Grant Writing Consultants Education and Training

Make grant writing companies eager to hire you with writing and business training

If you wish to join the ranks of grant writing businesses as a consultant, you will need grant writing consultants education and training. Consultants are usually grant writing specialists with a proven ability to write well and land grants for businesses. While there are no certifications or degrees needed, training is important to build your skills and to assure businesses that you can help them secure grant funding.

As a consultant, grant writing will be the most important skill to hone. However, you also may want to develop your business skills and training, especially if you wish to establish your own business as a grant writer consultant. When deciding on your grant writing consultants education and training, consider:

1. Seek out workshops that build specific grant writing skills.
2. Read samples of winning grant proposals to learn about what works in grant writing.
3. Find training specifically for grant writer consultants to build your business skills.
   

 

Take workshops that grow your grant writing consulting skills

Workshops in grant writing usually hone your grant writing skills quickly and offer hands-on practice. This type of training is quick, affordable and allows you to start writing grants at once. Also, workshops allow you to focus on specific skills you need to develop for grant writing firms.
Try: The Grantsmanship Center has been offering training in grant writing and grant seeking since 1972. Their workshops offer a great deal of information in an intensive five-day format. High Impact Grants! offers two-day and three-day grant writing workshops around the country.

Develop skills as a grant consultant by reading samples of grants

Practical, hands-on learning is important for any grant consultant. Understanding what works and what does not work in a grant is important, and one of the best ways to learn the distinction between successful and unsuccessful grants is to read grant examples.
Try: Colorado Grants has successfully raised more than $100 million through grants, and their examples of successful grants are very informative. The University of Louisiana at Monroe Office of Sponsored Programs and Research offers a number of successful grant samples. The U.S. Department of Education makes a number of funded grant proposals available. These are useful when learning how to create government grant proposals.

Become a grant writer independent consultant with consultant-specific training

Many consultants become grant writing professionals with little more than some training in grant writing. However, many consultants want to start their own business or work as an independent consultant. If this is your long-term goal, classes created specifically for consultants not only discuss grant writing but also offer useful information about running a consulting business.
Try: Valencia Enterprises offers an online class on "Becoming a Grant Writing Consultant." In addition to writing skills, the course focuses on how students can launch their own home-based business as a grant consultant. ExpertRating offers an ISO 9001:2000 certified grant writing consultant course and certification.

 

• Many grant consultants train on the job and attract clients or employers based on their previous work. That is, these consultants write a few grants initially for non-profit companies at no charge and if these grants are successful ask for permission to use the company's testimonials or references to secure other consultant or grant writing work. This might be a strategy you might wish to consider at the onset of your career as well.

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