Best Grant Writing Certification Programs 2024: Reviews + Pricing
Looking for the best grant writing certifications? Keep on reading to know about some of the best options that you can have.
Professions such as grant writing are always in demand due to the (rare) specific skills they require. However, with the pandemic looming over our heads, opportunities to get the certificate have all moved online. This is where self-paced, virtual instructor-led grant writing certification courses come into play.
In this article, we’ll look at 8 of the best grant writing certification programs that you can attend to better your chances of landing a lucrative grant writing job in 2024.
Let’s jump right in.
Best Grant Writing Certification Programs
There are quite a few grant writing certification programs, which is why it is a bit challenging to pick one that’s right for your career.
Depending on your requirements, these are the best options out there:
1. Grant Writing Certification – Technical Writer HQ
Rating: 9.5/10
Duration: 15 hours
Price: $199
The Grant Writing Certification Course is great for those of you who are looking to become skilled in grant writing, and don’t have the time or money needed to do so. The course covers all essential aspects that one would need to know about this field as well as more advanced concepts like presentations, networking with potential funding sources, and how they should match your organization’s needs.
The course also provides feedback on a graded capstone project which allows students to get feedback to ensure they’re on the right track. This program will equip anyone learning grant writing skills with everything they’ll need.
The curriculum also touches on advanced areas of grant writing, and there’s an entire section devoted to ensuring proper proposal-writing skills with over 7 quizzes/tests and certification that students can take at their own pace.
The course is taught by Josh (a certified grant writer with over 10 years of experience). There’s also a certification test and a capstone project.
For more information and to enroll, check out the Grant Writing Certification Course by Technical Writer HQ.
2. Skillshare Grant Writing
Rating: 8.5/10
Duration: 50 minutes (3 projects)
Price: $159 per month (Skillshare subscription)
Skillshare is an online learning and skill development platform that has introduced an easier and more accessible alternative for individuals looking to learn essential grant writing skills.
The Grant Writing Basics for Beginners course is ideal for people who are new to writing request documents.
It’s a 50-minute course that’s followed by 3 projects that you can complete at your own pace.
The course is led by Teresa Huff as she explains essential technical writing skills, potential funding sources to address, and how to write a successful grant proposal to funders. It starts from the basics and goes all the way up to addressing more complicated aspects of grant writing.
Students get to learn from her 20 years of experience in writing successful grants and how she has managed to secure millions worth of grants for her clients. Moreover, the course is both engaging and helpful in the practical sense.
One caveat is that the course only addresses grant proposal writing for schools and nonprofits instead of giving you an overview of the writing process. However, since most grant writing is done within the two establishments, the course stays beneficial.
You can view the course on any smartphone, tablet, or desktop device. Upon completion, you will receive a digital completion certificate stamped by Skillshare, stating that you are a professional grant writer.
For more information and to subscribe, visit Skillshare Grant Writing.
3. Udemy
Rating: 9/10
Duration: 1h 41m
Price: $14.99 (at a promotional discount, otherwise $44.99)
Udemy’s Federal Grant Writing 101 course touches on the essence of technical writing and appeals to government grants.
The principles taught in this course apply to almost every grant you may write, which turns you into a certified grant writer.
This grant writing certification caters to government agencies and is for companies/entities seeking government grants. The classes are led by Dr. Beverly Browning, an Advanced Grant Proposal Writing class teacher who has hosted multiple sessions in schools and colleges for this specific purpose.
The course is broken into 12 different sections, each with lectures covering hard and soft skills required throughout the grant writing process.
The first section covers the basics and provides information about formatting, content, what to address, who to address it to, and how to address it. The next section covers all the necessary forms that you have to fill in when submitting the grant. The last section addresses the frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the process.
The course package includes instructional videos, 35 downloadable resources, and a grant writing certification for your resume, and to display on your social media profiles.
You can access the course via the Udemy web portal or mobile app on both iOS and Android phones.
We recommend this course to all those looking to write exceptional grant-seeking proposals without breaking your bank or having to spend weeks or months completing a training course.
The lifetime access and course material ensure that you have the guidelines necessary to improve your writing process.
For more information and to subscribe, visit Udemy Grant Writing.
4. University of South Carolina
Rating: 9.5/10
Duration: 5 Sessions (in-person, physical classes). 10 sessions (online)
Price: $1,322
If you’re looking for grant writing classes taught by a recognized educational institution, the certification offered by The University of South Carolina is for you.
The course is dedicated to helping students learn about the grant writing process and experience it by writing samples and getting them tested by expert evaluators.
You can either take the classes in person or online via Zoom. This gives you the freedom to learn at your own pace, in an environment where you are comfortable learning.
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 prepares individuals for practical and professional writing as well. This makes it a more complete course compared to others.
Students get to learn more about the research and writing process in a much more up-close and personal manner. Furthermore, they identify the different forms that you should fill for different industries, amounts, and more.
This Grant Writing program begins with helping individuals create a strategic outline for their queries. Next, it helps them develop newer ways to help their clients gain a much higher chance of securing grants via their successful grant proposals.
The course costs $1,322, which is high compared to some of the other courses available. However, because it’s an accredited course, by a recognized educational institution, no less, it’s recommended for everyone.
Once you are done, you get a high-level set of credentials that tells the whole world that you are a certified grant writer. This certificate is accepted more than Skillshare or Udemy certifications.
For more information and to subscribe, visit the University of South Carolina.
5. Portland State (Nonprofit)
Rating: 8.5/10
Duration: 9 weeks
Price: $900 ($800 for early-bird subscribers)
The Portland State University’s Grant Writing program is ideal for anyone looking to build theoretical as well as practical grant writing knowledge. Enrollment closed in September 2020 and will reopen in July or August for early birds.
Portland State is known for its vocational programs and certifications, with grant writing being one of the popular programs. grant writing certification and
It’s recognized throughout the US because of the advanced grant writing skill that graduates can develop. In fact, many nonprofit organizations require the certificate from Portland State as a prerequisite for hiring writers.
In addition to 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 expect to have practical experience and a strong proposal to include in your job market portfolio. Some specific areas that the program focuses on include:
- Environmental defense grant writing
- Racial equity cause grant writing
- Grant writing for animals
- Grant Writing for Indigenous Sustainability
Throughout the course, you get to learn from several experts as they use new, experimental learning approaches in which 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.
The course costs offer a lot of value to those who want to pursue a career in grant writing. We recommend the course to students, provided they don’t mind becoming professional grant writers for nonprofits only.
For more information and to purchase, visit Portland State University.
6. Ed2go
Rating: 9.8/10
Duration: 6 weeks
Price: $159
The ed2go advanced grant proposal writing certification is known in the industry as one of the most thorough courses for this vocational skill.
It’s suitable for those who have no writing experience whatsoever, as well as professional grant writers or technical writers who are looking to perfect their craft and/or apply for better jobs that require greater qualifications.
This certification is among the best awards for practical grant writing in the nonprofit sector.
When going through the course, we also found that it takes a much deeper and more thorough approach when explaining the grant proposal writing process, formatting, tone, the issues to address (and how), length of paragraphs, words to use, and avoid.
The course is headed by Dr. Beverly Browning who brings 40 years of experience to the table. The 12-lesson course starts with the cover letter and explains everything in great detail all the way up to the contact page.
Once you are done with the course, you will have the ability to write 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 for 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. The self-paced version lets you learn at your convenience. This is perfect for people who are working and can’t attend regular classes.
There is also the instructor-led online version that adopts a Bootcamp-like approach. The instructor-led course takes about 6 weeks to complete while the self-paced course is available for 3 months to help you study.
We recommend this course for all, considering how it is low-priced and in-depth. You can go through the course just on Windows or Mac.
For more information and to purchase, visit ed2go.
7. University of Georgia
Rating: 8/10
Duration: 24 hours
Price: $159
Another course suitable for beginners, this program can help you build a strong foundation for writing detailed and successful grant applications for foundations, nonprofits, schools, orphanages, shelters, and more.
The best 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 the University of Georgia are ideal for almost every potential grant writer, regardless of their existing grant writing knowledge.
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, and win a certificate without worrying about losing precious time.
While the course benefits beginners and writers looking to get into grant writing the most, it really is great for anyone looking to apply for the position.
For more information and to purchase, visit the University of Georgia.
8. Thompson Rivers University
Rating: 8.5/10
Duration: 30 weeks
Thompson Rivers University is not as prestigious as others on our list but when it comes to technical writing and grant certificate programs, it delivers in terms of knowledge imparted and skills developed.
The university always focuses on literature while implementing industry-specific best practices for grant writing to help individuals create exemplary and eye-catching grant proposals with minimal effort.
The course begins by helping students understand the key elements that go into the development of a grant application. Moreover, it teaches how to define the funding purpose, accountability, budget practices, and 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 facilities, art communities, nonprofits, and other professionals seeking persuasive, informative, and professional grant proposals to send over.
For more information and to purchase, visit Thompson Rivers University.
Summary
When writing grants, you aren’t just working to polish your own expertise but are also working to further a cause that could have a positive impact on people’s lives. This makes it all the more important to become a highly-skilled grant writer.
We recommend you take one of the courses above to grow your career prospects and to help those who need funding by using what you learn to write the best, most compelling grant proposal yet.
FAQs
Now that we have covered the best grant writing certifications you can enroll in, let us consider some of the most asked questions in the industry.
What is Grant Writing?
Grant writing is the act of compiling the information necessary to apply for and procure funding from private, commercial, or federal grants, and then crafting a request letter with said information. The goal of grant writing is to persuade funding entities into providing the writing entity with the required funding. A basic proposal includes a cover letter, budgetary requirements, and fund allocation specifics.
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. On the other hand, with the help of grant writing classes, writers can master the skill within 1-2 years and then keep on making improvements. Certified grant writers are paid more than those without certification because of the classes they took.
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 experienced grant writers can charge up to $75-150 per hour. The flat fee is anywhere between $200 to $700 (or more), depending on the project’s scope.
