Great writing is synonymous with creative thinking, logic, and planning — at least it should be. To be a great writer in the highly competitive ‘grants’ niche requires more than just a good vocabulary and knowledge of proper sentence structure. Winning proposals must articulately, efficiently and compellingly fuse ideas, plans for action and story. They must create both an emotional connection and convince the reader that the applicant knows their stuff and has a viable plan for completing the proposed work.

Good writers can ‘fudge’ quite a bit, but there is no substitute for the availability of a doable, and strategic, plan. Creating such a plan is a step that should come long before the words go on the paper; often requiring research, analysis, listening to diverse ideas, and consensus building. And of course it must be responsive to the priorities of the grant-maker. Writing a proposal that includes these elements, while time-consuming, is essential — but only if you want to win!

So when considering hiring someone to help ‘write’ your proposal, don’t just hire a “writer.” Hire a great writer who who brings experience and context; who asks tough questions; who sees the big picture; who can hit the ground running. But, only if you want to win.