Grant Writing FAQs

How long will it take to get funded from the time a grant request is submitted?

The timeline varies on the particular funder, but 3-6 months is a good average. Some funders, especially government entities, will announce an approximate date as to when they will make funding decisions, whereas most foundations/corporations will review proposals on a quarterly or annual basis.

Will you write a single grant for my non-profit or a steady stream?

If you need help on a particular proposal, we’re happy to help. However it is usually a better investment to utilize our year-round, comprehensive services. It takes time for us to learn enough about your organization to write a compelling proposal. Once that original proposal is written, it can serve as a template for others moving forward, which gives you more bang for your buck. But of course, there are always the times when an organization might have all the templates ready to go but doesn’t have time to customize it to a particular funder’s needs, at which point a one-off might be their best bet.

Of course, federal proposals are so time consuming and detail-oriented, you might want assistance just on this scale of project.

Do you write federal proposals?

Yes. We’ve had proposals funded from multiple federal agencies including the Department of Labor, US Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Corrections, providing our clients with multi-year fixed revenue streams.

Do you work on commission?

No. Most grant writers, ourselves included, consider this to be unethical. Funders expect their money to be used for the purposes described in the grant, so to give a portion of it away as a commission can violate the terms of the grant agreement.

I’ve heard that hiring a grant writer can be like handing over a blank check every month since you never know what their cost will be one month from the next. I want to generate money for my organization, not cost money. How can I avoid this?

Our goal is to make sure we’re working in the best interests of each of our clients. This includes making sure that my grant writing services are a known expense that fits within each organization’s budget. To accomplish this goal, we typically have an agreed upon range of hours we’ll complete on a monthly basis.

Since federal proposals exceed this allotment, we’ll quote you a fixed price for researching, writing and submitting federal proposals so you know exactly how much you stand to win—and how much it will cost—so you can make the best decision.

We’re a faith-based organization. Do we have to apply for funding that will make us change our approach or prevent us from sharing what we believe?

Absolutely not! Our job is to enhance what you do, not take away from it. If there is a requirement in a potential grant that doesn’t align with your organization, then we don’t apply. It’s that simple.

What percent of my budget can I expect to generate from successful grant requests?

On average, we don’t recommend having more than 30% of your funding stream be budgeted as grant revenue. Of course, there are always instances in which this percent might fluctuate depending on your organization’s circumstances and some models can create more than 50% of their income in grant income. There are multiple variables that could negatively impact the outcomes of your grant request such as being a new organization or having multiple years of operating deficits. This could cause you to generate less than 30% of your budget through grant requests.

Will you write grants for any non-profit?

No. Some agencies simply aren’t ready. Perhaps they haven’t established a 501(c)3 yet or have too many years of being in the red. (Funders do not want to give for deficit reduction. Red in the books will raise red in terms of flags.) We also reserve the right to be selective because if we’re not sold on the necessity of your organization, we’ll never be able to effectively sell it to someone else.

How much grant revenue have you generated?

We generate an average of $2 million - $8 million each year for our clients.