You’re an experienced grant writer, and now you’re looking for a new challenge. Perhaps you’ve decided that you want to try something new – like marketing or sales. Perhaps you’ve been thinking about going back to school and getting a degree in business or economics. Whatever it may be, now is the perfect time to find a rewarding side gig while still being able to provide for your lifestyle.
But how can you get paid to do something you love? How can you get paid to write grants?
In this blog post, we’ll discuss the various ways you can make money writing grants, including how to get paid to do grant writing.
Private Foundations
If you’ve ever donated money to a private foundation or given them your time as a board member, trustee, or volunteer, you may be able to get paid to write grants. Simply contact the foundation and ask if they have any funding opportunities open for new members. Some foundations may even have a specific grant for professionals like you who are looking to further your education or switch gears and try something new.
Write for Online Platforms
Many established organizations now rely on freelance writers to create content for their websites and online magazines. If you can write engaging copy – preferably in an established organization’s native tongue – you can easily get hired for web content marketing, promotions, and other similar roles. Many of these organizations may even be able to provide you with an education or a grant to further your career.
Freelancer
In our previous blog posts, we’ve discussed how to become a successful freelance writer – including how to find contracts and how to negotiate pay rates. What you need to do is simply search for freelancing jobs that interest you and send in your resumé. You may be able to get hired for a specific project or product and then be paid per piece. These kinds of projects can range from content creation for an online store or a blog to copywriting for an automotive or travel agency. You may want to consider applying for jobs that are related to your field of study so that you can continue gaining experience and be able to further your education. Once you’ve established yourself as a skilled writer, you can begin to look for opportunities that allow you to write grants.
Apply To Be An Authorized Agent/Representative
If you’ve been writing grant proposals for nonprofits and are looking for a way to get paid to do it, you can try becoming an authorized agent/representative of an established nonprofit. As an agent/representative, you’ll be required to make at least a minimum number of calls each week to potential nonprofit clients – some of which may be able to pay you to write grants. This could be a great way to combine your love for writing and philanthropy.
Consultant
If you’ve got a good sense of business and can provide valuable insight into how a grant proposal should be written, you may be able to get hired as a consultant and get paid to give advice to other nonprofits. Once you’ve established yourself as an expert, you can begin looking for opportunities to give advice or help with proposal writing. You may want to look for consulting gigs that are relevant to your field of study so that you can continue gaining experience and be able to further your career.
Fundraiser
If you’re well-versed in marketing, fundraising, and getting people to give money, you may be able to get hired as a fundraiser for a qualified charity. You’ll be responsible for soliciting individual donations and other potential fundraising events, such as dinners, walks, and auctions. Many fundraisers are also responsible for designing the event itself, so you may be able to get involved in the planning process as well. This could be a great way to get involved in something new while still being able to provide for your lifestyle. Just make sure that you’re aware of any legal restrictions when it comes to fundraising – for example, you may not be able to ask people for money on behalf of an unqualified charity.
Get A Grant From A Government Agency
Some individuals and organizations can get grants of various kinds – including research grants – from government agencies. Veterans and active military personnel, amongst others, may be eligible for particular government grants aimed at helping them get back on their feet. In many cases, you may be able to get a grant to study or publish what you’ve learned during your time in the service. In order to be eligible for a grant, you’ll need to fill out a form detailing your projects and how you intend to use the money. Keep in mind that these are mostly research grants, and as a result, you may have to complete some sort of research – whether through literature reviews or interviews. Once you’ve established yourself as an expert in your field, you can begin searching for these types of grants.
Get A Research And Development Grant
Some established research organizations now rely on grant writers to create proposals for research and development grants. These grants can range from a few thousand to a few million dollars and are usually given to established scientists and researchers who are working on new projects or theories. As a member of the scientific community, you may be able to get a grant to fund your research project – particularly if it’s in a field relevant to your expertise. In many cases, you may be required to complete a literature review and then write a proposal that is approved by the agency.
Try An Independent Study
If you’ve got a good grasp of how research works and can put it into practice, you may be able to get a teaching or research grant to do an independent study. You’ll be required to register with a university or college as a graduate student and then look for courses that are open to you. Once you’ve established yourself as a competent researcher, you can begin to look for opportunities to do independent study and get paid to teach. You may want to look for courses that are related to your field of study so that you can continue gaining experience and be able to further your career. Once you’ve established yourself as an expert, you can begin to look for opportunities to do independent study.
Writing a grant isn’t easy, and it certainly takes some experience to be able to do it successfully. However, if you’re looking for a new challenge and are passionate about writing, you may be able to find a way to make a career out of it. Simply search for freelance writing jobs that interest you and send in your resumé. You may be able to get hired for a specific project or product and then be paid per piece. These kinds of projects can range from content creation for an online store or a blog to copywriting for an automotive or travel agency. You may want to consider applying for jobs that are related to your field of study so that you can continue gaining experience and be able to further your career.