Opportunity Alert: Grantwriting is Sexy Again

Posted on | March 18, 2009 | No Comments

AIG and the other hot messes surrounding the Stimulus Plan have given us plenty to be angry about. But, regardless of what you think about how the Stimulus has been handled, you can’t deny the need for government intervention in the form of cash injections into the economy. Clearly, there must be a little more forethought as to the outcomes of said injections. But, they are a necessity, a necessity that is creating some job opportunities.

We’ve heard lots of sound bites about green-collar jobs and infrastructure jobs, but there are other opportunities afoot. And, you know me, I must ferret them out!

The Opportunity: Grantwriting

I know. I know. Grantwriting seems like a stodgy old career for bespeckled introverts at boring nonprofits housed in government-grade office space. And, it is. But, it’s also getting its sexy back thanks to the Stimulus Plan. You see, the Stimulus is creating pots of cash in the form of goverment grants. Twenty-five government agencies–from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Veterans Affairs–are now offering Recovery grants designed to stimulate different sectors of the economy.

Businesses, nonprofit organizations and institutions hoping to get their hands on some of the Recovery cash will need to either hire or contract with grantwriters. For their services, grantwriters can earn a healthy fee, a percentage of the grant they help secure or both. Grantwriting can be a lucrative career, with the average grantwriter earning just under $50,000 per year and more experienced grantwriters earning low six figures.

Grantwriters who land jobs raising money for medical centers, universities, large nonprofits and major museums (usually called Development Directors or Directors of Major Gifts) earn an average of $82,000. Many earn at least $100,000 per year.

To break into this career you’ll need excellent communication skills–written and verbal. You’ll need to be able to manage the grantwriting process, both the actual writing and the process of researching grants and gathering information from clients. Independent or freelance grantwriters will also need selling skills. Grantwriting is a bit of art and science. You can learn the science by taking grantwriting courses; the art will come via experience.