Owners of grant writing businesses are adept at finding foundations, government entities and other funding sources and applying for funding on behalf of their non-profit clients. You will, in short, serve as a matchmaker, putting together funding sources and needs. You’ll continually seek grant opportunities and write succinctly, persuasively and in an organized manner in filling out requests for proposals (RFP) to win funding.
You may also be interested in additional side hustle ideas.
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Start a grant writing business by following these 10 steps:
- Plan your Grant Writing Business
- Form your Grant Writing Business into a Legal Entity
- Register your Grant Writing Business for Taxes
- Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
- Set up Accounting for your Grant Writing Business
- Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Grant Writing Business
- Get Grant Writing Business Insurance
- Define your Grant Writing Business Brand
- Create your Grant Writing Business Website
- Set up your Business Phone System
We have put together this simple guide to starting your grant writing business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.
Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.
STEP 1: Plan your business
A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:
- What will you name your business?
- What are the startup and ongoing costs?
- Who is your target market?
- How much can you charge customers?
Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.
What will you name your business?
Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Grant Writing Business Name Generator
If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.
When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:
- Your state’s business records
- Federal and state trademark records
- Social media platforms
- Web domain availability
It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.
What are the costs involved in opening a grant writing business?
Your startup costs should be minimal since you can work from your home and without employees at first. Let’s look at some possible startup costs.
- Home office equipment—Your phone, computer and printer can be obtained for $1,000 if you don’t already own them.
- Rent—Your first office is likely to be your home or apartment. If that’s too distractive, seek office space for one person in a modest space. Meetings can be held at client locations, so you don’t have to impress with your office. Depending on where you’re located, rent could be as little as a few hundred dollars a month and shouldn’t exceed $1,000.
- Employee costs—You’ll likely be your sole employee, at least at first. What’s the least you can get by on? You might feel more financially secure if you have a working spouse, have saved a year’s salary beforehand or go into your business with at least one client signed up.
- Professional services—See a lawyer and an accountant before startup to draw up contracts and advise on expenses and taxation issues. This might be a $500 investment or more depending on the complexity of your business.
- Promotional and marketing materials—This includes everything from your website and blog to social media presence, business cards, logo development and collateral sales materials. Much of this can be done at low cost. For instance, your website and blog can be developed cost-free if you have basic digital skills, and you could find a competent graphic designer at your local community college. The investment of $500 to $1,000 should be enough in this area to launch your business.
- Accreditation, memberships and licensing—Networking within your industry can cost as much as $1,000. While not mandatory, this can be a valuable investment in credibility and a source of critical relationships. Ask your lawyer or accountant if you’ll face any licensing or permit fees in your locality.
What are the ongoing expenses for a grant writing business?
Your ongoing expenses can be quite modest until you’re primed for growth. At that time, you’ll need an office (or one that’s larger than your current site) and you’ll undertake employee expenses.
At first, your most pressing need will be to meet your own income and healthcare demands. Other ongoing expenses will include event attendance, lunches, travel, entertainment and other costs associated with meeting clients and funders.
One source estimated that operational expenses for grant writers might take up 25-50 percent of revenue.
Who is the target market?
You’ll want to meet decision makers at non-profit, community and civic organizations, and occasionally even for-profit entities and others seeking to raise funds through grants. While some grant writers seek clients of all kinds, others focus on a preferred type. That might be organizations working to treat specific medical conditions or to advance a political or civic objective, or perhaps non-profits based within your geographic region.
How does a grant writing business make money?
You’ll generate revenue by charging clients a per-hour or flat rate for your various services. As you win grants and your reputation grows, more businesses will come in and you can increase your hourly or project rates.
How much can you charge customers?
Grant writers with little experience and few clients might charge as little as $25 an hour, while a rate of between $50 and $100 hourly is earned by those with more experience. Some grant writing businesses charge a flat fee for individual services. For instance, this business charges $3,500 for a grant proposal that can serve as a foundational document for responding to RFPs. The company charges additional fees for RFPs and basic funding-source research.
How much profit can a grant writing business make?
The compensation data website Payscale estimated that in-house grant writers earn an average annual income of about $45,000. Use this as only a starting point, because those who work on their own have more control over their income. It will only be limited by your success in generating clients, nurturing funding source relationships, winning grants and marketing your successes.
How can you make your business more profitable?
Some non-profit organizations employ in-house writers but still need help with other aspects of grant seeking. Consider breaking down your various services and offering non-profits who might not be interested in your full menu of services a cafeteria option. This might include such related services as funding research, training and writing consultancy.
Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!
STEP 2: Form a legal entity
One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your grant writing business is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.
This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.
In practice, this means that if your grant writing business were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.
Ready to Turn Your Business Idea Into a Reality?
Tailor Brands is our top recommendation because it guides you through every step of the formation process with hands-on support — from paperwork and compliance to devising a detailed plan to help you achieve your business goals.
Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).
STEP 3: Register for taxes
You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.
In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!
You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?
There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.
STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card
Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.
When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.
Open a business bank account
Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:
- Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
- Makes accounting and tax filing easier.
Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.
Get a business credit card
Getting a business credit card helps you:
- Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business’ expenses all in one place.
- Build your company’s credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.
Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.
STEP 5: Set up business accounting
Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.
Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.
STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses
Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.
State & Local Business Licensing Requirements
In most states, grant writing businesses must obtain business permits. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.
Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.
Services Contract
Grant writing businesses should have a service contract between themselves and their clients to make the exchange of grant writing services for payment transparent. Here is an example service agreement.
Recommended: Rocket Lawyer makes it easy to create a professional service agreement for your grant writing business when you sign up for their premium membership. For $39.95 per month, members receive access to hundreds of legal agreements and on call attorneys to get complimentary legal advice.
STEP 7: Get business insurance
Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.
There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.
Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.
Find out what types of insurance your Grant Writing Business needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Grant Writing Business.
STEP 8: Define your brand
Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.
If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.
How to promote & market a grant writing business
Use social media and self-promotional marketing materials to expound on your abilities and to highlight your accomplishments. You’ll also want to spend equal time engaging prospective clients and the funding sources that will serve their needs. Get involved volunteering within your target industry, attend fundraisers, sit on boards and otherwise interact with your audience and get to know decision makers.
How to keep customers coming back
It’s your grantmaking “wins” that will attract new clients and maintain the interest of your existing roster. However, this is only partially within your control. Every grant proposal you write must be comprehensive, logical and persuasive—and you still might not land the grant. That’s because of the intense competition for funding.
This fact underscores the need for self-promotion when strategically beneficial. Use social media to highlight your victories. And be sure to ask your clients to recommend you to others potential clients. It’s a small, insular community, putting you at an advantage if you can offer prospective new clients the commendation of people they know and respect.
STEP 9: Create your business website
After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.
While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.
Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:
- All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
- Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
- Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.
Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.
Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.
STEP 10: Set up your business phone system
Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.
There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.
Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com
Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.
Is this Business Right For You?
Your talents will involve business writing and a clear understanding of the non-profit and funding worlds. In your writing, you must be able to take direction well because each RFP to which you respond requires clear and direct answers and attention to such details as word or page counts, writing style and, on occasion, even font and type size regulations.
It also helps if you currently volunteer, or have done so in the past, with non-profit organizations, or can network comfortably within that environment.
Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?
Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!
What happens during a typical day at a grant writing business?
You’ll maintain regular phone, digital and face-to-face contact with nonprofits and grant makers at foundations and other funding sources. You’ll spend significant time researching new funding opportunities and nurturing relationships in the funding community.
You should also have a regular social media presence to salute your nonprofits and foundations with which you’ve established contact and to promote your own achievements in securing funding.
During busy times, much of your day will be spent researching grant makers and filling out RFPs. You should also meet other grant writers at networking events with whom you could strike up successful partnerships or seek contract help during busy times.
What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful grant writing business?
Your success will be built upon the proficiency of your writing within this area of expertise and your ability to navigate the nonprofit world. You must be socially adept and able to work the politics of your two communities—nonprofits and funders.
What is the growth potential for a grant writing business?
The more clients you add to your roster, the more income you might generate. Success breeds success in this industry. While every grant request is a longshot since so many nonprofits are competing for the same funding, grant writers who are recognized as being particularly successful are best positioned to win new business. That’s why it’s incumbent upon you to publicize your wins through social media and self-marketing opportunities.
As your business grows, you can consider hiring additional writers or others who are networked into the non-profit or funding communities to help you generate additional clients or grantmaking sources.
Not sure if a grant writing business is right for you? Try our free Business Idea Generator and find your perfect idea.
Take the Next Step
Find a business mentor
One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.
Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.
Learn from other business owners
Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.
Resources to Help Women in Business
There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:
- Funding
- Events
- Guides
- Support
If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.
What are some insider tips for jump starting a grant writing business?
Don’t go into this field unless your business writing skills are impeccable. That said, you should also have entrée in the nonprofit world. You might gain this knowledge with a background in a non-profit organization, working as an in-house writer or in some other area of expertise as either a staffer or volunteer.
Also consider learning more about the specifics of grant writing through various web articles and online training programs or through industry groups and trade organizations. These include National Grants Management Association (NMGA), Grant Professionals Association (GPA), and Grant Professionals Certificate Institute (GPCI).
How and when to build a team
One reason you need to network regularly is to meet other talented writers and insiders in the world of nonprofits and funding sources. You can expand gradually, as opportunity presents itself. If, at first, you have an excess of work, consider contracting with freelance grant writers to undertake parts of projects.
Only when you see that your business growth is ongoing, rather than a cyclical bump, should you consider part-time or full-time hires. You can also explore expansion through partnerships with other successful grant writers as a way to gain access to new client types or funding sources.
Useful Links
Industry Opportunities
- National Grants Management Association
- American Grant Writers Association
- Grant Professionals Association
- Grant Professional Certification Institute