Grant writing proposal
Grant writing proposal on a fixed fee with no success fee
A grant writing proposal should show the organisation what will be written, by when, against which criteria, and make clear the fee does not depend on the result. This example from a regional grant writer to a Landcare group seeking a two year river restoration grant prices the work at $5,350 plus GST, with no success fee and an acquittal report as an option.
The proposal, page by page
Every page as the client sees it and as it prints, pricing table included.
The pricing, line by line
- Eligibility review and strategy
- 1 × $650.00
- Application writing
- 1 × $3,800.00
- Budget and attachments
- 1 × $900.00
- Submission support (optional)
- 1 × $350.00
- Acquittal report (optional)
- 1 × $1,200.00
- Tax
- $535.00
- Total
- $5,885.00
- Deposit due on acceptance
- $2,942.50
Section by section
- Cover
- The grant sought, up to $180,000 over two years, and the 27 November closing date.
- About us
- A regional grant writer who writes with volunteers in their own words.
- Understanding your needs
- The restoration project and why the committee needs help, with 14 km, 22,000 plants and 3 landholders.
- Our approach
- Check the fit, write to the criteria, build the budget.
- Deliverables and timeline
- Eligibility check, application, budget and letters of support, four dates to the close, and the no success fee note.
- Investment
- Three fixed lines, with submission support and an acquittal report as options.
- Terms
- Deposit and balance, committee input, no guarantee, cancellation, ownership and a 14 day validity.
- Next steps and acceptance
- Accept, tick options, sign, then the strategy call.
Why grant writing proposals avoid success fees
Community groups are often offered a no win, no fee arrangement where the writer takes a percentage of any grant. It sounds safe, but it creates problems. Many funders will not accept a writer's fee as a cost of the project, so the percentage has to come from somewhere else in the group's budget. It gives the writer a reason to apply for grants that are large rather than right. And a committee accountable to its members and the regulator for how money is spent will find a percentage deal harder to justify than a fixed fee. This proposal puts the answer in a callout before the price: the fee is fixed, it does not change with the result, and it is paid by the group.
How the fee is built
The eligibility review and strategy is $650, application writing $3,800 and the budget and attachments $900: $5,350 before GST, $5,885 with it, and the 50% deposit is $2,942.50. Submission support at $350 and an acquittal report at $1,200 are optional and marked as suggestions. The acquittal is worth offering because a funder that receives a clear final report is more likely to fund the group again. Pricing the eligibility review on its own line also gives the committee an honest out: if the guidelines show the project does not fit, the group has spent $650, not $5,350, and clause 4 says only work done is payable.
How to adapt this proposal
Read the guidelines before you write the proposal, and put the closing date on the cover and in the timeline. Describe the project in the numbers the funder will score. Say who provides what and when, because a grant application depends on the organisation's data and on letters from partners. Keep the no guarantee clause; no writer controls a funder's decision. If the organisation is a registered charity, remember the committee is accountable for its spending, and write the proposal so it can be tabled at a committee meeting without explanation.
What makes this proposal work
The fee does not depend on the result
The callout says the fee is fixed whether or not the grant is awarded, no percentage is taken, and the fee is paid by the group rather than from the grant. A committee can sign it without wondering how the writer is paid if they win.
It works backwards from the closing date
The timeline runs from a strategy call in late October to a first draft on 9 November, a final draft on 20 November and the 27 November close. Clause 2 ties the quality of the application to the committee giving input on those dates.
The project is described in numbers
Understanding your needs puts the project in figures a funder scores: 14 km of river bank, 22,000 plants and 3 landholders. The proposal shows the committee that the writer already understands what will make the application competitive.
Questions people ask
What should a grant writing proposal include?
The grant and its closing date, the project in the funder's terms, how the application will be written and checked, deliverables, a timeline back from the close, a fixed fee, what the organisation must provide, a no guarantee clause and how to accept. This example covers each across five pages after a cover.
How much does a grant writer charge?
Most charge a fixed fee per application or an hourly rate. This example prices a state environment grant application at $5,350 plus GST: $650 for the eligibility review and strategy, $3,800 for writing and $900 for the budget and attachments. A short local grant would cost much less.
Should a grant writer charge a success fee?
It is better avoided. Many funders will not accept a writer's fee as a project cost, so a percentage has to be paid from elsewhere, and it ties the writer's pay to the size of the grant. This proposal uses a fixed fee that stays the same whether or not the grant is awarded.
Can a grant writer guarantee a grant?
No. The funder decides which applications succeed, often against many others. This proposal says so in clause 3 and promises only a complete and competitive application. Be wary of any writer who guarantees success, because no one outside the assessment panel can.
What is a grant acquittal?
The report an organisation sends the funder at the end of a grant, showing what was done and how the money was spent. This proposal offers to draft it as an optional line at $1,200, if the grant is awarded. A clear acquittal helps the group's chances with the same funder next time.
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