Granted Fundraising Consultants

Working with a grant consultant can increase your organization’s revenue. But, You must vet the grant professional that you plan to work with. Although each grant consultant has their own method of working with clients, I’ve found 4 TOP qualities that you want your grant professional to have: 1️⃣ They are a strategist ♟️ A professional grant consultant doesn’t just write a proposal, they help you strategically think about grant funding for your organization. There’s determining what grant opportunities are a good fit and how to cultivate relationships with grantmakers. There’s understanding what to communicate and what data to incorporate. And, when an opportunity appears to be a no-go, a grant strategist points out ways that you can leverage partner(s) for a potential funding opportunity. 2️⃣ They are a project manager 🗓️ It is THE WORST when you hire someone to do a job and you have to spend so much time monitoring and managing them! You want them to be taking stuff off of your plate not giving you more to do. This is often one of the reasons it makes sense to hire a consultant – someone who is an expert and can hit the ground running. A quality grant consultant knows that one of their highly coveted skills is their ability to manage a project from start to finish. 3️⃣ They have a strong track record No grant writer should ever guarantee that an award will be funded. If a grant writer says that to you, lose their number. What a grant writer CAN DO is increase your chances of being awarded a grant by helping you develop a grant strategy and putting together a strong and compelling application. Ask for evidence of their experience with grants, but keep in mind that no single factor on its own tells the full picture. Success rates are nice but also ask about their experience writing to a specific organization or government funder i.e. Department of Justice, Health and Human Services, etc. 4️⃣ They engage in ongoing professional development Your grant consultant should be knowledgeable about grant writing. Obviously! You want someone who is a student of their craft and engages in ongoing learning about grant writing best practices and innovations, as well as the funding landscape. Even the longest serving grant professional who may have been doing the work for 20+ years should be learning new tools and approaches, and refining their skills. These are just some of the qualities I recommend you look for when bringing on a grant consultant. Are there other qualities you would add to the list?