Key Takeaways
- Grant writing builds business-ready skills like persuasion, structured thinking, and writing clearly for decision-makers.
- It teaches you to align goals, budgets, and measurable outcomes, which is useful for proposals, partnerships, and internal initiatives too.
- Strong grant writers learn how to tell a compelling story with evidence, which can elevate communication in almost any leadership role.
Grant writing is one of the most unique forms of writing. A successful grant writer needs to be able to tell a compelling story that resonates with an audience but also share facts, figures, and metrics in a digestible way. In the nonprofit world, grants can be the difference between launching a new program and laying off critical staff. Now, more than ever, organizations need grants—and strong grant writers—to keep their missions moving forward.
The Forbes Nonprofit Council has identified both key ingredients for a successful grant and the traits of successful grant writers. Winning grants are thoughtful, well researched, and paint a picture using data and impactful language. Grant writers should be driven by this data, as well as a passion for the cause. They should be process- and detail-oriented, organized, and strong writers. More importantly, the best grant writers can weave a compelling, impactful story in a clear and comprehensive way. They are able to connect to the reader through writing.
It takes a great deal of practice to become proficient in grant writing and to navigate the ins and outs of the process. What’s the best way to share data? How do I start gathering essential metric information? Who should I involve in the process? How much should I ask for? Where do I even search for grant opportunities?
The University of Denver’s Center for Professional Development is offering a live online grant writing course to help you answer all of these questions, and more! Join Dr. Sylvia Hall-Ellis, a consultant and grant writing expert, as she guides you through the start-to-finish process of preparing a comprehensive grant proposal. Classes begin February 3. Visit the Center for Professional Development website for more information and to register.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do grant writing skills matter outside of nonprofits?
Grant writing trains you to make a clear case for why something matters and how it will work, which is a core business skill. The same structure shows up in pitches, proposals, and leadership communication when you need buy-in.
What’s the hardest part of grant writing for beginners?
Many people struggle with turning a good idea into a specific, measurable plan that feels credible to funders. Once you learn how to define outcomes and support them with evidence, the writing becomes much easier.
How does grant writing connect to business goals specifically?
It helps organizations secure resources and funding, but it also strengthens planning discipline and accountability. When goals, timelines, and evaluation are clearly defined, teams often execute better even beyond the grant itself.
What’s one practical way to start building grant writing ability?
Start by studying a few real grant requirements and practicing short sections, like needs statements or project summaries. That kind of targeted practice builds confidence faster than trying to write a full proposal from scratch on day one.
