October 7, 2004 | Read Time: 3 minutes
Q. I teach composition and creative writing at the university level, and have also worked in professional sales. I’d like to get into professional grant-proposal writing, and have written some on a volunteer basis. How do I go about establishing myself in that field, including finding clients?
A. Probably the easiest way to jump-start a career as a proposal writer is to do what you’re already doing: using your volunteer work to build on-the-job experience and clients while you still have full-time employment to fall back on, says Lisa Olivas-Cook, who became an independent fund-raising consultant four years ago.
“Before you can market yourself as a grants professional, you need to develop credibility and a track record,” says Ms. Olivas-Cook, who previously had been development director at Florence Crittenton Services of Arizona, a youth-services group in Phoenix. “Once you’re ready to start looking for paying jobs, it won’t matter to clients if you were compensated for your past work or not. The most important thing will be that you have references and work experience.”
For newcomers, building a network is crucial, she adds. Start by getting involved with professional groups, such as the American Association of Grant Professionals or your local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
When Ms. Olivas-Cook started her business, she sent out letters to everyone she knew at her local chapter, advertising her consulting services. “Because people knew me,” she says, “they just started calling.”
You should also tap the wealth of grant-proposal-writing expertise that already exists at your university, suggests Grant La Rouche, director of development at Ashoka, an international nonprofit organization in Arlington, Va., that provides fellowships to creators of public-service projects. Take someone from the fund-raising department to lunch and talk shop, or speak with other faculty members who have written research-grant proposals.
Also, he says, make an effort to learn as much as possible about the grant-making process by attending training sessions, workshops, and conferences, such as those offered by the Foundation Center and by studying books such as Andy Robinson’s Grassroots Grants: An Activist’s Guide to Grantseeking, 2nd Edition (Jossey-Bass, $29, 2004).
To find new clients, Mr. La Rouche suggests you drop by charities whose mission you support and for whom you think you would have an interest in working. Get a feel for the work done there and attend some of their events.
“If you’re passionate about a mission, it helps not only in your writing but in the comfort level that nonprofit staff members will have with you,” he says. “When all is said and done, the biggest obstacle you face is the perception of being an outsider doing the work that could be done internally.”
For more resources and information on becoming a grant-proposal writer, check out this previous edition of Hotline, which also discussed this topic. You may also want to read this previous Chronicle article about independent fund-raising consultants.
