At 01:18 AM 07/25/2002 +0000, Colette wrote:
>Can anyone suggest a fair way to set a price for a grant writing
>project?  We've agreed to write two grants for an organization with the
>stipulation that we would be paid only if they are funded.  (It's a young
>but very professional organization and we want to be fair to both the
>organization as well as ourselves).  I'm assuming a percentage based on
>the total request but how much is standard?


I think someone has already responded to this on the list, but you do not
want to go the commission-based compensation route!

For one thing, it is against the rules of the professional association,
AFP.  Of course, if you are not a member, that does not apply.

More importantly, why would you make your payment contingent on
outcome?  There are many reasons why grants are made--or NOT made--and the
majority of them have nothing to do with the proposal writer.  A doctor
doesn't cancel her fee if the patient doesn't get better because she has
done her best professional job.  Ditto the proposal writer.  Maybe the
patient--I mean program--just wasn't strong enough!

But to offer alternatives to the forbidden percentage compensation:

Fees are generally either hourly or project-based.  If you are new to this,
you are probably better off pricing hourly since you won't yet have a sense
for what takes what amount of time.

The amount of time that goes into  a proposal can vary from a minimum of 10
hours for a fairly straightforward proposal  up to 100 hours or so for a
complex proposal.  Hourly rates tend to range between $25 per hour up to
$150 per hour, depending on experience and market.

A matter of semantics, by the way--you are not writing a grant for them
(unless you are signing a check from the foundation!)  You are writing the
proposal.  The funder will make the grant (maybe.)  But either way you
should get paid.

Hope this helps.

Susan Ruderman


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Susan Cronin Ruderman, Ed.M., Vice President
VERITAS INFORMATION SERVICES, 9 Alton St., Arlington, MA  02474
(781) 643-7811; (781) 643-1136 (fax) mailto:[log in to unmask]
Fundraising Research Consulting http://www.veritasinfo.com
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