8 Top Grant Writing Certifications in 2024
With more and more non-profits popping up, each looking to promote their cause by acquiring sufficient funding, the demand for writers who can create the most compelling, detailed, and creative grant proposal is also on the rise. If you’re considering this path, investing in a grant writing certification is a good place to start.
When it comes to becoming a writer, many think that they are mostly freelancers with an unreliable source of income. However, we’re here to tell you that this isn’t the case. In fact, there are numerous grant writing services out there that hire experts from the field and make it easier for nonprofit organizations to find the right set of skills.
The journey to becoming an expert grant writer begins with a simple step — making up your mind and getting the right training. However, with the myriad of options out there and each one claiming to be the best grant writing certification of them all, the step doesn’t remain as simple anymore.
To make the journey easier for you, we will look at some of the best grant writing certifications of 2024 for you to consider along with their pricing and certifications.
Top Grant Writing Certifications for 2024
When it comes to picking a grant writing certification course, here are some of the best grant writer classes out there:
1. TWHQ’s Grant Writing Certification
Rating: 9/10
Duration: 4 hours/week for 10 weeks
Technical Writer HQ’s Grant Writing Certification is ideal for those seeking to master grant writing, offering practical advice and essential knowledge. This comprehensive course encompasses all elements necessary for crafting successful grant proposals. Additionally, it provides insights into fostering relationships with funders and effectively presenting your proposal.
A highlight of this course is the opportunity to receive direct feedback from instructors on a grant proposal you develop, ensuring a deep understanding of the material. The course includes several assignments aimed at enhancing your ability to write clear and effective grant proposals.
Instructed by Josh, a certified grant writer with a decade of experience, the course also features seven quizzes, a certification exam, and a final capstone project.
For further details and enrollment options, visit Technical Writer HQ for their Grant Writing Certification program.
Pricing
The course costs $199, which makes it one of the more affordable certifications you can get for such an in-depth curriculum. We wouldn’t shy away from recommending this grant writing course to anyone.
To enroll, visit Technical Writer HQ
2) Skillshare Grant Writing
Rating: 8.5/10
Duration: 50 minutes
In this 50-minute course, writers will learn the basics of creative and technical writing all the way to persuasive writing, the format of a grant, tips, and more. Grant Writing Basics is a 50-minute divided into 10 lessons.
To test your skills after you are done, you will have access to three thorough projects to complete at your own pace. You will have to submit these courses, of course, after which you can get the online certificate in your portal.
You have the option to download and print it at your own leisure, though.
This course is perfect for beginners and experts alike, helping you cover the basics and complex intricacies involved with the research process, addressing funders, and more.
The instructor has 20 years of experience in the field, which is evident in the way she takes some of the most difficult aspects of grant writing and turns them easy.
However, before you jump into the certification course, it is important to remember that you will only learn the complications and procedure for writing grant proposals for schools and nonprofits instead of getting a complete overview of the process in general.
Pricing
The course is available for free to those who have subscribed to Skillshare. The membership itself costs $169 per month. We believe that the value you’ll get against your investment is well worth it. Of course, you will have to spend some time practicing on your own to be able to write grant proposals for other niches.
For more information and to subscribe, visit Skillshare Grant Writing.
3) Udemy
Rating: 9/10
Duration: 1h 41m (48 lectures, 12 sections)
For those of you who need a cross-industry overview of what technical writing is and how you can write a simple grant proposal for a myriad of industries, Udemy’s Federal Grant Writing 101 could be the perfect course for you.
The principles taught in this course apply to almost every grant you may have to write, thus truly turning you into a certified grant writer.
This grant writing certification caters to government agencies, above all else, because these grants are what matter the most for many organizations. Grant writing classes are led by Dr. Beverly Browning, an Advanced Grant Proposal Writing class teacher who has been hosted in numerous schools and colleges for this specific purpose.
The course is broken into 12 different sections, each with distinct lectures covering hard and soft skills required throughout the grant writing process.
The first section will cover the basics and as you move on, you will find information about formatting, content, what to address, who to address it to, and most importantly, how to address it. The next section covers all the necessary forms that you will have to fill when submitting the grant, while in the last section you will address the frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the process.
Pricing
This grant writing course is priced at $44.99 but Udemy rolls out discounts and offers regularly, reducing the price down to as low as $13.99! At the time of writing this review, it is priced at $14.99, and gives you lifetime access to course’s constituents. This includes the videos, 35 downloadable resources and a grant writing certification telling the world that you are ready. The certificate is accepted my more widely than that of Skillshare.
You can access the course via the Udemy web portal or mobile app on iOS and Android phones alike.
To enroll, visit Udemy.
4) University of South Carolina
Rating: 9.5/10
Duration: 5 Sessions (in-person, physical classes). 10 sessions (online)
If you are really looking to up your grant writing game, you simply can’t go wrong with the certification offered by The University of South Carolina. The course is dedicated to helping students not just learn about the grant writing process but also experience it practically as they get to write samples and get them tested by expert evaluators.
You can either take the classes in person or online via zoom, thus giving you the freedom to learn based on your preference.
This grant writing course is rather extensive, helping individuals procure government grants and private donors via compelling grant applications.
Where the previously reviewed grant writing certifications take a two dimensional approach, the University of South Carolina takes a three dimensional approach, preparing individuals for practical and professional writing as well.
Students get to learn more about the research and writing process in a much more up-close and personal manner, not to mention identifying the different forms that need to be filled for different industries, amounts, and more.
This Grant Writing program begins with helping individuals create a strategic outline for their query and create newer ways to effectively help their clients gain a competitive edge and a much higher chance of securing grants via their successful grant proposals.
Pricing
The course costs $1,322, which is high compared to the two we previously reviewed but relatively conservative considering the value we get and the style of teaching We wouldn’t shy away from recommending this grant writing course to anyone.
To enroll, check out University of South Carolina.
5) Portland State (Non-Profit)
Rating: 8.5/10
Duration: 5 Sessions (in-person, physical classes). 10 sessions (online)
For those of you who want to excel practically and theoretically in the world of grant writing for non-profits, this certificate program is exactly what you need. Enrollment closed in September 2020 and will reopen in July or August for early birds.
Portland State is rather well known for their grant writing certification and is recognized throughout the US because of the advanced grant writing skill graduates boast. In fact, many non-profit organizations require the certificate from Portland State as a prerequisite for hiring writers.
Along with earning a good income, writers also get to promote noble causes with the help of this online course.
As you continue through the grant writing course on Zoom, you can’t expect to have practical experience and a rather strong proposal to include in your job market portfolio. Some areas in particular the program focuses on includes
- Environmental defense grant writing
- Racial equity cause grant writing
- Grant writing for animals
- Grant Writing for Indigenous Sustainability, and more.
Throughout the course you get to learn from several experts as they use new, experimental learning approaches where you get to write actual grants for a live audience and clients. By seating you in the driver’s seat, Portland State is able to guide you better about the grant writing process and stuff years of experience into several business days.
Pricing
The course costs just $900 ($800 for early birds) and in our opinion offers immense value to those who want to pursue a career in grant writing. We would wholeheartedly recommend the course to students, provided they don’t mind becoming professional grant writers for non-profits only.
To enroll, visit Portland State (Non-Profit).
6) ed2go
Rating: 9.8/10
Duration: 6 weeks
The advanced grant proposal writing certification offered by ed2go is revered in the industry to be one of the most thorough course out there.
It isn’t just suitable for those who have no writing experience whatsoever but also works impeccably well for professional grant writers or technical writers who are looking to perfect their craft.
If we were to pick a favorite certification among out list, ed2go would definitely make it in the top 3.
When going through the course, we also found that it takes a much deeper and thorough approach when explaining the grant proposal writing process, formatting, tone, what to address, length of paras, words to use and those to avoid and more.
The course is headed by Dr. Beverly Browning who brings 40 years of experience on the table. The 12 lessons within start with the cover letter and explain everything in great detail all the way up to the contact page.
Once you are done with the course, we can safely say that you will confidently be writing grant proposals addressing corporations, government, private individuals, foundations, and more with a much higher rate of success.
Unfortunately, the course does cater to beginners but not absolute beginners who have no skill or experience in grant writing, which is why it isn’t a 10/10 for us.
There are certain prerequisites of the course, i.e. a cover letter and an introductory course certificate or relevant work experience.
The course allows individuals to learn at their own pace or via a bootcamp learning model as there are two options to choose from; the self-paced version where you learn as when you please. This is perfect for people who are currently working and can’t attend regular classes.
Pricing
There is also the instructor-led online version that adopts a bootcamp-like approach. Both these versions cost $159. The instructor-led course takes about 6 weeks to complete while the self-paced course is available for 3 months to help you study properly.
To enroll, visit ed2go.
7) University of Georgia
Rating: 8/10
Duration: 24 hours
Another course suitable for beginners, this grant-writing course can help you build a strong foundation for writing detailed and successful grant applications for foundations, nonprofits, schools, orphanages, shelters, and more.
The thing about this course is that it builds a great base to further your grant seeking ventures. The syllabus, cost, and length of the course by University of Georgia is rather well-reputed and well-recognized, which bodes well for all enrollees. You get 2.4 credits for completing the course as well, which means students in the university can opt for this grant writing certification during their degree, win a certificate without worrying about losing precious time.
Pricing
Costing $159, we would recommend the course to beginners but not for those who looking to continue education or perfect their craft.
To enroll, visit University of Georgia.
8) Thompson Rivers University
Rating: 8.5/10
Duration: 30 weeks
Thompson Rivers University might not be as prestigious as others on our list but when it comes to technical writing and grant certificate programs, it doesn’t hold back any punches. The university has always been known to focus on literature, focusing on industry-specific best practices for grant writing to help individuals create exemplary and eye-catching grant proposals with minimal time and money investment.
The course begins by helping students understand the key elements that go into development of a grant application. And then it goes into defining the funding purpose, accountability, budget practices, and most importantly, completing pre- and post-funding due diligence.
During the grant writing classes in this course, you will learn to write grant proposals for academic institutions, research labs, healthcare facilitates, art communities, non-profits, and other professionals seeking persuasive, informative and professional grant proposals to send over.
The pricing for the course depends on shipping location and residency tuition type.
To enroll, visit Thompson Rivers University.
Online Grant Writing Certification FAQs
Now that we have covered the best grant writing certifications you can enroll in, let us consider some of the most commonly asked questions in the industry.
What is Grant Writing?
Grant writing is the act of compiling information necessary to apply and procure funding from private, commercial, or federal grants. The goal of grant writing is to persuade grant makers into making a favorable decision in their favor. A basic proposal includes a cover letter, budgetary requirements, fund allocation, and more.
A grant writing certification is a form of technical writing certification for the grant application niche.
Are Grant Writing Classes Important?
Grant writers are much like other technical writers, except that they have very specific requirements to follow.
Without classes, it takes an individual around 3–5 years to master grant writing to the fullest. Furthermore, with the help of grant writing classes writers can master the art within 1–2 years and then keep on making improvements. Certified grant writers are paid more than those without certification purely because of the classes they took.
In the US, the number of grant writers increased by 7% within the last year.
How Much Do Online Grant Writers Make?
Some grant writers are paid by the hour while some are paid a flat fee for the project. Beginner grant writers make $35-$75 per hour, while reputable, professional, and certified writers can charge up to $75-$150 per hour.
The flat fee can be anywhere between $200 to $700 (or more), depending on the project’s scope.
