There’s a recurring tension in the nonprofit grant space.
Nonprofit leaders say:
“We can’t afford a grant professional.”
Grant professionals say:
“We deserve to be fairly compensated for the expertise and work involved.”
Both concerns can be valid.
Many nonprofits operate with limited resources, restricted funding, and significant community needs.
At the same time, professional grant support is complex and involves much more than filling out an application.
Related: A quick grant ready reality check for small nonprofit organizations
Depending on the engagement, a grant professional may provide:
-Funder and opportunity research
-Eligibility and alignment assessment
-Grant forecasting and pipeline management
-Program strategy
-Proposal development
-Budget collaboration
-Evaluation and MEL planning
-Internal project management
-Editing and compliance review
-Submission coordination
-Funder communication
-Award management
-Reporting support
-Stewardship strategy
-Training and systems development
-That is specialized work.
Fair compensation should reflect the professional’s experience, strategic judgment, track record, time, operating costs, and full scope of services, not simply the number of pages in a proposal.
At the same time, grant professionals should be transparent about fees and avoid presenting a service as though funding is guaranteed.
The goal should be a clear, ethical arrangement that works for both sides.
Nonprofits can start by defining the support they actually need. They may not need every service or to apply for every opportunity. A focused project, limited-scope package, or phased engagement may be more realistic than an open-ended contract.
Grant professionals can help by offering clear scopes of work, explaining what is included, distinguishing strategy from writing, and identifying what the nonprofit must provide internally.
But “we cannot afford your fee” should not automatically become “your work is worth less.”
And “this is important work” does not mean every nonprofit can afford every service.
The answer is not to undervalue professional expertise or expect grant professionals to absorb the organization’s financial constraints.
The answer is to have honest conversations about scope, capacity, budget, and value.
Sustainable nonprofit work requires sustainable professional relationships.
Until next time,
Write Epic Grants