With what feels like the fate of their organizations on their shoulders, grant writers say their work has become heavier, more competitive, yet even more important.
“There’s a lot of stress on you to be productive,” said Yvan Tonkeu, a freelance grant writer from Cameroon who largely supports North American and European nonprofits. “There’s a lot on you to be consistent with your writing and also with the results despite the fact that the resources are much smaller than five to 10 years ago.”
Grant writers have long been a cornerstone of NGO and aid agency fundraising, and their skills remain important even as many organizations look to diversify revenue. They typically spend their days liaising with in-house project officers and monitoring and evaluation specialists to compile applications to various donors. They hope the information they present will be enough to win an award — securing funding for vital development work while sustaining their organization and its staff.