Grant Writer Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Grant Writer resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Grant writers are responsible for researching and writing grant proposals that request funding from private foundations or government agencies. When you’re just starting out in this field, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Luckily, there are some tips and an example below to help you write an effective grant proposal.
How to Write a Grant Writer Resume
Here’s how to write a grant writer resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most important part of your resume because they’re the first thing recruiters and hiring managers will see. And they’re the best way to showcase your experience and qualifications.
So it’s crucial that you use them to your advantage. And the best way to do that is by using specific, detailed bullet points that clearly describe your responsibilities and achievements.
For example, rather than saying you “wrote grant proposals,” you could say you “wrote grant proposal for $1 million in funding for new after-school program for low-income students, resulting in funding being approved.”
The second bullet point is much stronger because it provides more detail about what exactly you did and the outcome of your work.
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for a grant writer role, your resume will likely be scanned by an applicant tracking system (ATS) for certain keywords. ATS programs rank resumes based on the number of relevant keywords that are found in the job posting. If your resume doesn’t have enough of the right terms, your application might not even make it to a human recruiter.
One way to make sure your resume includes the right keywords is to read through each job posting and take note of the terms that are used most often. Then, when you’re writing or updating your resume, be sure to include those same words in relevant sections like “work experience” and “skills.” Here are some of the most common grant writer keywords:
- Grant Writing
- Nonprofit Organizations
- Fundraising
- Proposal Writing
- Grant Management
- Event Planning
- Community Outreach
- Public Policy
- Research
- Program Evaluation
- Writing
- Fundraising Strategies
- Social Media
- Volunteer Management
- Grant Proposal Writing
- Grant Evaluation
- Grant Acquisition
- Grant Application
- Editing
- Grant Writing Services
- Research Writing
- Strategic Planning
- Business Strategy
- Team Leadership
- Change Management
- Business Planning
- Business Development
- Management
- Microsoft Access
- Organization Skills
Showcase Your Technical Skills
Grants writers use a variety of software programs and systems to complete their work, so it’s important to list any relevant technical skills you have. Programs like Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Google Suite (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar), and social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter are all commonly used by grant writers. Additionally, grant writers may be called on to use specific software programs relevant to their industry, so it’s important to be familiar with as many programs as possible.