There are several ways for a nonprofit or a government organization to find a grant writer or consultant near them. The path you choose will depend on the time and money you have available to hire.
If you have less than one or two months, it may be best to use a job search website that allows candidates to post their resumes or contact information, such as Candidate directories. The benefit to an employer is that individuals who promote their services in directories or that make their resumes public already have an interest in exploring new opportunities. A downside is that your organization will have to spend time searching and contacting individual candidates who may or may not have the skillset or the availability you need.
If you have a month or more, you may benefit from creating a job post. A job posting allows you to identify candidates with specific qualifications and experience that will meet your needs. In this scenario, the applicants come to you, so you will spend less time searching for the right candidate. If you go the job posting route, I recommend you map out your hiring process, including a timetable for interviews, selection, and onboarding.
Regardless of the path you choose; you will need money to create a job posting or to access candidates' resumes. Job search sites can cost anywhere between $100 to $600 or more. Typically, consultant directories are free. Below are our favorite websites for finding grant writers.
4 Best Websites for Finding Grant Writers
Association of Fundraising Professionals Career Center
Grant Professionals Association Job Center
Grant Professionals Association Consultant Directory
Nonprofit Center for Advancement Career Center
The AFP Career Center is a wonderful place to start your search for any type of fundraising professional including grant writers, fundraisers, marketers, and event specialists, among others. Founded in 1960, AFP advances philanthropy through its 30,000 members in more than 240 chapters throughout the world. AFP’s individual and organizational members raise over $115 billion annually. To create a job posting you will include details like responsibilities, qualifications, and the type of employment (full-time, contract, temporary).
The GPA Job Center is a suitable place to start your search for an in-house grant writer or consultant. The Job Center is accessible by membership or paid access. The mission of GPA is to empower grant professionals and those they serve through Advocacy; Community; and Professionalism. GPA's job posting requirements are similar to AFP’s Career Center. In addition, GPA requires employers to post a salary range for each position to promote equity and transparency. For an additional fee, you may “boost” your job posting by having it featured in GPA's weekly membership email newsletter that reaches thousands of grant professionals. For a fee, GPA will also highlight the job posting on job forums that target underserved groups, which increases the diversity of your candidate pool.
SGR has used the GPA Job Center to recruit grant writers with health industry experience. It cost us about $500 to have our position promoted for one month, with the additional visibility in the weekly newsletter. We received a great pool of candidates and we were happy with our investment.
The GPA Consultant Directory is a free resource available to members and nonmembers. It lists grant professionals who offer services for a fee. There is a variety of grant writing consultants or freelancers available to meet your needs. For example, there are consultants specializing in grant readiness and capacity building for new or emerging nonprofits; and there are grant professionals who are subject matter experts and those that offer training workshops. When searching for a grant consultant in the directory, determine if you need someone with expertise in a particular area (Consultant Directory Categories) or if it is more important to have someone in your state or region (Location).
At the time of this writing, the Center had two hundred job postings and over one hundred employers across the United States were searching for candidates using its virtual Career Center. According to its website, the Center’s primary service region includes Washington, DC, Prince George's, and Montgomery Counties in Maryland and the state of Virginia. However, the Center welcomes any 501(c)(3) nonprofit that wishes to join. Identifying, monitoring, and sharing new and shifting trends within the nonprofit sector, the Center collaborates with local experts to develop custom programs and solutions. The Center's job search options are similar to the AFP Career Center and the GPA Job Center. Candidates can post their resumes, and employers can search for resumes or recruit employees through a job post. We also like the Learning Center and the ability for candidates to get job alerts.
Once you have narrowed down a job search website, please check out our articles, What qualifications should a grant writer have? 3 Must-Haves to look for, and Example of Grant Writer Position Description.
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