01 Aug Can I Pay You After the Grant is Awarded? by Julie Assel, GPC
There are 3 reasons why grant writers should be paid regardless of whether a grant is awarded or not.
Grant success depends on many things. The quality of the grant writing is only one component. Additional key components include:
- Whether the grant opportunity is a good match,
- Whether the organization reached out to the funder to develop a relationship first,
- Whether the program is strong,
- Whether the budget is consistent with the narrative, with enough expenses to do the work but not be bloated,
- Whether the organization is qualified and capable to implement the program, and
- Whether the program is well evaluated.
A grant professional may be responsible for one or more of these additional components, but they are rarely responsible for program quality.
A grant funder is interested in funding a program to help people. It is rare for grant writing fees to be written into a program budget because grants pay for activities happening after a grant is funded, not before it has been approved.
The Grant Professionals Association Code of Ethics states:
- Members shall work for a salary or fee.
- Members may accept performance-based compensation, such as bonuses, provided such bonuses are in accordance with prevailing practices within the members’ own organizations and are not based on a percentage of grant monies.
- Members shall not accept or pay a finder’s fee [3], commission [4], or percentage compensation based on grants and shall take care to discourage their organizations from making such payments.
- Compensation should not be written into grants unless allowed by the funder.
All of the grant professionals at Assel Grant Services are members of this association, which is widely considered the authority in grants. We are proud of our membership in this organization. With Assel Grant Services, you can be assured of grant professionals who subscribe to a specific code of high ethical standards.
GPC Competency 6: Knowledge of nationally recognized standards of ethical practice by grant developers. Skill 7: Distinguish between ethical and unethical methods of payment for the grant-development process.