If I Was Your Grant Writer: I’d Want a Seat at the Table

One of my favorite parts of consulting is getting to become a real thought partner to the

organizations we work with. I don’t want to just be the person you send a grant application to when it lands in your inbox, who cleans up the narrative, hits submit, and moves on to the next deadline. I want to be someone you bring into the conversation when you’re thinking about funding, growth, a new program, or whether that shiny $500,000 opportunity is actually worth chasing.

That’s where a good grant consultant can bring a whole lot more value to your organization.

Obviously, writing is part of the job, but when you hire an experienced grant consultant, you’re also hiring someone who spends a frankly unreasonable amount of time thinking about grants. We know what funders are looking for, we see patterns across applications and funding opportunities, and we know the questions that tend to trip organizations up. We can usually spot when an opportunity looks great on the surface but probably isn’t worth 30 hours of everyone’s time.

Our position outside of your organization also means we sometimes see things differently than you do. That perspective is part of the value of hiring a consultant, but only if you actually let us use it.

One of the biggest shifts I wish more organizations would make when working with consultants is bringing us into the conversation before the strategy has already been decided. Instead of sending me a link and saying, “We’ve decided to apply for this. Can you write it?” I’d much rather get an email that says, “We’re considering this opportunity. What do you think?”

That one question opens a completely different conversation, letting us talk about whether the opportunity aligns with your programs and priorities, whether your organization is truly competitive, and whether you have the data and outcomes the funder wants to see. We can even look at the reporting requirements, what the grant would actually require from your team if you win it, and whether pursuing $50,000 is going to require $49,999 worth of everyone’s sanity.

Sometimes, after looking at all of that, I’m going to recommend that we don’t apply. Other times, I might tell you that this is exactly the kind of opportunity we should be pursuing and that I want us to go all in. Either way, we’re making the decision together and with intention.

That, to me, is what consulting should look like. I genuinely want my clients to ask me:

• What do you think?

• What are you seeing?

• Does this opportunity make sense for us?

• Do you think we’re ready?

• What would make us more competitive?

• Is there something we’re missing?

However, those questions don’t mean I get to make the decisions. They mean you’re actually using the expertise you hired me for and making space for my perspective before you make them.

You don’t have to take every recommendation I make, either. It’s your organization, and there are always going to be things you know about your programs, community, team, and history that I don’t. At the same time, I know things about grant strategy, funders, and the application process that you might not. One doesn’t outweigh the other, and neither of us needs to be the expert on everything.

That’s exactly why this works best as a partnership! You bring the deep knowledge of your organization and community. I bring the grant expertise and an outside perspective. We bring those things together, talk through what makes sense, and make better decisions because of it.

Partnership also means we’re not always going to agree. There are going to be times when you really want to pursue an opportunity, and I don’t think it’s a good fit. I might tell you a program needs more development first, your outcomes aren’t strong enough yet, or the grant you’re excited about simply isn’t worth the time it will take to pursue.

That isn’t me trying to run your organization or forgetting who ultimately makes the decisions. It’s me doing what you hired a consultant to do. If I see something that could hurt your chances of funding, waste your team’s time, or create problems later, I feel obligated to tell you. I’d also much rather have a slightly uncomfortable conversation today than spend 25+ hours writing an application I don’t believe we should have pursued in the first place.

You might hear my recommendation and still decide to move forward. That’s okay, too. I’m certainly not right 100% of the time, and the goal isn’t for either of us to win the disagreement. The goal is to have the kind of relationship where we can actually have one.

Many nonprofits hire consultants because they need more capacity, and that’s absolutely part of what we provide. However, expertise should be part of the deal, too. You’re not just paying for the hours it takes me to write a grant. You’re paying for the years of experience that help me know which questions to ask, which red flags not to ignore, and sometimes, which grants we shouldn’t write at all.

That’s the difference between hiring someone to complete a task and bringing in a consultant to help strengthen your grant program.

Ultimately, I don’t want to run your organization, and I don’t expect you to blindly follow every recommendation I make. I just want us to trust each other enough to bring our expertise to the same table. You know your organization, your programs, and your community better than I ever will. I know grants. When we both get to show up as experts in those things, I think we do much better work together.

So, if I was your grant writer, I wouldn’t want to sit on the sidelines waiting for my next assignment. I’d want a seat at the table and the opportunity to bring my expertise into the conversations that shape your grant strategy.

To me, that’s what a good consulting partnership is supposed to look like.