Isolation and the burden of being the go-to expert can lead to overwhelming pressure.
Being the sole grant writer in an organization can feel overwhelming—you’re often expected to be a strategist, writer, researcher, and administrator all at once. To cope effectively, here’s what works best:
🧭 1. Clarify Expectations Early
- Meet with leadership to define realistic goals: How many grants per quarter? What types of funders?
- Set boundaries around what isn’t your responsibility (e.g., unrelated fundraising, event planning).
🧭 2. Prioritize High-Impact Opportunities
- Focus on grants with the best alignment, highest ROI, or strategic relevance.
- Don’t waste energy chasing every small or low-probability grant.
🧭 3. Create and Maintain a Grant Calendar
- Use a master calendar to track all deadlines and milestones.
- Share this calendar with leadership so they understand your capacity and upcoming workload.
🧭 4. Develop a Proposal Library
- Build a collection of templates and boilerplate text (e.g., org background, staff bios, financials) to reduce writing time.
- Store past proposals, funder feedback, and common attachments in one organized place.
🧭 5. Rally Internal Support
- Designate “grant champions” across departments to help gather data, stories, and budget inputs.
- Train one or two colleagues to review drafts or help with attachments in a pinch.
🧭 6. Advocate for Investment in Grant Infrastructure
- Make the case for a grant management system, research subscriptions, or part-time assistance.
- Show how these tools will lead to increased funding and fewer missed opportunities.
🧭 7. Protect Your Wellbeing
- Schedule deep work time for writing without interruptions.
- Take regular breaks, seek professional development, and celebrate increased productivity.
Bonus: Teach everyone around you that grant writing is a team sport, because it is…