Grant Writer
If you have strong writing skills and a passion for helping others, grant writer could be a fulfilling career for you! Nonprofit organizations dealing with issues from the environment to children’s welfare depend on grants to fund their programs. Grant writers keep these organizations operating and able to help others by securing funding from foundations, corporations, and private donors.
What they do:
Grant writers conduct and synthesize research on funding sources and determine the best sources of financial assistance for the organization. Then they write a grant proposal including such information as the organization’s background, program goals, accomplishments, and evaluation methods. Once a grant is secured, grant writers write annual reports detailing how the money was spent and what kind of progress was made toward program objectives. They also work closely with the executive director, board of directors and fund-raising staff of the organization.
Where they work:
Most grant writers work for nonprofit organizations. Some nonprofits offer part-time positions, which allows grant writers to work on a freelance basis or have their own grant writing business.
For more information:
Career Opportunities in the Nonprofit Sector by Jennifer Bobrow Burns. 2006. Available in the CEC library.