13 Grant Writer Resume Examples for 2025

To get a job as a grant writer, your resume needs to be clear and persuasive. This article offers proven resume examples and strategic tips to help you showcase your skills. We will cover how to highlight your writing abilities, your understanding of grant applications, and your experience managing projects. With the right approach, you can create a strong resume that will catch the attention of hiring managers.

  Compiled and approved by Marie-Caroline Pereira
  Last updated on See history of changes

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At a Glance

Here's what we see in top grant writer resumes.

  • Show Impact With Numbers: The best resumes show impact by using numbers. Examples include: secured $500,000 in funding, increased grant success rates by 20%, wrote 50 winning proposals, reduced editing time by 30%.

  • Include Relevant Skills: Include skills on your resume that you have and are mentioned on the job description. Some popular ones are grant research, budget management, proposal writing, funding sources, project planning. But don't include all of them, choose the ones you have and are mentioned in the JD.

  • Show Writing Samples: Include snippets of your writing. Examples: crafted winning proposal, expert in grant research, experienced in budget planning, knowledge of funding sources.

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Position your education correctly

As a grant writer, where you place your education on your resume sends a message about its current relevance to your capacity. If you are new to the workforce or your latest schooling strongly connects with grant writing, such as a degree in English, Communications, or Nonprofit Management, you should list your education before your experience. This helps hiring managers see your foundational knowledge quickly.

If you have been working as a grant writer or in a related position for some time, your real-world experience takes the spotlight. In such cases, detail your experience first. Any advanced coursework or certifications specific to grant writing or fundraising that enhances your expertise should come next, showcasing your commitment to staying current in the field.

Technical skills

List software tools you have used for grant writing, like database systems or project management tools. Showing your technical skills can set you apart.

Include any specific formats or guidelines you are familiar with, such as government grant requirements or private foundation criteria. This shows your versatility.

Ideal resume length

For grant writing positions, aim for conciseness. If you have less than 10 years of experience, keep your resume to one page. This shows you can prioritize information effectively. Focus on your most relevant grant writing successes, like successful funding achieved or complex proposals managed.

For more seasoned professionals, two pages can be appropriate to cover your wide range of experiences. Remember, the best information should be on the first page to capture attention quickly. Use larger margins and a clear font to ensure good readability, which is more important than squeezing in less critical information.

Highlight collaborative projects

When looking for a grant writer, employers often value teamwork and the ability to collaborate. Show you've worked well with others.

  • Include specific projects where you partnered with other teams or departments to craft a proposal.
  • Mention any cross-functional initiatives, like working with finance or marketing teams, to create a stronger application.

This demonstrates your ability to connect various perspectives and expertise, which can be crucial when trying to secure funding.

Beat the resume screeners

When you apply for a job as a grant writer, your resume may first be read by a computer program called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). It's important to make your resume ATS-friendly so it reaches a hiring manager. Here are steps you can take:

  • Use keywords from the grant writing job description. Include words like 'proposals,' 'funding,' and 'donors' to show your resume matches the job.
  • Keep the format simple. Use standard fonts and avoid images or graphics that can confuse the ATS.

Make sure your experience stands out by clearly listing your successful grant applications and the funds you helped to secure. Highlight your ability to research and match funding opportunities with a clear, easy-to-read layout.

Relevant proposals

Include successful grant proposals you have written. Highlight their impact and funding amounts. This shows your ability to secure grants.

Describe the organizations you worked with and how you supported their missions. This highlights your commitment and skills in the field.

Ignoring the details

When you write your resume, make sure you focus on the small but important details. Many people think about their big successes, but forget about the small pieces that show how they work. For example, as someone who writes grants, you need to be very good at research and paying attention to what each grant needs. List specific grants you have worked on and what you did to meet their special requirements.

Also, do not forget to show numbers that prove your success. This could mean how much money you won in grants, or the percent increase in funding your work helped achieve. Use simple figures and clear examples to make your point strong. If you add these details, your resume will stand out and show employers that you know how to get results with your grant writing skills.

Showcase relevant skills

When you write your resume, make sure you show how your skills match the job. Focus on skills that are important for grant writing like research, writing, and project management. Tell about your past work in a way that shows you're a good fit.

  • Include specific funders you've worked with and the amount of money you helped raise, using phrases like Raised $100K from private foundations.
  • List any grant writing software you're skilled in, for example, Proficient in GrantHub.
  • Describe your success in project planning, like Managed 5 grant-funded projects from start to finish.

Showcase your achievements

You should focus on your achievements rather than job duties when writing your resume. This means telling about the successful grants you have secured and the impact they’ve made.

Instead of simply listing responsibilities, like 'responsible for writing grant proposals,' turn them into accomplishments. For example, you might change this to 'secured $500,000 in grant funding for community health initiatives, exceeding targets by 20%.'

  • Before: Wrote and submitted grant applications.
  • After: Secured funding of $1.5 million from grant applications, outperforming the previous year’s funding by 25%.

Choose strong action verbs

When you apply as a grant writer, the verbs you use on your resume can show how active and effective you are at your job. Use verbs that make it clear you did more than just write; you influenced, led, and achieved. You want to tell the hiring manager about your role in clear and simple terms.

Think about the tasks you do and how you can describe them with energy. The right verbs will help your resume stand out. Here are five examples to get you started:

  • To show you can create persuasive proposals, use drafted, composed, formulated, assembled, crafted.
  • To highlight your success in getting funds, use secured, acquired, garnered, obtained, procured.
  • For demonstrating your research skills, use investigated, analyzed, surveyed, examined, assessed.
  • To convey your ability to manage multiple applications, use coordinated, organized, managed, oversaw, administered.
  • When showing how you engage with stakeholders, use collaborated, networked, negotiated, liaised, partnered.

Want inspiration for other action verbs you can use? Check out synonyms to commonly used action verbs like Seeking, Make, Deliver, Teach, Developed.

Showcase leadership in grant writing

As someone who has reviewed many applications, you must highlight any leadership roles or promotions you've received. It's not just about the title, but the responsibilities you've taken on that show you're ready for more. Think about times you've led a project or a team, or when you were recognized for your work with a promotion.

Here are some ways you might illustrate your growth:

  • Managed a team of volunteers to secure grants for a local non-profit, resulting in a 20% increase in funding.
  • Promoted from assistant to lead grant writer after consistently meeting application deadlines and securing funds above targets.

Remember, if you have guided others or taken on more complex tasks, these are good signs of leadership. Be sure to list any relevant achievements that show you have grown in your role and can handle more responsibility.

Essential grant writing skills

When crafting your resume, showcasing the right skills is key to getting noticed. As a grant writer, certain technical abilities are essential to perform your job well. Here's a list of skills you should consider including:

  • Research skills
  • Proposal writing
  • Grant sourcing
  • Project management
  • Budgeting
  • Data analysis
  • Knowledge of fundraising databases
  • Understanding of compliance and regulations
  • Proficiency in writing and editing tools
  • SEO and keyword optimization

Include these skills in a dedicated section or weave them into your job experience descriptions. This helps with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that scan for relevant keywords. Your ability to find and secure funding hinges on these skills, so make sure they are easy to find on your resume.

Remember, you do not need every skill listed. Focus on those that align with the job you want. For example, if you are aiming for work with a non-profit, emphasize your experience with fundraising databases and compliance knowledge. Tailor your skills to the role and the organization's needs.

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