Monday, August 30, 2010

Hiring a Grant Writer : Tips To Help


Are you an individual, small business owner, or non-profit organization member who wants to seek government help? Depending on your need for the money, you may get help from government grants. Each year, billions of dollars are given to individuals, small business owners, local governments, school districts, colleges and universities, and non-profit organizations. Government grants have a purpose, which is typically to improve the economy, the environment, or health of Americans. If your purpose for needing money ties into one of these goals, you may be a qualified candidate for a government grant.
Although you may be a qualified candidate for a government grant, there is no guarantee you will get the money. In fact, the chances are small. For example, there are grants offered that involve youth violence. These grants are designed to monitor youth violence, develop a pattern, and work on a solution for solving it. Youth violence is a significant problem in many areas of the United States, not just large, well-known cities. State, county, and local governments, colleges, non-profit organizations, and even small business owners all across the country are influenced by youth violence and want to solve the problem. For that reason, this type of grant could easily receive thousands of proposals.
Speaking of grant proposals, they are what the grantor uses to determine the winner of the money. Some grantors use standard applications and others request full written grant proposals. This often requires you to explain in detail why you are deserving of the grant, how you intend to carry out the requirements, and so forth. If you are unfamiliar with writing or grant proposals, you may hire a professional grant writer. When doing so:
Do not just hire any writer. Grant proposals are important. After all, they determine your eligibility to receive free funding for a particular project, like a business expansion or youth violence prevention. As previously stated, it is common for one grant to receive thousands of applications and proposals. Yours needs to stand apart from the rest and in a good way. The best way to do this is to hire a well-known and experienced grant writer. A traditional content writer or a fiction writer may not do you justice.
Turn to the internet to find a grant writer. Freelance writers are easy to find online. Most will outline their qualifications for you. Look for those who have experience writing grant proposals. Using the internet is best, as it allows you to reach more writers. Do not limit yourself locally. If you or your organization really needs the funds in question, do not rely on someone who writes for a hobby. Use the internet to find a professional grant writer.
Consider hiring a grant writer who specializes in your field. Government grants come in a number of different formats. You may be surprised what types of grants are offered. There are those that reduce crime, those that improve the climate problem, those that focus on health issues, those that cover agriculture, and so forth. If you are a small farmer looking to get a government grant to transform your farm into an organic farm, consider hiring a grant writer with a background in agriculture. At the very least, you should work by their side to feed them the necessary information to tailor your proposal.
Do not assume professional writers are 100% perfect because they are not. Even experienced and paid grant writers make mistakes. These mistakes could be grammar errors, the wrong contact information, and so forth. Never submit a paid for grant proposal without first reviewing the document. In fact, you should review it and have another trusted individual do the same. With paid grant proposals, you should also get a document for your own computer records. Make any necessary changes and print the final copy.
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