What are careers in grant writing?

Working for nonprofit organizations or government agencies are career area employing many grant writers. Any organization that depends on public funding represents a potential career opportunity for a grant writer. Social service organizations often require the work of a grant writer. Grants for youth programs and family and minority-related services are available on the federal and state levels. Grant writers are often employed to research grants relevant to their organization's interests and prepare proposals. Environmental organizations also rely heavily on grant funding. There are hundreds of state-level organizations that target specific environmental concerns for which grants are available. From Californians Against Waste to the Sierra Club, grant writers are employed by these organizations to compete for funds dedicated to funding environmental concerns. Schools and universities also employ grant writers. Funding for education-based grants is important to both public and private learning institutions. This year the federal department of education is set to award over 5,100 grants totaling $2.6 billion. Grant writers working for both K-12 and colleges/universities write proposals in hopes of finding financial support for their programs.

What is a grant writer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Experts

Allison Harl Ph.D.,

Shane Tilton Ph.D.

A grant writer writes proposals to secure funding from government agencies, foundations, and corporations for non-profit organizations. The grant writer researches funding opportunities, writes proposals, and submits them for review. They must have strong communication skills, attention to detail, and knowledge of the organization. Grant writers work with program managers to align the grant proposal with the organization's goals. Their ultimate goal is to secure funding to support programs that benefit society.

What general advice would you give to a Grant Writer?

Allison Harl Ph.D.

Associate Professor of English English Program Coordinator, Ferrum College

Develop as many multimedia skills as possible. Writing in the 21st century is about visual rhetoric as well as just words on a page.

ScoreGrant WriterUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,719

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

4.8

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.35%

Asian 8.79%

Black or African American 6.73%

Hispanic or Latino 7.91%

Unknown 4.99%

White 71.23%

Gender

female 70.59%

male 29.41%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress Level

4.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.2

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.6

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Grant Writer?

Pros

Potential for flexible work arrangements, such as remote or freelance work
Chance to learn about diverse fields and topics
Potential for career advancement within the nonprofit sector
Possibility of working with like-minded individuals who are passionate about social change
Potential for higher than average salary in the nonprofit sector

Cons

High pressure deadlines and stress associated with securing funding
Need to constantly seek out new funding opportunities and write compelling proposals
Dependence on external factors such as economic conditions or shifting priorities of funders
Potential for rejection of proposals, leading to disappointment and frustration
Potential for ethical dilemmas, such as the pressure to exaggerate or misrepresent information in order to secure funding

Key steps to become a grant writer

Explore grant writer education requirements

Most common grant writer degrees

Bachelor's

64.5 %

Master's

22.6 %

Associate

5.9 %

Start to develop specific grant writer skills

Skills	Percentages
Grants Management	13.99%
Financial Reports	7.22%
Proposal Development	6.34%
PI	6.03%
Customer Service	5.48%

Complete relevant grant writer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New grant writers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a grant writer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real grant writer resumes.

Gain additional grant writer certifications

Grant writer certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific grant writer certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for grant writers include Certified Program Evaluator (CPE) and Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP).

More About Certifications

Research grant writer duties and responsibilities

Manage accounting of fix assets, perform monthly bank and account reconciliations, and manage the annual and grant-cycle budget processes.
Organize and manage PowerPoint presentations used for business development and site visits.
Manage SharePoint file organization system and wiki cooperation sites to facilitate cooperation among internal and external proposal response participants.
Monitor recipients for compliance with the FCMP, CFR and OMB guidelines.

Prepare your grant writer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your grant writer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a grant writer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Grant Writer Resume templates

Build a professional Grant Writer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Grant Writer resume.

Apply for grant writer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a grant writer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do grant writers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Grant Writer reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

Research on Future computers , countries , foods , culture , doctors and singers.

Cons

Research on medicines , school work , colleges and etc

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Cons

It gets boring when you are doing it long enough.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019

Pros

oversee campaigns and events intended to bring in donations for their organization

Cons

waiting

What is a grant writer and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Grant Writer?

What are the pros and cons of being a Grant Writer?

Grant Writer career paths

Key steps to become a grant writer

Explore grant writer education requirements

Most common grant writer degrees

Start to develop specific grant writer skills

Complete relevant grant writer training and internships

Gain additional grant writer certifications

Research grant writer duties and responsibilities

Prepare your grant writer resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Grant Writer Resume templates

Apply for grant writer jobs

How Did You Land Your First Grant Writer Job

Average grant writer salary

How do grant writers rate their job?

Grant Writer reviews

Grant Writer FAQs

What are careers in grant writing?

Search for grant writer jobs

Grant Writer jobs by state