John Green ⋅ Cary, NC Information Technology ⋅ 40 years experience

This is just my opinion, you may take with a grain of salt. From my experience, a veteran would much rather work for a company that turns a profit.

The question you may like to investigate is : would you rather work at a company that provides value for services at a fair price which people pay money for or would you rather work at a non-profit which is not rewarded for the perceived value ?

In other words, what drives your dependence on grants ? What emotional connection do you make to receiving a grant rather than creating a thriving for-profit business ?

Veterans (and I am one) prefer to work at a company that pays great wages. Non-profits typically do not because they are always underfunded. For-profit ventures don't seem to have that problem (funds are plentiful for successful going concerns).

Jennifer Polhemus ⋅ Santa Monica, CA Precision Research (self-employed) ⋅ 25 years experience

Grantwriting can be so rewarding, as you help nonprofits to realize their mission. Nolo Press (nolo.com) has a number of good resources, some are even free.

I suggest networking with the nonprofits in your area, including social services, YMCA, Girls & Boys Club, etc. Get to know the people and missions, so that you can suggest your services from a place of familiarity and knowledge. Some grantwriters work for free, so make it clear that you are a professional, and you charge for your services. Design your resume so it highlights the success stories -- grants awarded from your proposals.

Follow Kivi Leroux Miller and also Beth Kanter (Facebook & email lists). Very smart women who have lots of free resources. Also check out the http://www.npsolutions.org/ in your area. Best wishes!

Madeline Burchard ⋅ Livermore, CA Sandia National Laboratories ⋅ 1 years experience

Hi Joshua,

I have worked in the non-profit world and currently serve on the Board of Directors of one. My recommendation would be to set up your own freelance grant writing business and offer your services to veterans organizations nationwide in exchange for a percentage of the grant. Essentially, you would not be paid unless you successfully get a grant for an organization. Non-profit boards like mine are all volunteer-run and thus don't have dedicated grant writers. There are lots of organizations that would be happy to have you write grant applications on their behalf. The funny/sad thing is that there are grants out there ready for the taking!