At the end of last year, I mentioned that I am expanding from my 20 years of freelance grant writing and building an agency with specific core values and culture.
As part of business development, I have been exploring and examining what differentiates one grant agency from another. What factors are competitive advantages, and which are less important?
For example, one agency only hires grant writers who are GPCI-certified. Does that matter to nonprofit organizations? I am not sure.
Another agency specializes in high-dollar Federal grants. This is an important differentiator, but this isn’t my niche, so they aren’t my competitors.
This exercise got me thinking about individual grant writers and our specialties and differentiators.
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When I think about why an organization should hire me over another grant writer, I come up with the following:
- I have grown grant budgets from $0 to $1M.
- I am a research wizard and find grants that most others don’t find.
- I am a strong storyteller and use conversational language that resonates with grant reviewers.
- I am self-motivated and self-sufficient.
(If you are a nonprofit org looking for a grant writer, reach out to me, and we can explore whether we are a good fit.)
When you think of yourself as a professional grant writer, how do you excel? What are your strengths and differentiators? What unique factors do you bring to an organization?
This is an important exercise, especially if you want to advance your career or become a freelancer.
ntil next time,
Write Epic Grants
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