Writing for dollars - building a grant and proposal writing service - Brief Article

Black Enterprise, May, 2001 by Paula McCoy-Pinderhughes

Q I have a great interest in grant and proposal writing. I have a B.A. (communications) degree in business administration, and am enrolled in a professional enhancement class at the community college for Grantmanship Basics. What other courses, books, etc., would you suggest to assist me in my dream of becoming a professional grant/proposal writer?

--Deborah Davis Los Angeles

A Congratulations on your decision to make a business out of something you love to do and for having the initiative to research your intended occupation. Beverly A. Browning, author, small-press publisher, and grant consultant for Bev Browning Associates in Chandler, Arizona (www.grantsconsulting.com, 480-786-9465), advises, "If you haven't yet established a funding success track record, meaning that you've written grant applications and some or all have been funded, your first endeavor should be to volunteer writing applications for a local nonprofit organization, such as a United Way (www.unitedway.org) member agency or your local church." She concedes that training is great and that books will guide you initially, and even after you've become established, however, "hands-on experience is the best way to learn, be challenged, and succeed as a grantseeker and grant-writing consultant."

Other grant-writing resources include www.grantproposal.com and www.granthelp .com, where you might search "grant writing."

--P.M.P