How to Create a Grant Writing Portfolio

Getting a grant writing project as a freelance writer can be difficult if you don’t have a portfolio that includes a high success rate. It doesn’t actually matter how many grants you’ve written, it does matter how many were successful. Did you get the grant for the client? Getting the grant is the entire purpose of the writing content.

Potential clients will request to view at least one written grant proposal. Hopefully your portfolio will include one that is similar to the grant proposal that you will be writing for the client. However, if you have a grant proposal that was funded, this is always better than a similar grant for the client’s proposal that didn’t get funded.

Receiving funding for your grant proposal can depend on a variety of different factors. For example, if a freelance grant writer is writing a proposal for funding of an established nonprofit that has previously been funded by the same source for several years in a row may increase your chances of writing a successful grant.  However, you may be attempting to fund a nonprofit that is new and never had any previous funding which will decrease your chances of a successful grant.  Attempting to fund an accepted, well liked cause versus an out of favor cause can also make the difference between an easy to write grant proposal and one that may be difficult to write and obtain funding for.

A cover letter may be a great idea for a freelance writer that is attempting to start grant writing. Indicate how many grant proposals you have you have had the opportunity to write and definitely indicate how many you have been successful in attaining funding for. You don’t need to indicate you performed any proposals as a volunteer.

If you have a recommendation as a freelance grant writer, this will go a long way in your writing credibility and capability with any new clients and boosting your portfolio. Many potential clients like to speak with former clients you have worked with. If you have a glowing recommendation along with a well written proposal, it may not matter whether or not the grant was successful in receiving the funding. Your new client may be satisfied enough with the sample proposal and your recommendation to hire you.

If you are seriously considering becoming a freelance grant writer, build a great portfolio to get started on making an impressive and steady stream of income.