While countless books line the shelves claiming to teach you how to write a grant, only one discusses how to create a career as a grant writer. Careers in Grant Writing by Caroline S. Reeder attempts to do what the others don’t—explain how you can write grants for others, for a living. Other books want to walk you through the steps of finding funding and composing a grant, but Reeder tries to tell you how to get your foot in the door in order to bring home the bacon.
As an aspiring proposal writer, I looked forward to a book by a seasoned, professional grant writer. With the growing need for funding in organizations and the volume of grants available, this career choice seems like a viable option. While I enjoyed Reeder’s candid prose, there was no striking information that hadn’t been thought of before, assumed, or found elsewhere. The short text seems written for someone with no idea of what grant writing is or what grant writers do. While this may be valuable for someone, somewhere out there, for a person with an inkling of an idea about grant writing it is a summary, amassing information found in other places together in one small notebook, easily carried but also easily overlooked.
After quickly scanning through what a grant is and what characteristics go with a grant writer position, the 35-page text touches upon the daily responsibilities of a grant writer and how to get a job in the field. Apparently, education is not as vital to the position as experience. Reeder suggests volunteering or working an internship to get the experience necessary to secure a position. While an entry level position is available through education and training courses, the author doesn’t give the reader the feeling that this is actually a viable option. I wonder if this is true, or if perhaps this is because the author didn’t enter the field that way? How much of this text is based upon Reeder’s experience and how much is based upon research into grant writing careers?
Perhaps the most valuable aspect of the book is Reeder’s discussion on the merits of working for an organization versus freelance grant writing. She discusses the pros and cons of benefits and scheduling, and the best way to get paid. Moving on, Reeder touches upon the daily duties involved in grant writing, which are not just composing, but also researching, working with others, maintaining schedules, and building relationships.
While it appears Reeder didn’t intend on becoming a grant writer, she has done well in the field and her self-published book is the only one discussing a career in the field versus the how-tos of writing a grant. Since the need of funding is increasing, the demand for skilled grant writers is growing. While this short book is a summary of information, it is nice to have that information organized and tucked away in a book that is easy to carry around.
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Photos from Amazon.