Education Requirements
In general, you need at least a bachelor's degree, and a Master's or PhD is preferred.
Grant Preofessional Certification (GPC) Course:
A national certification course that teaches students the finer points of grant writing, enabling proposals and applications to be more competitive. It can be taken simply as an exam to receive the certification, or as a course concluding with the exam. It presumes 2-3 years of grant writing experience, and will assure any grant-provider that you are a resource whose skills have been validated by the Grant Professionals Organization. Find more information on earning your GPC here.
A national certification course that teaches students the finer points of grant writing, enabling proposals and applications to be more competitive. It can be taken simply as an exam to receive the certification, or as a course concluding with the exam. It presumes 2-3 years of grant writing experience, and will assure any grant-provider that you are a resource whose skills have been validated by the Grant Professionals Organization. Find more information on earning your GPC here.
"I recommend volunteering in the sector to get a credential...what's happened over the past decade is that there are starting positions available, but employers want experience, so however you can, get that. As a volunteer, as an intern, as a student project: it will help."
-Paul Oostenbrug, Grant Professional Certified (GPC)
If you don't have a PhD, don't despair!
While the present economic recession has put a damper on the number of employment opportunities available, it has also created a window of opportunity for the less-credentialed job applicant. The number one characteristics that employers are seeking is experience. So if you haven't earned that PhD or even a Master's in your specific field, you can still be an attractive candidate if you have enough firsthand experience, especially in the world of grant development, where connections and prior knowledge are learned on the job.
While the present economic recession has put a damper on the number of employment opportunities available, it has also created a window of opportunity for the less-credentialed job applicant. The number one characteristics that employers are seeking is experience. So if you haven't earned that PhD or even a Master's in your specific field, you can still be an attractive candidate if you have enough firsthand experience, especially in the world of grant development, where connections and prior knowledge are learned on the job.
"Writers and authors who have adapted to online media and are comfortable writing for and working with a variety of electronic and digital tools should have an advantage in finding work" -US Department of Labor on projected employment within the next decade
If you do have more than an undergrad degree, supplement it with experience:
According to MyFootpath, the most common undergraduate majors for a non-profit grant writer are: English, marketing, or public relations, but no specific degree is required. Most non-profit writers do have legal training to help them work within the legal regulations and tax laws surrounding charity. Experience working for nonprofits is very valuable, so volunteering and internships may be useful to someone trying to get started.