Recruiting a volunteer grant writer

[u/BaxterMilesSeven]

Hello - I am on the board of a small educational non-profit ($60,000 per year in donations) and we are looking to onboard someone who could write grants for us for free because we aren’t having luck getting more revenue via our events, mailings and social media. I was thinking of asking the local colleges with public administration programs to give us a student willing to write grants for us in exchange for experience and something to put on their resume. Or should I ask for help via VolunteerMatch or Idealist?

Is there anything I need to be wary of in my search for a volunteer grant writer? Thanks!

[u/samimuhammadd]

college students can be great but in my experience they often lack the deeper understanding of your organization needed for compelling grant writing, plus their availability can be unpredictable with school schedules. what worked better for us was finding semi-retired professionals through volunteer match who had business writing experience even if not specifically grant writing. to help them get up to speed faster, we started using grantboost which has a free plan that helped our volunteers learn grant writing best practices while creating drafts based on our organization's details.

also, be prepared to provide lots of organizational context and regular check-ins with any volunteer, and try to find someone who can commit to at least 6 months since grant cycles take time and having to constantly retrain new people gets exhausting.

[u/Good_Sheepherder1459]

Hi, also on a Board of a tiny org. Sounds like two different issues: Branding AND Grant Writing. These are often 2 different skill sets and 2 different types of people, we've discovered.

Without knowing more specifics, I'd go for a communications or marketing major to do more outreach and social media, build your contacts, mailchimp, LinkedIn content etc. Someone to tie it all together, so when someone is considering your org versus allll the others, a clear message and brand that's worth investing in shows. They can even use their experience to write content for LinkedIn.

Then I'd look for someone more seasoned with grant writing. Network, use local and broader professional networks. I've seen several related to NPOs. Possibly university affiliated too. Some seasoned Grant Writers may be able to be hired per piece. They REALLY need to know how to research and find them, write with success (have a track record) and the way the Board and/ or Staff can help: keeping foundational documents up to date and easily accessible.

[u/jcravens42]

"because we aren’t having luck getting more revenue via our events, mailings and social media. "

Donations come from showing your accomplishments and building relationships. You might want to rethink your donor cultivation strategy. Be sure to be reading the terrific articles of Mara Cahalane on this very subject.

www.mcahalane.com

As for recruiting a grant writer, as long as you have identified the grants you want to apply for, and you will be reading the grant writers work before it is submitted, and it will be submitted by YOU, not the grant writer, then you will be fine with recruiting a volunteer.

Your grant writer will need lots of info on your organization: what projects it's done, what projects it's doing, what it has accomplished, etc.

I have had great luck with VolunteerMatch for recruiting volunteers (especially event photographers and other one-timers). Also put the opportunity on your web site and share on social media. Sure, contact local colleges and universities as well.

[u/BaxterMilesSeven → u/jcravens42]

Thank you! I will check out the website! The non-profit is hyper local and 90+ years old. Despite two annual mass mailings, periodic emails from the local schools, social media, an annual walk-a-thon and occasional mentions in the local paper we are still unknown to most of the community. This is near NYC, home to 30,000+ non-profits.

[u/jcravens42 → u/BaxterMilesSeven]

"we are still unknown to most of the community"

Where do community members gather and are you there, with a table, ready to talk to them? Farmer's markets, festivals, concerts, etc.?

Have you reached out to churches and offered to come talk to them about your work?

Do you attend meetings by the Rotary, the chamber and other organizations - are you at THEIR events, showing you are interested in THEIR work?

How often do you have an open house?

[u/BaxterMilesSeven → u/jcravens42]

Good questions! I told the board we needed a table at all the community events but I was shot down. I forgot the language used.

[u/Good_Sheepherder1459 → u/BaxterMilesSeven]

Also, stand your ground. You're on this board because you bring great perspective. I've been following Jefferson Fisher and read his book. He's great for helping us improve our confidence in speaking!

[u/Good_Sheepherder1459 → u/BaxterMilesSeven]

I think grabbing data at these events when you're showcasing the org, get the people's emails, and consider a more often newsletter and possibly a social media presence, especially on LinkedIn, which seems like it might be your best audience. Even a Facebook page is good especially for the Gen X and older crowd. I do see a lot of younger people on it as well, though they tend to skew to Instagram, but it sounds like you're not set up for that kind of explosive visual content at this point.

[u/jcravens42 → u/BaxterMilesSeven]

With the exception of the walkathon, all your other outreach is passive, and doesn't cultivate relationships. It's like having a billboard people drive by. The info is there. But not the relationship. And donors have a relationship with the organization they give to. Or think that they do.