Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Outsource:

• Can I work with this person? (Will our personalities and work styles mesh?)
  
  
• Does this person have the experience necessary to get the job done? (How do I know this?)
  
  
• Do I like their writing style? (Have I looked at samples and know they do top quality work?)
  

Questions to Ask the Consultant:

• Who can I contact for a referral?
  
  
• Will you be available? Do you have time to take this on?
  
  
• How will you identify appropriate prospects?
  
  
• What tasks in the grant seeking process will you do and what tasks will I need to do?
  
  
• How far in advance will I see the first draft?
  
  
• May I look at some writing samples?
  
  

Outsourcing Grant Writing

For an organization that relies on grants for operating and program support, the more successful proposals written and submitted the more grant income generated. Effective grant seeking, however, takes time, expertise and a constant ear to the ground in the funding community—things that many nonprofit organizations struggle to make a priority.

Some organizations are fortunate to have an experienced and professional grant writer on staff. Others divide the task among their already time-strapped team members, who often have varying degrees of experience in successful grant seeking.

Regardless, for an organization to continue to grow and expand its charitable reach there comes a time when “doing things the way they’ve always been done” no longer makes sense. It is then time to consider whether keeping the grant writing function solely in house is actually limiting your organization’s funding potential.

Benefits of Outsourcing:
In his book Strategic Outsourcing: A Structured Approach, Maurice F. Greaver II wrote that, among other things, outsourcing enables organizations to obtain expertise, increase their flexibility, enhance their effectiveness, and acquire innovative ideas.¹

While he was writing about outsourcing in general, the logic definitely applies to outsourcing to an external grant writer. Consider the following:

Enhance effectiveness
Effective grant seeking is not a “one and done” operation. There is always something that should be happening—from cultivating relationships with funders to meeting on pending grant proposals, reporting on previous grants and much more. An external grant writer can provide a dedicated focus on grants and help to continually drive the grant seeking effort forward.

Increase flexibility
Flexibility and effectiveness go hand in hand. While all of the grant seeking tasks can never be completely outsourced, leaving the research and writing to a professional grant writer can free up an enormous amount of time, giving organization staff and board the flexibility they need to focus on the big picture goals of the organization.

The more flexible a nonprofit board and staff can be, the more effective they will be at enhancing programs, handling day to day operations and doing the very important work of forging relationships with partners and funding organizations.

Obtain expertise
While in-house grant writers may be well versed in an organization’s mission and programs, they may not have the expertise in and knowledge of successful grant seeking strategies at the Federal, State and local levels, the latest trends in funders’ priorities and the specific facets of program design that make programs attractive to funders. Likewise, many nonprofit leaders struggle to find the time to do the research required to make sure they are not missing any good prospects and, if they do find the time, are not sure where to go to look for them.

Acquire innovative ideas
When making the decision to outsource, one must set aside the common, but unrealistic, fear that no one outside the organization could possibly have a good enough grasp on the issues at hand to write about them successfully.

Contrary to what some might think, the fact that an outside grant writer is not totally immersed in an organization can be a good thing. They can bring an outside perspective and the valuable ability to present issues from the viewpoint of the layperson, which many grantors prefer.

A good grant writing consultant is unlikely to be restricted by organizational paradigms and can often find abstract, creative solutions that positively impact your proposals. And if an organization establishes a long term relationship with an outsourced grant writer it can be the best of both worlds: a person who is versed in an organization’s unique nuances, but who remains connected to the outside world and able to view its programs in the context of their other work in the community.

Leverage a broader perspective
Because they are totally immersed in the business of grants, good grant consultants can bring more to the table than just their writing expertise.

• They know where to look for funding beyond the obvious sources.
  
  
• They may be privy to specific information about the funder or the grant opportunity that are not common knowledge.
  
  
• They can offer insight on where to submit and where to avoid, depending on the specific program needs.
  
  
• They can offer suggestions for improvements in areas where an organization fails to meet funders’ requirements, the implementation of which can lead not only to funding, but to a more effective program.
  

Once the decision has been made to hire an external grant writer, it is important to look for someone who is trustworthy and with whom the non-profit organization’s staff is comfortable working (someone whose goals and values are aligned with those of the organization). Make sure to discuss roles, responsibilities and expectations up front.

In doing so, you will set the stage for a successful, long-lasting partnership with the potential to have a very positive impact on the organization’s ability to locate new funding resources, forge new relationships, generate income for programs and expand its charitable reach.

When you think about it, an outsourced partner who can do that is worth its weight in gold.


¹Greaver II, Maurice F. Strategic Outsourcing: A Structured Approach. New York: AMACOM, 1999.