Looking for a WRITING GRANT? Information and resources on finding writing grants, scholarships for writers and writing competitions.

There are hundreds of grants for writers available in Canada, the USA and Internationally. Bookmark this list as it will continue to grow over the following weeks and months.

Amy Lowell Travelling Poetry Scholarship
http://www.amylowell.org/faq.htm
Description: The American poet Amy Lowell died in 1925. Her will established an annual scholarship to support travel abroad for gifted American-born poets.
Eligibility: Any poet of American birth who is able to spend one year outside the continent of North America. There is no age requirement, and there is no requirement that applicants be enrolled in a university or other education program. While many recent winners have been published poets, there is no requirement that applicants have previously published their work.
Amount of Grant/Scholarship: Approximately $40,000.
Deadline: October 15

A Room of Her Own Foundation
http://www.aroomofherownfoundation.org/giftfreedom_application.html
Description: A Room of Her Own Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering the vision of writer Virginia Woolf by bridging the often fatal gap between a woman’s economic reality and her artistic creation.
Eligibility: 2006 - fiction writers
Amount of Grant/Scholarship: The foundation provides annual Gift of Freedom grants of up to $50,000 to women with creative vision. It is the largest grant of its kind in the United States.
Deadline: Use the link above to sign up for 2006 application announcements.

Walt Whitman Award
http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/110
Description: The Walt Whitman Award brings first-book publication, a cash prize of $5,000, and a one-month residency at the Vermont Studio Center to an American who has never before published a book of poetry. The winning manuscript, chosen by an eminent poet, is published by Louisiana State University Press. The Academy purchases copies of the book for distribution to its members.
Eligibility: US citizen.
Amount of Grant/Scholarship: $5000.
Deadline: Submissions are accepted each year from September 15 to November 15, and an entry form and fee are required.

Scholarship
http://www.amylowell.org/faq.htm
Description: x
Eligibility: x
Amount of Grant/Scholarship: x.
Deadline: x

Grant Writing Services

Writing Grant Proposals. The individual/organization already knows what grant they are applying for and needs the proposal(s) written by a professional.

Grant Proposal Review. You assess a written proposal to ensure completeness and compliance with the guidelines. You are responsible for proofreading, offering suggestions to overcome weaknesses and if necessary revising the document

Grant Proposal Evaluation. You can perform an evaluation of the proposal without doing rewrites or revisions. Offer suggestions for improvement and point out areas that are weak.

Grant Research. Identify funding sources that are compatible with an organizations/individuals goals. This could include letters of inquiry to various granting bodies.

What Does It Take To Be a Grant Writer?

Strong Research Skills. You may be asked to find grants that are appropriate to your client. You should be able to quickly identify potential sources and analyze the fit between your client and the donating organization. The closer the fit, the greater are the chances of your client getting a grant. Their success is your success!

Strong Interpersonal Skills. You will have to get basic information from your client. What is their mission, what are their goals. Why do they need the money. What are the specific projects or initiatives that they need the money for. What is the clients history, do the principles (board of directors) have resumes and/or bios, who is developing the budget for the project and on and on … depending on the nature of the grant. You may be dealing with committees and board members who are not all on the same wavelength!

Strong Organizational Skills. Most grants have deadlines. Can you meet them? You may also be responsible for following up on grant applications. Assuming you have more than one client, you must be able to juggle the time demands from multiple sources.

Knowledge of the Grant Process. You should have an understanding of the grant proposal process. It is up to you to develop your clients missions, goals and ideas into a workable plan that results in a workable proposal. As the bridge between your client and the grant provider you are responsible for putting the project on paper so that the dream becomes real.

Patience. Lots of it. Waiting for information. Working with committees. Ideas that are all over the map. Volunteers or staff members with differing agendas.

Management Skills. You must have the ability to DRIVE the project. There are deadlines and information requirements that have to be met. The reason your client is hiring YOU to do this is because they didn’t want to. You must be able to push them to give you the information and resources you need to do a great job.

Resources

Check out the following websites to see the various kinds of grant writing services professional grant writers offer.

http://www.grantproposalservices.com/

http://www.grantwriter.com/

http://www.stellargrants.com

Grants for Writers