) fit into what the funding organization is trying to achieve? And, you must tell a story that paints a picture for the reader, providing statistics as well as tugging emotionally. Each grant takes hours and hours of time and rewrites/edits. Taking a class is okay but honestly you need to be a very good writer, with experience that showcases your writing abilities. I pivoted into grant writing after working in marketing, corporate communications and PR - all with lots of writing. Also, my first grant was for a small, start-up non-profit - not a large major organization. Note, grant writing for government organizations is very different too; my experience is not in that area. One more thing: after my first year I attended a grant writing seminar at a local Center for Non Profit Management. It cost money, but was well worth it. Also provided info on how to research grants. Good Luck!