The Surprising Truth About Grant Writing: Is It the Secret Skill You’ve Been Overlooking?

Word Wise: Practical Writing Tips for Freelancers and Solopreneurs

“We found a grant opportunity and would like to apply. Could you write the grant proposal for us?”

That question from a nonprofit client gave me the chance to learn grant writing.

Writing grants, I knew, was a specialized skill — one I was a bit nervous to tackle. A worthy cause would be placing its funding future in my hands.

Yet I soon discovered the fun in combining clear facts with storytelling in a structured format.

And that was nothing compared to my elation when my client was awarded the grant. My words had helped fund a project that would help hundreds.

What is grant writing?

Grant writing is a specialized writing niche.

Nonprofits, schools, community organizations, and research institutions depend on grants to support their programs and services. Grant writers help these groups apply for these funds from foundations, corporations, and government programs.

Grant writing is a form of persuasive writing — you’re writing to convince a funder to award resources for your project. But unlike advertising or sales copy, grant writing focuses heavily on research, facts, data, and persuasive storytelling supported by evidence.

How to know if grant writing is right for you

One of the easiest ways to determine whether grant writing fits your personality is to ask yourself a few questions.

Do you enjoy research?

When you write a grant, you spend significant time gathering information about funders, nonprofit programs, community needs, budgets, and outcomes. If you love digging into details and uncovering information, that’s a positive sign.

Do you enjoy writing with a purpose?

Maybe you, like so many freelancers, get frustrated with blog posts that disappear into the internet … crickets when you…