Frequently Asked Questions

What types of clients has Seattle Grantwriting worked for?

We have worked for organizations involved with human services delivery, youth development, grass roots social justice, employment and workforce development, education, journalism, early learning, music and dance, health services, and public policy advocacy. Some of the Seattle-based nonprofits we have worked with include: Teen Feed, The Mockingbird Society, Real Change, Thrive by Five Washington, Year Up Puget Sound, ARC Dance Company, Rosehedge/Multifaith Works, and Northwest Health Law Advocates. References will be provided upon request.

What types of grant proposals has Seattle Grantwriting written?

We have written grants to fund general operating expenses, new programs, program expansions, ongoing programs, remodeling expenses, and capital equipment needs. We have successfully helped our clients procure grants ranging from $1000 to over $4 million.

Are you available to edit proposals or other projects that have been generated in-house?

Absolutely. In addition to reviewing and editing grant proposals that are generated in-house, we have written and edited dozens of reports to foundations and corporations, and reviewed and edited annual reports, newsletter articles, event-related announcements, donor collateral, direct mail appeals, donor thank you letters, position announcements, and website content.

How much will a grant proposal cost to prepare?

We typically decline to work on one-off proposals. As explained on our Fees page, we prefer to work with clients on a long-term basis. This results in better-quality work, greater efficiencies, and greater bang for the buck. When you do this, fees typically vary from about $1000 to $3000 per month. Just give us a call and we would be happy to talk about a fee structure that makes sense.

What is your “success rate”?

We don’t publish a “success rate.” The factors that ultimately determine whether a proposal is funded are too numerous to be listed here, but suffice it to say that not every factor is related to the quality of the grant proposal itself. It remains true that the more quality proposals you submit, the greater your chances of getting funded. And no grantwriter will remain in business for very long if he or she is not successful in obtaining funding for some significant percentage of the proposals he or she submits. The ultimate arbiter of a grantwriter’s success is the satisfaction level of the client. If you want to know how “successful” we have been with our clients, go to the source: talk to our clients. References will be provided upon request.

What responsibilities do we have once we hire you?

We will need documentation specific to your organization and any programs for which we will be seeking grant money (we provide you with a checklist of information needed; see our Getting Funded page). You will provide us with recent grant proposals and budgets. We may need to interview staff regarding a specific program; we can usually obtain much of this information over the phone or by email. We are sensitive to the time demands of your staff. When a proposal has been drafted, we want and expect your substantive input and feedback – you should play an active role in shaping the final product and ensuring it is accurate. Your Executive Director or Board President will normally sign the final proposal. Depending on the type of proposal, it may be submitted by you or by Seattle Grantwriting. After you are notified of the funder’s decision, you will let us know the result and we can mutually evaluate why the proposal was accepted or rejected and what impact that will have on your overall development plan. We will discuss with you appropriate next steps with the specific funder and with your grants strategy.

What sources do you use when researching potential funders?

Over time we have developed a detailed database of information on hundreds of local, regional, and national funders. We also subscribe to Foundation Directory Online Professional, the gold standard among paid subscription databases. FDO Professional contains over 100,000 detailed profiles of all current U.S. grantmakers. It also features lots of goodies like interactive maps and charts that allow us to drill down and obtain very specific information that is useful to your particular funding needs. Of course we scour the Internet as well for information about particular funders and individuals connected with those funders.

How much should we ask for?

This is the $64,000 question (sometimes more, sometimes less). First and foremost, you must design a well-conceived program or organizational budget and determine whether and how that will be funded with existing dollars. Figuring out how much of that budget can or should be funded with grant money depends on many factors. We can help you evaluate that issue by analyzing potential sources of funding (prospect research) and reviewing average grant awards from funders that are a good fit with your mission and/or program. It may make sense to talk to a program officer or past grantees to determine a reasonable range for a funding request.

What percentage of my overall budget can I expect grants to fund?

In most cases you could and should eventually receive 15-30% of your annual revenue from grants. National data has consistently shown that nonprofits receive the majority of their income from individuals. Having said that, there is tremendous variation among nonprofits. It is important to diversify. Some of our clients receive a majority of their income from grants.

Will you work on contingency for a percentage of the grant if awarded?

No. First, working “on contingency” is considered to be unethical by most professional grantwriters. An in-depth discussion of this issue can be found on the website of the Puget Sound Grantwriters Association, of which we are members. See http://www.grantwriters.org/grantwriters/ethics-and-commissions. Most grantmaking organizations also oppose this practice.

Second, proposals succeed or fail for a number of reasons, many of which are outside the control of the grantwriter. Whether or not a grant is awarded, the grantwriter performs the same amount of work and deserves to be compensated.

What about online grant applications?

More and more funders are using online applications for both letters of inquiry and full proposals. Funders often impose severe space constraints in this type of application. Online applications can be challenging simply because so many judgments must be made regarding what to include and what to exclude. Every word counts. We are expert at making those judgments.

Do you work on federal grants?

While we would never say never, we have avoided working on federal grant proposals.