The short version: Many federal and foundation grants permit a line item for grant-writing consultants. When you see the green “Consultant-friendly” badge on a grant card, it means the funder’s budget rules typically allow that. You budget our fee into the ask, the funder pays it if you win.
How this works
- You find a grant with the green badge on grantgraph.org/find, or filter for “Consultant-friendly only.”
- We scope the application together — narrative, budget, attachments, logic model, evaluation plan, whatever the RFP calls for.
- Our fee goes in the grant budget under personnel, professional services, or consultant costs. Typical range is 3–8% of the total ask; larger grants skew lower on percentage.
- We write, you review, we submit. You keep full control and authorship. Funder rules require the applicant organization, not a consultant, to be the legal applicant — that’s always you.
- If you win, the fee is paid from grant funds. If you don’t, we charge nothing. This aligns our incentives with yours.
What you get
- A complete, compliant application package matched to the funder’s exact requirements.
- A budget and budget justification that survives funder review.
- Logic model, theory of change, and evaluation framework, drafted to the funder’s preferred format.
- All support letters, MOUs, and attachments coordinated on the timeline.
- A submission checklist and a post-decision debrief regardless of outcome.
Who this is for
Small-to-mid-sized 501(c)(3)s that are underpaid, under-resourced, and tired of losing grants to larger orgs with a dedicated development staff. If you have a real program, a real board, and a real need, we can compete on writing quality alone.
Not a fit: brand-new orgs without 501(c)(3) determination, individuals seeking grants (most require an org), or projects that don’t match any funder’s actual priorities — we won’t take a job we don’t think we can win.
Fees & terms
- Contingent on award. No charge if you don’t win.
- Budgeted into the grant where funder rules allow — a line item in the application budget.
- Fixed scope per application. No hourly billing, no surprise charges.
- Typical fee range: 3–8% of total ask, capped at a reasonable flat rate for very large grants.
- No long-term retainer required. One grant at a time is fine. Multi-grant relationships get a discount.
How to inquire
Send an email describing:
- The grant you’re targeting (a link from grantgraph.org is perfect).
- Your organization (EIN, mission, what you do).
- The deadline.
- Anything you’ve drafted already.
We reply within 1 business day. If your deadline is in under 72 hours, say so in the subject line.
Honest notes
- Not every grant permits consultant fees. We mark the ones that do with a green badge on search results. If a grant doesn’t allow it, you’d pay us out of pocket — we can still help, but the contingency structure changes.
- Grant writing isn’t a lottery ticket. We pick jobs we think we can win. Win rates in our range (50-90k typical federal grant, small nonprofit applicant) land around 25–40% under good conditions — better than average, not guaranteed.
- You still do the real work. Programs, outcomes, board support, fiscal controls — those are yours. We write the application; we don’t run your organization.