To format a grant writer’s resume, start with a clear and professional header that includes your name, contact information, and LinkedIn profile. Follow with a strong summary highlighting your experience in grant writing, fundraising, and proposal development. Use a skills section to showcase research, grant management, and persuasive writing expertise. List work experience in reverse chronological order, emphasizing successful grant proposals and funding secured. Include education, certifications, and relevant affiliations. Use bullet points for clarity, keep it concise, and ensure proper formatting for readability.
In this article, we’ll dive deeper into writing the perfect grant writer resume and present a grant writer resume example for your guidance.
So, let’s jump right in.
How to Format a Grant Writing Resume
Your grant writer resume should help recruiters understand your writing skills and showcase your ability to meet deadlines and mold proposals regarding organization missions.
This means that while the grant writer resume template will remain the same, you will have to make tweaks related to the job description every time you are about to send a grant writer resume out.
Ideally, it would help if you made your grant writer’s resume in Microsoft Word. However, depending on where you’re sending it, you can also create it in PowerPoint. Your grant writer resume’s primary focus should be the financial elements and persuasiveness in your writing.
The general structure of your grant writer resume would essentially be the same. This means that you will have to include at least the following sections in your grant writer resume:
- Name, address, contact information, and designation
- A profile summary section
- Employment history section and
- Education section
- Skills section
- Cover letter
These sections are essential, but that’s not the extent of it. You can add extra sections to make your grant writer resume more detailed and give it a more humanistic background.
Let’s look at all these sections to help you set up a detailed template suitable for fundraising ventures for government agencies, nonprofits, and more.
We’ll also include grant writer resume samples to help you understand what we mean.
Grant Writer Profile Summary Example
Download a grant writer resume template via MS Word or design one yourself.
At this point, it’s better to keep it simple. It is easy to overdo a grant writer resume. You should try to keep the template as simple as possible when designing.
Insert your name, address, phone number, and email address at the top. It’s up to you whether you want to include a headshot, but we don’t recommend doing so since the grant writer position is highly professional and doesn’t need much embellishment.
Furthermore, your skills and experience are what matters, not your appearance, age, or gender.
Example:
Julia Anderson
Address: Street, County, New York, US
Email address: [email protected]
Phone number: 914-672-7727
If you are applying for a job at a startup, recruiters will often be of the mindset that if you, as a candidate, have your basics down, they can train you for the more significant tasks.
On the other hand, recruiters looking for expert grant writers will judge you for what and how you write.
In the profile summary section, the more creative and thorough you are, the better you will stand out.
This section should briefly overview who you are as a person, as a grant writer, and your professional skills, experience, and accomplishments. And KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid).
You will be persuading recruiters about why you (as a grant writer) are the best option for them, so remember to include everything interesting about your career prospects in a concise manner.
Since you’re responding directly to a company and helping them understand that you ‘get them,’ you should consider reading the job description thoroughly and the organization’s mission in detail.
Start by telling them about your current position. If you aren’t working anywhere as a grant writer, open with a grant writer certification you completed recently and how you want to enhance your grant writer skillset, assist in strategic planning, and add value to the organization.
Highlighting Grant Proposals
However, this is a very run-of-the-mill summary. You can add your persuasive flair to it.
Example:
I am an accomplished and performance-driven Grant Writer at COMPANY. I specialize in research and market analysis and identify grant opportunities to apply.
I have five years of experience creating robust fundraising plans and compiling proposals and budgets.
My strengths are my analytical grant writing skills, strong problem-solving abilities, and excellent financial market knowledge. During my stay at COMPANY, I have acquired the Top Performer Award Winner twice. I am seeking a Grant Writer position with a growth-oriented company to help me expand my horizons via new challenges.
Grant Writer Employment History Section
Another relatively easy part is the employment history section. Your track record helps recruiters understand your work history better.
It also proves that you can adapt to different scenarios better, furthering your grant writer skills.
When working on your employment history, we recommend that you also mention any special assignments, transferable duties, grant writer skills, and, most importantly, any successful grant requests that you have put forth.
Use as powerful action verbs as possible (but don’t overdo them) to show recruiters you can sell and compel.
Example:
Work experience
06/2017 – Present, Senior Grant Writer, XYZ Consulting, Inc., Los Angeles, USA
- Grant discovery and research to funded company programs and services
- Government fund research and devising grant application strategy
- Created fundraising plans
- Submitted compelling grant proposals to
o Company 1
o Company 2
o Company 3
o Organization 1
o Organization 2
o Organization 3
- Coordinated the creation of grant proposals and budgets
- Ensured all proposal and RFP requirements were met
- Developed detailed reports
- Maintained up-to-date records concerning current laws and regulations
- Top Performer Award for increasing funding acquisition costs by 35%.
06/2015 – 05/2017, Grant Writer, ABC Innovation, Inc., New York, USA
- Strategic planning, development, and filing of grant applications
- Formulated the creative foundation for company grant proposals
- Submitted extensive grant proposals on time
- Government and private funding research and analysis for grant proposals
- Conducted progress reports and presented findings to program managers.
- Attended and organized networking events
- Establishing a line of communication with potential funders
- Maintained relationships with past, present, and future funders
Grant Writer Education Section
This section will explain to recruiters what your submitted proposals are backed by other than experience. Degrees and certifications will go here. This is a short section. List the degree or certification(s) you have acquired over the years.
Grant writing certifications aren’t just valid for the knowledge gained. They also come in handy when you’re looking to make an impression on recruiters.
This is where you mention any honors, awards, and distinctions you received during your education before starting your career with grant proposals and grant funding.
When drafting your grant writer resume, one crucial consideration is that if you mention a Bachelor’s Degree, you don’t have to list out your high school. The same goes for an introductory course you took as a prerequisite for your grant writing certification.
Example;
Education
05/2020, Grant Writing Certification, ABC, USA
04/2016 – 05/2020, English, DEF University, New York, USA
First Class Honors
Activities: Literature Society, Technical Writing Competition, Chess Club
05/2011, Business Presentation & Communication Course, GHI Institute, Los Angeles, USA
Distinction (5-Star Rating in all aspects)
Grant Writer Skills Section Example
This section is where you get creative in highlighting how to satisfy grant proposals and get grant funding. Whether you list your skills or briefly elaborate on each one, it’s your call.
Here, you are telling nonprofit organizations about your personality and skills that can be helpful for the organization. Consider this section the tiebreaker, should anyone with a grant writer resume as strong as yours walk in.
Mix soft and hard skills here to help your grant writer resume stand out. If there is any job-specific skill, mention it here.
Example;
Skills
Languages for Grant Writing
- English
- French
- Spanish
Computer Skills for Grant Writing
- Microsoft Office
- CyberGrants
- ZoomGrants
- Submittable Grants Management
Interpersonal Skills for Grant Writing
- Strategic planner
- Exceptional analytical skills
- Detail-oriented
- Problem-solving ability
- Effective time management and ability to meet deadlines.
Volunteer Work in Grant Writing
- 09/2013 – 05/2014, President, Swansea University Engineering Society, Swansea, United Kingdom
One highly recommended section is adding a certification area while linking to a capstone project you created for that certification. We help grant writers do this in our grant writing certification course.
Final Remarks
According to Funding for Good, grant writers applying to existing and new funders and funding sources should ideally have a grant funding success rate of 50 to 60%. Of course, this is if you can get a job where you can make this statistic for grant writing.
In light of this, make sure you put as much effort into crafting a grant writer resume as you do when drafting a fundraiser grant letter.
FAQs
Here are the most frequently asked questions about grant writer resumes.
What should be included in a grant writer resume?
A strong grant writer resume should highlight experience with grant proposals, research skills, and the ability to identify funding opportunities. It should also showcase proficiency in writing compelling narratives, managing deadlines, and collaborating with organizations to secure funding.
How do I demonstrate experience with a comprehensive grant management system?
Employers value candidates who are familiar with a comprehensive grant management system. If you have experience tracking applications, managing budgets, or reporting on grant progress, include specific examples in your resume. Demonstrating your ability to streamline processes and maintain compliance can set you apart.
How can I showcase success with grant opportunities on my resume?
Highlighting grant opportunities you’ve secured is key to proving your expertise. Include metrics such as the number of grants won, total funding secured, and the impact of those funds on an organization. If you’ve contributed to expanding an organization’s funding sources, emphasize that.
What makes an innovative grant proposal stand out?
Employers seek candidates who can craft innovative grant submissions that align with funders’ priorities. Showcasing your ability to tailor proposals to different audiences and creatively address funding needs will demonstrate your strategic approach to grant writing.
How do I tailor my resume for different funding opportunities?
Different funding opportunities may require distinct approaches. Tailor your resume by emphasizing relevant experience, skills, and successful grant applications that align with the type of funding you’re pursuing. This demonstrates adaptability and a targeted approach to securing grants.
If you are new to grant writing and are looking to break-in, we recommend taking our Grant Writing Certification Course, where you will learn the fundamentals of being a grant writer, how to write proposals that win grants, and how to stand out as a grant writing candidate.