In-House vs. Outsourced Grant Writing: What’s Best for Your Nonprofit?
- elaine4122
- Aug 11
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 18
You know the scenario.
You’re the Executive Director wearing all the hats. You’re reviewing budgets during the day and writing grant proposals on evenings and weekends, half proud, half overwhelmed.
Or perhaps you’ve been sitting on a great opportunity but haven’t submitted because no one on your team has the time (or confidence) to tackle it.
Or maybe you’ve even hired an in-house grant writer but they never seem to stay longer than 18 months. Just when they’re finally up to speed, they leave. You’re back to square one, scrambling to fill the role and wondering how much momentum you’ve lost in the transition.
Sound familiar?
You’re not alone. And at some point, every nonprofit team asks the same question:
Should we hire a full-time grant writer or outsource the work to a grant consulting agency?
It’s a smart question. And the answer depends on your organization’s stage, structure, and strategy. Both models have their benefits, but in our experience, the nonprofits that thrive long-term often rely on outsourced grant support. Or better yet, a hybrid model that combines internal leadership with external scalability.
In this post, we’ll walk you through:
What grant management actually includes (it’s more than just writing)
The pros and cons of hiring in-house vs. outsourcing
A third option that might be your best bet: a hybrid model
Let’s help you figure out which option can give you the consistency, strategy, and capacity your nonprofit needs.
What Is End-to-End Grant Management?
Before diving into whether you should hire internally or outsource, it helps to understand the full scope of what grant management actually entails, because it’s a lot more than just writing proposals.
At its core, end-to-end grant management is the entire lifecycle of securing and stewarding grant funding. It starts with strategic planning: things like assessing your organization’s grant readiness, setting funding priorities, and building a comprehensive grant calendar. From there, it moves into research and prospecting: identifying aligned opportunities, reviewing eligibility requirements, and vetting funders based on fit and timing.
The next layer involves relationship-building. Reaching out to potential funders, joining info sessions, or submitting letters of inquiry. Then comes the writing process itself: crafting compelling narratives, assembling attachments, building funder-aligned budgets, and tailoring each proposal to the opportunity.
But it doesn’t stop at submission. Post-award management is often where things fall apart for underprepared teams. Funders expect timely narrative and financial reports, proof of outcomes, and a high level of compliance. Tracking deadlines, maintaining communication, and preparing for renewal or follow-up funding all fall under the grant management umbrella.
In short, managing grants well requires strategic thinking, strong systems, great writing, and sustained attention over time. Many teams underestimate just how many moving parts are involved in grant management. It’s not just a one-and-done proposal. It’s a long game. And it takes infrastructure.
Option 1: Hiring an In-House Grant Writer or Manager
Hiring someone internally can be a great choice, especially for organizations with consistent funding streams, strong HR capacity, and a clear internal development strategy.
✅ Pros
Deep institutional knowledge of your programs and culture
Embedded in your team for regular meetings, story gathering, and updates
Can take on other cross-functional work (e.g., donor communication, events, etc)
❌ Cons
High overhead: Salary, benefits, onboarding, and turnover costs
May not have expertise across all types of grants (e.g., federal, foundation, corporate)
Burnout risk: One person managing strategy, writing, reporting, and compliance
Harder to scale up or down quickly
Option 2: Partnering with an Outsourced Grant Writing Team
Outsourcing grant writing, whether through a solo consultant or a full agency, has become increasingly popular, especially for growing nonprofits or those with limited internal bandwidth.
✅ Pros
Specialized expertise across sectors and funder types
Scalable capacity: Can support multiple deadlines or projects at once
Often more cost-effective than hiring a full-time employee
Brings a strategic lens: readiness assessments, grant calendars, long-term planning
Ideal for interim, overflow, or long-term support
❌ Cons
May require more upfront onboarding time
Not physically embedded in your org (though communication tools help)
Quality varies: It’s important to choose the right firm or consultant
Option 3: Best of Both Worlds: The Hybrid Model
For many nonprofits, the smartest solution isn’t either/or… it’s both. Some of our clients combine the two approaches, and we think it’s often the smartest way to scale.
In a hybrid model, your in-house development lead manages relationships, coordinates with programs, and handles reporting, while an external grant agency provides strategic guidance, writing capacity, and big-picture thinking.
This model gives you:
Continuity and context internally
Flexibility and focus externally
Capacity without burnout
When to Consider Outsourcing Grant Writing Services
Wondering if it’s time to bring in external support? You’re likely ready if:
You’re applying for more grants than your team can manage
You’ve missed deadlines or avoided applying altogether because of internal bandwidth
You need help building a grant calendar or multi-year funding strategy
You want to improve your success rate, but aren’t sure how
You’re navigating federal, corporate, or competitive opportunities for the first time
What It’s Like to Work With Just Look Left
We help nonprofits build funder-aligned strategies, write competitive proposals, and manage the full grant cycle without overwhelm. Our services include:
🗓️ Grant calendar design
✍️ Grant proposal writing
📊 Reporting and post-award support
🧭 Grant readiness assessments
🤝 Funder relationship coaching
Our team is:
Women-owned, equity-driven, and mission-aligned
Nationally experienced with a strong foundation in the Pacific Northwest
Proud to have a 45% win rate and over $5M raised in 2024
Client Success Story:
One of our clients had a part-time grant writer juggling multiple roles. When they partnered with our team, we took over their calendar build, supported three major proposals in Q1, and helped them increase submitted proposals by 40%, all without burning out their staff.
Whether you need an end-to-end partner, a short-term solution, or a collaborative thought partner alongside your in-house team, we’re here to help.
Final Thoughts: What’s Best for You?
There’s no single right answer.
If you have stable funding, deep internal knowledge, and the capacity to manage a staffer, an in-house grant writer might make sense.
If you need expertise, flexibility, and a strategic partner, outsourcing may be the better fit.
And if you want both context and capacity, the hybrid model gives you the best of both worlds.
Whatever you choose, remember: building your grant program is a long-term investment. The right support can move you from reactive to strategic and from underfunded to thriving.
💬 Let’s talk about your grant strategy.
