Main Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Grant Writer
A Grant Writer is a professional who plays a pivotal role in securing funding for organizations and projects by crafting persuasive grant proposals. They are skilled in the art of articulating a project's purpose, goals, and outcomes in a way that resonates with potential funding sources, including government agencies, foundations, and philanthropic organizations. In this blog post, we describe the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Grant Writers.
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Main Responsibilities of a Grant Writer
The following list describes the typical responsibilities of a Grant Writer:
Accomplish
Accomplish fundraising budgetary goals.
Administer
Administer mid project & post grant reports to program partners.
Analyze
Analyze, evaluate and recommend innovative solutions to district priorities and goals.
Assist with
Assist in the development of efficiency's and procedures for grant management.
Assist with applications and ongoing reporting for government grant programs such as IRAP and SR&ED.
Assist with execution of an annual joint Individual / Institutional giving campaign and events.
Assist with management, data entry, tracking, and reconciliation of department metrics.
Assist with other fundraising projects as requested.
Assist with special events and complete other relevant tasks as assigned by Director.
Attend
Attend, develop, and deliver presentations at the monthly Board of Directors Meeting.
Attend staff meetings and staff retreats.
Build
Build and maintain grant proposal templates for use within the organization.
Build and maintain relationships with grantors and sponsors and ensuring clear communication.
Build and maintain strong networks with our corporate employee teams and funding community.
Build relationships with applicants to comprehend the scope of their projects.
Collaborate with
Collaborate with account managers to collect information required by funding applications.
Collaborate with program managers and collect information for grant applications and reporting.
Collect
Collect data to support grant proposals.
Collects and researches data.
Communicate
Communicate changes and progress, completes projects on time and budget.
Communicate progress to the team and stakeholders.
Communicate the rules and regulations for approving grants and the responsibilities associated.
Compile
Compile and manage excellent historical and prospective data to effectively prioritize work.
Complete
Complete all documents, forms, or reports required by the grant.
Conduct
Conduct assessments to determine project needs.
Conduct prospect research to identify, cultivate and solicit new grants.
Conduct workshops on grant proposal writing.
Consult
Consult legal program teams to identify initiatives that require funding.
Consult program staff to prepare reports and other updates for funders.
Contribute to
Contribute to the development of philanthropy strategic plan.
Contribute to the organization's strategic planning.
Coordinate
Coordinate and follow-ups on the progress of submitted proposals.
Coordinate and follow-up with donors and corporations.
Craft
Craft compelling descriptions of the project.
Craft responses to questions on funding applications while aligning client's business strategies.
Create
Create budgets that align with grant requirements.
Create letters of agreements for successful projects.
Cultivate
Cultivate foundation relationships through timely impact reports and regular touchpoints.
Define
Define clear and achievable project goals.
Define project evaluation metrics and methods.
Develop
Develop an annual development strategy.
Develop an annual grants strategy.
Develop and cultivates contacts among funders and potential funding sources.
Develop and implement the overall grant writing strategy.
Develop and maintain a calendar of outreach and networking opportunities.
Develop and maintain an electronic library of supporting documents (prospect and donor lists).
Develop and maintain a proposal calendar.
Develop and maintain integrity of policies for warehousing records.
Develop and manage a comprehensive database and calendar of grant and sponsorship opportunities.
Develop a strategic plan for the application of multiple grants each month.
Develop communication, marketing, and fundraising strategies and materials for various media.
Develop detailed project plans and budgets.
Develop new marketing and PR deliverables that support our storytelling and funding needs.
Develop plans for program sustainability.
Develop programs in line with the grant's purpose.
Develop tailored, strategic, persuasive and creative content for key funders.
Develop templates for application responses, such that requests may be managed expeditiously.
Draft
Draft and complete grant applications according to application requirements.
Draft proposals and other correspondence to solicit grant funds.
Empower
Empower the Board of Directors and staff with tools and training on fund and program development.
Engage
Engage with grant-making organizations.
Ensure
Ensure compliance and accuracy in campus tech policies.
Ensure compliance with all pre and post-grant policies and procedures.
Ensure data accuracy for audits and reporting.
Ensure grant compliance throughout the project.
Ensure grant is submitted on time and within application parameters.
Ensure proposals meet grant guidelines and regulations.
Ensure that proposals and grant reports are submitted in a timely fashion (on deadline).
Ensure that the grant applications are in accordance with the qualification criteria.
Establish
Establish relationships with funders.
Evaluate
Evaluate and provide progress updates to Philanthropy Team at regular review meetings.
Evaluate and report on the impact of grant-funded projects.
Facilitate
Facilitate Grants Committee meetings.
Follow-up
Follow-up on informational requests from funders.
Follow-up on request approvals and denials.
Fulfill
Fulfill our agency's commitment to third-party fundraising events on our behalf.
Identify
Identify and evaluate new funding sources to build viable prospect lists.
Identify and research funding opportunities appropriate to AUArts.
Identify and review official program documentation and application guides.
Identify potential grants and funding sources.
Identify potential grant sources which have proven track record and legal registration.
Integrate
Integrate feedback from reviewers into proposals.
Judge
Judge, evaluate and grant proper amount to a particular project.
Lead
Lead sprint meetings, including prioritization, estimation, demo, and retrospective meetings.
Liaise with
Liaise with other departments to track progress and use of funds.
Maintain
Maintain a flexible work schedule to meet the demands of executive management.
Maintain a grant application calendar.
Maintain and build relationships with grantors and sponsors.
Maintain and updates information for the Resource Development Clearinghouse.
Maintain and verify payment records, reviews invoices and record receipts.
Maintain appropriate records of programs being funded by foundation and government grants.
Maintain current records in database and in paper files, including grant tracking and reporting.
Maintain database records for all active and prospective governmental and foundation grantors.
Maintain electronic and hard copy filing system.
Maintain grant / corporate request files.
Maintain grant research data, prepare reports.
Maintain grant resource library.
Maintain ongoing communication with funding foundations, corporations and government entities.
Maintain records and report on grant activities.
Manage
Manage and grow a comprehensive database and calendar of grant and sponsorship opportunities.
Manage and grow client contact database.
Manage and monitor budgets to achieve annual targets.
Manage calendar for Managing Director.
Manage grants once they are awarded.
Manage internal grants calendar and schedule to ensure proposals are submitted on time.
Manage prospecting efforts for institutional funders with advisement from Director.
Manage the fulfillment of grant reporting obligations, support and develop fulfillment systems.
Manage the grants calendar ensuring proposal and report deadlines are met.
Manage the proposal submission process to ensure timely submission of all required materials.
Meet with
Meet with organizational leaders and develop new programs and income-generating strategies.
Model
Model and support the mission and values of OSF.
Monitor
Monitor and track changes to program status and update internal documents as needed.
Negotiate
Negotiate agreements and budgets with grant project development teams.
Oversee
Oversee the branding of infrastructure spaces and refresh branding of past project partners.
Participate in
Participate in staff meetings and training events.
Perform
Perform data entry and scan documents.
Prepare
Prepare and modify documents including correspondence, reports, drafts, memos and emails.
Prepare and present reports for management and Grants Committee review.
Prepare and write grant proposals.
Prepare concise and clear project status reports.
Prepare monthly reports on the funded project status and submit them to the management.
Prepare UDS Mapper maps as needed.
Promote
Promote a positive image of the BGCMLA in the community.
Prospect
Prospect Research and Cultivation.
Provide
Provide guidance and support management of campus and network tech infrastructure.
Provide support to leadership team and key team members for meetings with potential funders.
Publish
Publish the grants and contracts target list annually.
Reach out
Reach out to grant authorities to obtain information as required (via phone).
Recommend
Recommend new and innovative tools and processes to further FPWA's institutional giving capacity.
Record
Record and maintain donor information using Raiser's Edge and other systems as needed.
Report
Report to and meet weekly with the Director of Finance.
Represent
Represent the company at community outreach events.
Represent the firm in communications with potential clients.
Research
Research and identify new business opportunities via procurement / RFP sites.
Research and identify public and private grant sources that support HHT's mission and strategic plan.
Research, develop and monitor project timelines and budgets.
Research grant and sponsorship opportunities that meet the unique needs of the organization.
Research grant opportunities from government and non-government agencies.
Research potential grants for the organization to apply for.
Research various types of grants available and the criteria to qualify for each.
Review
Review and edit grant proposals for clarity and accuracy.
Review grant application and score against Field Of Dreams rubric.
Schedule
Schedule and coordinate meetings, appointments.
Schedule and organize calls and meetings with new leads.
Scrutinize
Scrutinize, accept and process grant application.
Secure
Secure appropriate approvals for grants, contracts, etc..
Stay informed about
Stay informed about grant writing best practices.
Submit
Submit grant applications by deadlines.
Summarize
Summarize and paraphrase data as required.
Support
Support agency fundraising projects as requested.
Support and develop fulfillment systems.
Support and responds to general troubleshooting inquiries for hardware / software problems.
Support creation of marketing materials.
Support data compilation and analysis for building, school, network, state, and federal reporting.
Support network IT solutions, establishing working relationship with vendors.
Support ongoing discussions with project teams to understand funding needs and opportunities.
Track
Track and monitor the status of grant applications.
Track progression of successful projects and provide regular updates to finance and management team.
Track record of successful grant writing and fundraising communication.
Track status of all outstanding applications and follow up with funding agencies as necessary.
Update
Update and maintain iMentor's Salesforce database of foundation funders and prospects.
Use
Use reason even when dealing with emotional topics, Project Management – Develops project plans.
Utilize
Utilize grant research databases and resources.
Work with
Work closely with our engineering team to understand the technical limitations and possibilities.
Work may also be performed outside of the office and with little to no supervision.
Work together to develop annual workplan, helping to establish benchmarks for the year.
Work with department managers to compile financials and data.
Work with funders to ensure that our submissions meet all stated requirements and guidelines.
Work with Leadership to develop and implement a strategy for educating and inspiring donors.
Work with Marketing committee to develop and implement social media and content calendar.
Work with periodic travel to Ashland, OR will be considered for the right candidate.
Work with program colleagues to develop strategy for advancing work to be pitched.
Work with program managers and subject matter experts.
Work with the Business and Product team to gather necessary letters of support, financials and data.
Write
Write and complete multiple grant applications each month.
Write and prepare proposals and presentations for donors and corporations.
Write high-quality grant proposal narratives, applications, and supporting documents.
Write letters of inquiry to potential funders.
Write proposals in response to Requests for Proposals (RFPs).
Write, submit, and track grant proposals.
Most In-demand Hard Skills
The following list describes the most required technical skills of a Grant Writer:
Grant Research Databases (e.g., Foundation Directory Online)
Proposal Writing and Editing
Budget Development and Management
Funder Relationship Management
Program Development and Planning
Grant Compliance and Reporting
Needs Assessment Techniques
Project Evaluation and Impact Assessment
Data Collection and Analysis
Strategic Planning for Grant Acquisition
Knowledge of Grant Regulations and Guidelines
Financial Acumen
Database and Record-Keeping Tools
Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Nonprofit and Fundraising Software
Research Skills
Program Sustainability Planning
Project Management
Evaluation Metrics and Methods
Stakeholder Engagement Skills
Most In-demand Soft Skills
The following list describes the most required soft skills of a Grant Writer:
Effective Communication
Critical Thinking
Research Skills
Problem-Solving
Creativity and Persuasion
Time Management
Team Collaboration
Attention to Detail
Adaptability and Resilience
Ethical and Professional Conduct
Conclusion
Grant Writers play a crucial role in securing resources for organizations to implement impactful projects. By mastering the hard and soft skills outlined in this post, they can significantly contribute to the success of their organizations and the realization of vital social initiatives.
