Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't Seliger + Associates work for contingent fees?
In most cases, grant preparation costs or fees cannot be paid from a grant, unless such costs are included as eligible cost items in the RFP budget instructions and your budget request. Thus, proposing to trade grant writing services for a percentage of grant funds is generally unethical and/or illegal. Grant preparation costs and fees are usually paid from other agency resources, such as individual donations, reserves, indirect cost recovery, etc. (top)

I'm thinking about setting up a nonprofit corporation. When should I start looking for grants?
Following the submission of an application, it takes the IRS up to six months to issue a letter of determination of tax exemption under Section 501(c) of the tax code. There is no point in conducting grant source research or submitting proposals until you either have the letter of determination in hand or are within a month or two of receiving it. While there are rare exceptions, to be eligible for the vast majority of grants, you must have a 501(c)3 letter. (top)

Does Seliger + Associates offer grant writing seminars?
Seliger + Associates does not offer grant writing seminars. Unless you are already an accomplished writer, a grant writing seminar will be of little use in learning to become a grant writer. Grant writing is a highly specialized form of technical writing that takes exceptional writing skills, the ability to write under extreme deadline pressure and an understanding of human service delivery. Such skills cannot be developed in a day or two. Most novice grant writers would be better served taking an English composition or Journalism class at a local college. The only way to learn to become a grant writer is by writing many proposals. So, if you want to get started and you consider yourself a good writer, find a nonprofit organization and volunteer to write proposals for them. You'll find out fairly quickly if you have what it takes. (top)

Why doesn't Seliger + Associates work for individuals or most for-profit businesses?
While there are exceptions, the vast majority of grants are made to nonprofit, 501(c)3 organizations, not individuals or businesses. You may receive junk e-mail pitches or see TV ads touting grants for individuals or businesses, but these are misrepresentations at best. Any money you spend on guide books or seminars is wasted. If you are low-income, however, you may qualify for certain grants and low interest loans for such purposes as home repair, first time home buying and the like. You should contact your local city or county community development or housing department to check eligibility. Regarding businesses, unless you have a highly specialized research enterprise, you are very unlikely to find any grant funds. You are unlikely to find grant funds for retail, Internet or home business startups. (top)

Why doesn't Seliger + Associates calculate a grant writing "success" rate?
Seliger + Associates does not attempt to calculate rate of funded grants for several reasons. First, we work for all kinds of public and nonprofit agencies, large and small, old and new. This means that some have strong track records with funders, while others are attempting to enter new service areas. Additionally, we do not screen clients for their funding "potential." Rather, we generally accept any assignment, provided that we have the capacity to meet the deadline and the applicant appears to be eligible. Finally, our clients often do not tell us when they are funded. In some ways, grant writing is like playing the lotto. To win the lotto, you must buy a ticket; the more tickets you buy, the better your chances. To receive a grant, you must submit a technically correct proposal for a program for which your agency is eligible. After that, funding decisions depend on many variables, such as the number of applications submitted, mood of the reviewers, geographic and political considerations and many other factors not easily identifiable. The more high quality proposals you submit for different programs, the more grants you are likely to receive. Also, as you get proposals funded, funders are more likely to give you grants. Over time, you should achieve a 25% - 50% success rate. If less than 25% of your proposals are being funded, you're probably doing something wrong (e.g., incomplete application packages, ineligible applicant, etc.). If more that 50% of your grants are being funded, you probably are not stretching the envelop far enough by trying to get grants to extend your agency's service capabilities. (top)

Does Seliger + Associates hire independent contractor grant writers?
From time to time, Seliger + Associates does use independent contractor grant writers. Unless there is a specific notice on our web site, we do not have a need for additional contract personnel. We do not read or review unsolicited resumes, writing samples, etc., so do not e-mail or mail your qualifications. (top)

How much will a grant proposal cost to prepare and does the amount being requested impact the fee?
Seliger + Associates' fee for most individual grant writing assignments ranges from $3,500 - $10,000 with the average fee being about $5,500. Our fees are based on the complexity of the RFP and the amount of time we have to complete the assignment. A "normal" time frame is about four - six weeks to complete an assignment. In most cases, a shorter turnaround will result in a higher fee. Fees are never based on the amount being requested, because we do not work for contingent fees.

If you are looking for a lower-cost alternative for editing/writing assignments, please visit our affiliated company, Seliger Editing + Writing. (top)

Does Seliger + Associates have a special relationship with funders?
Seliger + Associates does not have any special relationships with funders and never attempts to influence funding decisions through lobbying efforts. Funders typically do not know about our involvement and we are transparent in the proposal development process. Our goal is to prepare high quality, technically correct proposals, enabling our clients to be considered for funding. (top)

Does Seliger + Associates provide a discount for nonprofit organizations or do you donate your services for a good cause?
Seliger + Associates' fees are the same for all clients, including nonprofits, since they make up a large percentage of our client pool. All of our clients have good causes, but we do not donate our services. (top)

I'm confused by the many acronyms in grant writing. What do they mean?
The world of grant writing is filled with acronyms. Here are some common ones: LEA (local education agency, e.g. school district); SEA (state education agency), IHE (institution of higher education, e.g. college/university); RFP (request for proposals); RFA (request for funding assistance); SGA (solicitation for grant assistance); NOFA (notice of funding availability); HUD (Dept. of Housing and Urban Development); CDBG (Community Development Block Grant Program); CSBG (Community Services Block Grant Program); EDA (Economic Development Administration); EDR (Economic Development Representative); EPA (Environmental Protection Agency); DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services); SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration); GFA (Guidance for Applicants); PA (Program Announcement); OJJDP (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; COPS (Community Oriented Police Services); CBO (community-based organization); FBO (faith-based organization); FY (fiscal year); TEA-21 (Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century); UPARR (Urban Parks and Recreation Recovery) and on and on. (top)