Prerequisites for Hiring a Professional Grant Writer:
When a business hires a Grant Writing Consultant to prepare a letter, proposal, or application for a grant award, there is a considerable amount of “EFFORT” that will be required on the part of the business. A person within your organization should be designated as the point of contact person to work with the Grant Consultant. Typical responsibilities of the business that should be accomplished in a timely manner may include the following:

 

 

 

  • Ensure participation with the Grant Consultant
  • Provide the 501 c 3 Determination Letter from by the IRS. (Not required, but this business designation is most competitive for government and foundation grants.)
  • Current Registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) will be required and must be maintained annually
  • Provide DUNS Number
  • Provide Business Plan, Vision and Mission Statement
  • Establish Business Brand: Phone, Email, Website, Social Media Platforms
  • Provide the Annual Organization Budget for the current year
  • Provide the Project Budget (summary budget plus line item details for the Budget Narrative)
  • Provide a Summary of the project to be funded (services to be provided, target population description, geographic service area, project staffing plan, etc.)
  • Provide information on current programs, projects, and services offered to the community
  • Provide Resumes and Bios of Key Personnel (Board Members & Management)
  • Provide construction site plans and bidding processes for contractors
  • Provide Information for any forms required by the funding agency
  • Reviewing documents prepared by the Grant Consultant
  • Ensure the AOR/CFO has all the necessary documentation to submit proposal or application to the Grantmaker

 

Does every business qualify for a grant?
Many businesses and government agencies may be eligible to apply for a grant. Consideration should be given not just to eligibility, but also whether or not the business or agency is competitive.

  • Nonprofit Organizations with Exempt and Charitable status from IRS are more competitive for Foundation grants, Corporate grants, and Government grants.
  • For-profit Businesses (corporation, partnership, sole proprietor, limited liability company) are more competitive for contracts but may qualify for grants as well.