Nonprofits: Should You Hire a Professional Writer for Your Fundraising?
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You may wonder if he or she can be paid from funds received. The answer is, in a word, no. This practice is unethical and, in many places, illegal. Grant writers should be paid for their time and effort by the hour or by the project, whether or not the funding is received. The grant writer’s fees usually must be paid from your organization’s other resources, such as donations, reserves, etc.

How much will hiring a grant writer cost? Fees for an individual grant writing assignment typically range from about $2,500 to $7,500, based on the complexity of the proposal and the amount of time needed to complete it (usually several weeks), not on the amount being requested. “Rush jobs” will generally demand a higher fee, as in any industry.

Consider it money well spent. It may well make the difference between funds received and funds not received.

Other considerations: besides being a good investment, hiring a writer can help you avoid legal trouble. (And that, ultimately, is a very good investment.) For example, charities sometimes “borrow” copyrighted material from print sources and websites without permission; even changing some of the content can constitute copyright infringement. A professional writer will be unlikely to have a problem with this because he or she will, first, be more familiar with copyright law, and second, be disinclined to do so because writing is what a writer does!

Maybe you could do the writing yourself. But why would you want to? If you’re not a writer, you should be spending your time on your primary job function, and leave the writing to a writer.

About The Author Lisa J. Lehr is a freelance writer with a specialty in business and marketing communications. She holds a biology degree and has worked in a variety of fields, including the pharmaceutical industry and teaching. She is also a graduate of American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI), America’s leading course on copywriting. Contact Lisa J. Lehr Copywriting www.ljlcopywriting.com, Lisa@ljlcopywriting.com for help with your business writing needs. This article © Lisa J. Lehr 2005.

Nonprofits: Should You Hire a Professional Writer for Your Fundraising?
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Additional Resources

category - Grants for Nonprofits

Cancer Research Network: a Research Resource within Health Care Delivery System
In cooperation with the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Health has recently announced a funding opportunity to support the Cancer Research Network(CRN) in its quest in reshaping the its organization to become a more broader resource for cancer researchers.

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Research Opportunities In Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2011
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has established the Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2011 Program in order to support their agency's Science Mission Directorate (SMD).

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Zambia Economic Resilience Program for Improved Food Security
The Zambia Economic Resilience Program for Improved Food Security is designed to implement innovative techniques and approaches that would hopefully enable the community's most vulnerable and poor rural families to improve food security by strengthening their economic resilience.

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Department of Agriculture: Value Added Producer Grants
The Value-Added Producer Grants program is geared towards helping the Independent Producers of Agricultural Commodities, Agriculture Producer Groups, Farmer and Rancher Cooperatives, and Majority-Controlled Producer-Based Business Ventures in developing techniques that would create marketing opportunities and establish business plans involving viable marketing opportunities that involve the production of bio-based products from agricultural commodities.

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