Start your own grant writing business

Preface

Chapter 1: Choosing Grant Writing For A Career Path:

Strike while the iron is hot

Income potential for grant writers-writers making a small investment for a big financial return

Word about grant writing vs fund raising

Traits of a grant writer:

Resilience

Goal-setting

Research skills

Internet savvy

Writing and speaking communication skills

Sound administrative skills

Human relations skills

Passion

Trustworthiness

Persistence

Ability to lead and follow

Confident

Multitasker

Grant writer's toolkit:

Approaching funders

Grant proposal in a nutshell

Researching funders

Identify the problem, propose a solution

Chapter 2: Who Needs Grants?:

Grants for nonprofits

Grants for individuals

Grants for higher education

Emergency grants

Types of grants

Chapter 3: Types Of Funders:

Independent, community, operating, and family foundations:

Independent foundations

Community foundations

Operating foundations

Family foundations

Corporations

Government funding:

Local, state, and pass-through funds

Request for proposals (RFPs)

Where do you find RFPs?

Chapter 4: Finding Grants:

Grants_gov

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Federal Register

FirstGov

USA government grants

Grant directory publications:

Foundation grants to individuals

Directory of Grants in the Humanities 2010

Foundation Reporter

National Directory of Corporate Giving

Annual Register of Grant Support 2011: A Directory of Funding Sources

Grants Register 2013: The Complete Guide to Postgraduate Funding Worldwide

Foundation center

Newsletters:

Foundation center newsletters

Foundation News and Commentary

Chronicle of Philanthropy

Wiley newsletters

Grant Advisor

Grantsalert

Subscription databases:

Guidestar

Annual reports

990-PF Reports

Locating grants by field:

Art grants

Education grants

International grants

Emergency grants

Chapter 5: Understanding The Funders' Guidelines:

What grant writers need to gather from the guidelines

Sample guidelines from a private foundation

Sample guidelines from a federal funder.

Chapter 6: Grant Proposal:

Four stages of crafting a persuasive grant proposal

Time required to create a grant proposal

Elements of a grant proposal:

Cover letter

Abstract

Table of contents

Problem or need statement

Goals and objectives

Methodology

Budget

Evaluation and dissemination

Attachments

Using statistics to support your project:

Questions to consider when finding statistics for your project

Where to find statistics

Submission procedure:

Applying for grants online

Email etiquette

Applying for grants through the mail

Schedule your submissions

Don't become a gadfly

Proposal list for nonprofits

Proposal list for individuals

Chapter 7: Alternative Forms Of Approach:

Letter of Inquiry (LOI):

Elements of a letter of inquiry

Sample letter of inquiry

Concept paper:

Elements of a concept paper

Sample concept paper

Chapter 8: Effective Grant-Writing Techniques:

Avoid jargon

Explain acronyms

Write short sentences

Write cohesively

Avoid expressions of uncertainty

Avoid using "the former" and "the latter"

Get rid of emotional language

Avoid claims of being the "best"

Avoid tag questions

Spell, style, and grammar checkers

Don't disappoint the reader

Don't blow your own horn

Be politically correct

Avoid using modifiers

Using metaphors to strengthen your argument

Create a visual painting with your words

Stick to one tense

Say what you mean, get what you want

Document your case

Give your grant proposal the human touch

Sample project description using effective grant-writing techniques

Chapter 9: Congratulations! You've Been Awarded A Grant:

Using funds ethically

Keep receipts

Chapter 10: Starting A Grant-Writing Business:

Becoming an entrepreneur is an art, not a talent:

Are you an entrepreneur?

It all begins with an idea

Ability to change with the times

20 traits of an entrepreneur

Effective salesmanship:

3-D approach

Startup basics:

Develop a business plan

Startup funding:

Your own resources

Bank loan

Small Business Administration (SBA)

Leasing companies

Business structures:

Sole proprietorship

Partnership

Corporation

Registering your business name:

Doing Business As (DBA)

Employer Identification Number (EIN)

Business bank accounts:

Negotiating a lease

Starting a homebased grant-writing business:

Qualities of a successful home businessperson

Good reasons to start a homebased grant-writing business

Staying motivated

Addressing common fears

Homebased business and positive self-esteem

Office space

Home-office technology

Create a systematic filing system

Marketing tips for less than $100:

Newsletters

Press releases

Philanthropic activities

Cultivate referrals

Yellow pages

Create a website

Print ads

Business cards

Direct mail

Social media.

Chapter 11: Working As A Grant Writer:

Career opportunities in grant writing:

Getting qualified as a grant writer

Getting started as a freelancer

Where to look for grant-writing jobs

Commission-based grants

Taking your grant-writing career to the next stop:

Offer grant-writing workshops or courses

Freelance fundraising consultant

Resource centers

Chapter 12: Working With Trends In The Industry:

Projects that help others

Focus your idea

Selecting topics of international interest

Controversial topics

Genocide and warfare topics

Modern realism

Six grant-writing myths:

Myth 1: If you craft an excellent proposal, it will be funded

Myth 2: There isn't any money available; The grant-writing well has dried up

Myth 3: Available money goes to big, prestigious institutions, not to individuals or small nonprofits

Myth 4: Successful grant seeking requires connections

Myth 5: Contact information of funders is usually secret

Myth 6: Earning a living as a grant writer is not financially profitable

Chapter 13: Tips To Remember:

No-nos for grant writers:

Don't work for organizations that may be misusing public funds

Don't handwrite proposals

Don't overstate the need or problem

Don't assume the funder is an expert on your subject

Don't be romantic in the cover letter

Don't pest the funder

Don't put down other applicants

Don't linger on one application

Don't be in denial

Don't use a cookie-cutter approach

Don't work on commission

Don't promise a winning proposal

Don't apply if you don't qualify

Don't submit a rejected grant application without major changes

Technical tips for grant writers:

Your first hello is important

Adhere to deadlines

Break up the text with graphs, charts, and diagrams

Obtain a rating form

Pay attention to technical standards and details

Define expected results

Edit, edit, edit

Hire a proofreader

Appendix A: Grant-Writing Resources:

Associations

Books

Government agencies

Useful websites

Appendix B: Brief history of philanthropy

Glossary

Index.