What is the ROI on hiring a professional grant writer?
Any grant writer worth their salt will be sure to let you know that paying for grant writing services doesn’t come with guarantees on grant funding. Some people wonder—then what’s the point of hiring a professional grant writer?
While it can vary depending on the organization, the quality of the writer, and the size of the grants pursued, hiring a grant writer can come with a significant return on investment (ROI). Don’t forget that the benefits aren’t only financial. Hiring a grant writer can help you build a long term strategy and develop stronger materials that you get to keep even after your contract ends. Not to mention the reduced stress, taking these tasks off your plate so you can focus on your mission, and a team to help you.
Here’s a breakdown to help you understand the potential financial payoff.
Average ROI Ranges
A strong professional grant writer can return anywhere from 4x to 10x your investment, depending on a few key factors like:
Grant size
Project complexity
Funder's competitiveness
Writer’s experience
For Example:
If you pay a grant writer $5,000 to write a proposal and your organization secures a $100,000 grant, that’s a 20:1 ROI — a pretty incredible return.
Breakdown of Potential Returns
Note: These are averages. Some writers or firms work on a flat-fee basis, others hourly or per proposal.
What Are You Really Paying For?
You're not just paying for someone to "write." A professional grant writer brings:
Strategy: Knows which grants are worth your time.
Research Skills: Can uncover new funding opportunities you didn’t know existed. Grant writers (like us!) have subscriptions to grant databases giving us more information in a single place.
Expertise: Knows how to frame your project to match funder language. We know many of these funders, what they’re looking for, and how to describe your project in a way that they’ll resonate with.
Compelling Writing: Tells your story clearly and powerfully. As a nonprofit organization leader, you have to be a generalist. We are specialists, focusing
Compliance: Makes sure your proposal checks every box and follows every rule.
A Few Caveats
No one can guarantee funding — and you should beware anyone who does.
ROI depends heavily on your organization's readiness: strong programs, measurable outcomes, and clear needs tend to win more often.
Grant writing is an investment — returns may come months after submission.
When Hiring Makes Sense
Hiring a pro makes the most sense when:
You’re applying for larger grants ($25k+)
You don’t have anyone in-house capacity with grant writing experience
You need help developing a grant strategy, not just a single proposal
You want to increase your success rate or break into new funding markets
Final Thought
Hiring a professional grant writer isn’t just a cost — it’s a strategic investment in your organization’s growth and sustainability. If you partner with the right person, the ROI can be substantial — not just in dollars secured, but in time saved, stress reduced, and funding relationships built.
We want to help nonprofits get funded. That means we offer services that can help you now at a variety of budget levels. Reach out for a free no pressure conversation. You’ll walk away with increased clarity about your next steps.