
People often use a grant writer’s win rate to evaluate if they have the skills, experience and talent to help them win funding.
But what is a good success rate for a grant writer?
Well, while there are many opinions, the short answer is...it depends. A grant writer’s proven track record needs to be relevant to your industry and your organization.
Success in Relation to Your Industry
One way to gauge win rate is in the context of the industry and speciality.
Giving follows trends. For example, giving focused on STEM education and workforce preparation has increased.
If a grant writer works in these “popular areas,” they will have a higher success rate than if they work in an area receiving less funding and exposure overall.
Success in Relation to Your Organization
It’s estimated that one in 10 grants are successful, and out of private funders, only 28% accept unsolicited proposals.
This means a grant writer working with newer or smaller organizations that lack wide community recognition will have a lower success rate than a grant writer working with an established organization.
If your organization has a robust grant program, then a 60 to 80% success rate is generally a good benchmark for the grant writer working with you.
Conclusion
You need some way to measure a grant writer’s aptitude. However, because so many variables affect a successful grant, including geography, funder preferences and giving trends, to name a few, it’s more effective to ask the prospective grant writer for a list of successful grants related to your industry and for organizations similar to yours.
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