The table below outlines a “typical” distinction between full-service, strategy-focused, and editing levels of service. During an initial project exploration call with the client, we collaboratively identify which combination of services will offer the most value for each particular engagement. 

 

Positioning the Application for Success   Full Service       Strategy      Editing +
Launch meeting ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Project management work plan ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Program design planning tools ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Program planning strategy sessions ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Program brief to share with stakeholders ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Rejected proposal review and road map ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Developing a Strong Proposal   Full Service       Strategy      Editing +
Detailed narrative outline ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Narrative development ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Review initial draft, editing, and feedback ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Needs data and best practices research ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Budget templates aligned with the RFP ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Budget development support ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Logic model ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Evaluation outcomes/objectives ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Letters of support/MOU templates  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Partner meeting agenda development  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Partner meeting facilitation  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Specific attachments to the application  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Quality Assurance & Submission   Full Service       Strategy      Editing +
Narrative review against the RFP  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Proofreading and elevating language  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Cross-checking details across all application documents  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Formatting  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Packaging  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
Submission  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅  ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅

 

Capacity Building Post-submission

  • Project debrief for process improvement
  • Grant opportunity research
  • Custom trainings 
  • Boilerplate language for use in future grants

 

Package A: Full Service
For our “full-service grant writing” package, we take responsibility for all or most of the components of a grant proposal — which may include facilitating grant planning meetings, researching needs data and other background research, recommending evidence-based strategies, writing the grant narrative, designing the project evaluation, crafting the grant budget and budget narrative, work plan, logic model, letters of agreement, and other elements — along with assembling and submitting the completed proposal. 

This package is right for clients who:

  • are starting a new grant from scratch
  • are less experienced with a particular type of competitive funding (e.g., Federal grants)
  • lack the internal staff time/capacity to put together a highly competitive proposal
  • prefer a heavier amount of highly customized guidance and support

 

Package B: Strategy
Our “strategy” package offers specific strategies, tools, and expertise your team can utilize to put together a winning proposal. We work with you to identify exactly where your team needs help and prepare a customized package of support to develop a winning proposal within your budget and team’s capacity. 

This package is right for clients who:

  • want to take on a larger role in their application process but could benefit from specific expertise, tools, direction, or guidance
  • have an existing organizational infrastructure to support grants
  • are in an organizational transition and want to reposition their work for funders and stakeholders
  • need help finding funding opportunities
  • are seeking to establish strategic partnerships
  • need help understanding the competitiveness of their programs
  • may want or need to limit their expenditures on consulting services

 

Package C: Editing 
Our “editing” package includes:

  • Reviewing drafts of grant narratives and other documents against the RFP’s criteria and priorities, identifying areas that should be strengthened, and providing specific guidance for that purpose
  • Developmental editing (if needed), wordsmithing, and reinforcing key concepts into the language and argument to make the narrative more compelling
  • Proofreading
  • Limited strategy consultation, based on the initial review and analysis, which can include, for example, thought partnership on program design, tools for data collection among partners/staff, custom visuals to illustrate program design and outcomes, templates for letters of support or board review, outlining the narrative, etc (optional)
  • Checking for consistency within the application across documents (i.e. budget and justification, letters of agreement, etc.) (optional)
  • Packaging and submission (optional)

This package is right for clients who:

  • do not need help with program planning
  • have the capacity to produce strong initial drafts of grant documents
  • welcome feedback and edits
  • may want or need to limit their expenditures on consulting services