10 Best Grant Writing Certifications in 2024: Reviews and Pricing
Are you looking for granting writing certifications that will give you the edge you need to land jobs in 2024? Look no further.
With education and skill development moving into the online space, finding a comprehensive grant writing certification is easier than ever. There are tons of online accrediting organizations that offer grant writing classes.
There is no shortage of practical and info-rich online courses. In this article, we’ll list the top ten grant writing certifications for 2024 and their pricing.
Let’s start.
Top 10 Grant Writing Certification Courses in 2024
Here are the best grant writing certification programs for 2024.
1. Grant Writing Certification – Technical Writer HQ
Duration: 15 hours
Price: $199
We rated the Grant Writing Certification Course as the number one grant writing certification course. The Grant Writing Certification is a course by Technical Writer HQ with all the essential and advanced concepts that any professional grant writer should know. Plus, you get teacher feedback on a graded capstone project.
It teaches students practical grant writing concepts and covers research, presentations, and networking. It also focuses on locating potential funding sources that match your organization.
These are all critical competencies in the grant writing business.
Because the course touches on additional (more advanced) areas of grant writing, it’s also beneficial for people who already have jobs as grant writers. The course also has a dedicated section to ensure stellar proposal writing. This is an area many grant writing courses lack.
The course is taught by Josh (a certified grant writer with over ten years of experience). There are over 7 quizzes, a certification test, and a capstone. Because of how comprehensive the courses on Technical Writer HQ are, they have some of the best ratings in the writing industry.
For more information and enrollment, check out the Grant Writing Certification Course by Technical Writer HQ.
2. Udemy – Grant Writing for Nonprofits and Freelance Writers
Duration: 1 hour, 34 minutes
Price: $24.99
This grant writing certification targets beginners looking to enter the world of grant writing as freelancers or under nonprofit organizations.
It focuses on improving their research and technical writing skills before applying for government grants.
The course is taught by Tim Whitney, who has secured many multi-million dollar grants. In this course, he gives 17 lectures, which add up to an hour and 34 minutes of learning.
It provides students with real-life examples, strategies for composing successful grant proposals, and the kind of language to use while writing to different entities.
It also teaches the non-technical aspects of being a grant writer, such as building relationships and how to think like funders.
While the course retails for $24.99, Udemy often runs discounts on all its courses. Depending on the promotional offer, this course may be available for as low as $11.99.
A bonus of this certificate program is that once you are enrolled, you get free lifetime access to the resources. Having resources to look back on whenever you’re in doubt is a thoughtful consideration by any course instructor.
For more information and enrollment, check out Grant Writing for Nonprofits and Freelancers by Udemy.
3. Skillshare – Grant Writing Basics for Beginners
Duration: 50 minutes
Price: Free 14-day trial/$19 monthly fee
This course is the perfect option for beginners without prior grant writing experience.
It consists of 10 classes, for a total of 50 minutes. This is the perfect length and pacing for a beginner’s course.
This program answers general questions and concerns a new writer may have. However, it doesn’t get into the details of drafting proposals.
The course is taught by professional grant writer Teresa Huff, who has 20 years of experience in the industry. She starts by walking the students through how to get started with writing, shares some common industry knowledge, and provides tips on how to think like a grant writer.
It’s important to note that the course focuses on grants for schools and nonprofits only.
Skillshare’s grant writing certification may be free if you sign up for the trial version of your Skillshare membership. After the trial, you pay $19 per month.
For more information and to enroll, check out Grant Writing Basics for Beginners by Skillshare.
4. Thompson Rivers University – Professional and Academic Proposal Writing
Duration: 30 weeks
Price: $875 – $1584 (CAD)
This grant writing certification is an excellent program for beginners and intermediate writers.
It is helpful for several entities across the grant writing spectrum, including education, government, health, art, and the nonprofit sector.
The course teaches students skills such as developing a grant proposal, how to define the prime purpose of funding, coming up with efficient budget strategies, and knowing how to tie loose ends after awarding funds.
This course’s price ranges from $695 to $1258. This includes reading material and the shipping cost of delivering the contents to you.
The writing course takes students through the procedures and guidelines of writing successful grant applications, such as creating practical introductory sections and the letter of intent (LOI).
The course doesn’t touch on interpersonal skills despite going over many fundamentals. This makes the course ideal if you are new to the discipline and want to learn the foundational principles of writing grants.
For more information and enrollment, check out Professional and Academic Proposal Writing by Thompson Rivers University.
5. WVDO Certificate in Grant Writing
Duration: 9 weeks
Price: $900
This grant writing certification looks to impart practical writing skills to craft effective grant proposal applications.
This course has no prerequisites, and people with no experience can enroll. This makes it ideal for anyone moving to grant writing from any other writing discipline.
In terms of industry, this course helps you build experience writing for nonprofits. This can also benefit intermediate-level grant-writers.
Upon completion, students will get a letter of intent ready for submitting to different organizations. Plus, they will receive materials they can refer to, from which they can draw proposals.
Each enrollment round takes a maximum of 15 participants. This shows the amount of focus and individual attention that each attendee receives.
Having adapted to the Covid-19 situation, the classes are held once a week for three hours via Zoom.
If a student can’t afford the full tuition fee, they can request financial assistance.
Applying for this certification requires you to submit your updated resume, a statement that displays your writing and communication skills, and why you’re interested in this certification.
For more information and enrollment, check out Certificate in Grant Writing by WVDO.
6. University of Colorado at Colorado Springs – A to Z Grantwriting
Duration: 6 weeks/24 hours
Price: $135
The A to Z Grant Writing certification is ideal for helping students develop a framework for crafting a ‘Gold Medal Proposal Package,’ as the description puts it.
It teaches you everything you need to write a grant that will attract attention from potential funders, getting you closer to winning grants for causes you are passionate about.
This course is not limited to a specific industry in the grant writing realm. It works for the education and nonprofit management sectors and religious institutions.
Furthermore, this is an instructor-led course led by Linda Vallejo, who has 30 years of experience as a grant-writer across many industries.
Apart from teaching you the technical skills required in writing grants, it also introduces you to important work outside grant crafting. These include organization, collaboration, presentations, and confidence.
These are skills that beginners may sometimes lack.
For more information and enrollment, check out A to Z Grant Writing by the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
7. Arizona State University
Duration: 7 weeks, 12-15 hours/week
Price: $1050, $1175
Arizona State University offers two grant writing certifications. One is for beginners, the other for mid-level writers. Students can take the latter after completing the first and getting some hands-on experience.
Grant Development: State and Foundation Proposals
This course covers strategic planning, and the necessary elements students need to keep in mind when drafting proposals. The highly interactive course is priced at $1050 and is seven weeks long.
Although it’s ideal for people new to applying for grants, ASU describes this course as ‘fast-paced and intensive.’
This course does not have an instructor. Individuals must participate and engage with the material while the knowledge specialist provides feedback throughout the course.
ASU has a second course for more advanced grant-writers.
Advanced Grant Development: Federal Proposals
This course is geared more towards individuals with more experience in grant writing. It also grooms writers to be able to write competitive federal grant proposals.
Participants work in smaller groups with the knowledge specialist and have the added benefit of getting reviews before submitting for federal grants.
Since this is a more advanced course, it requires prior experience writing state and foundations grants. However, the course accepts college-level studies focusing on this as work experience.
The tuition for this grant writing certification stands at $1175, but if taken after the beginner grant writing course, you get a 25% discount.
For more information and enrollment, check out Grant Development and Proposal Writing Certificates by Arizona State University.
8. San Diego State University – Professional Certificate in Grant Writing
Duration: 10 weeks
Price: $449
San Diego State University recognizes many nonprofits and charitable causes that require grants.
This recognition has led them to create their grant writing certification. Students are required to complete two courses to attain this certificate:
- Introduction to grants and Funding Research
- Grant Proposal Development
The initial course is structured to accommodate new grant writers and freelance writers. It helps with the ABCs of grant writing.
The second course is for students with experience seeking an opportunity to practice their skills further.
Furthermore, this course is specific to the nonprofit sector, involving clinics, environmental organizations, local schools, and food banks. It’s not suitable for those looking to develop their portfolio as writers for businesses or research.
For more information and enrollment, check out Professional Certificate in Grant Writing by San Diego State University.
9. ed2go – Advanced Grant Proposal Writing
Duration: 24 hours
Price: $115
This course is for more advanced writers who hold some prior experience. It explores formatting and structure more closely than other grant writing certifications.
Besides building the base of your grant writing knowledge, this course shows you how to move forward after getting grants.
Additionally, students learn how to create non-technical, practical skills.
The course offers two modes of teaching.
The instructor-led variant takes 6-12 weeks to complete, while the self-study version allows you to go at your own pace.
The course instructor, Dr. Beverly Browning, holds a whopping 40 years of experience as a grant writer.
For more information, check out Advanced Grant Proposal Writing by ed2go.
10. University of South Carolina
Duration: 5 in-class sessions (7 hours each)/10 online sessions (3 hours each)
Price: $1332
The University of South Carolina (USC) provides one of the most extensive and elaborate grant writing certifications. It prepares professionals for aspects critical to the grant writing discipline.
The course is a formal training program. It starts with an introductory course to the discipline, followed by a needs-based assessment.
Following the intro course, there’s a program development and evaluation section. This focuses on strategic models and tools for writing a successful grant proposal.
Furthermore, the final section of the curriculum teaches the actual grant writing process.
It provides students with outlines, hands-on training, as well as the opportunity to have their work reviewed by peers and professionals.
The online sessions are instructor-led, with no self-paced version yet.
For more information and enrollment, check out Grant Writing by the University of South Carolina.
Online Grant Writing Certification FAQs
Here are some of the most common questions about grant writing certifications.
What is grant writing?
Grant writing is the act of writing proposals on behalf of an organization. Organizations use proposals to apply for grants and secure funding from government agencies or private sponsors. A grant writer works in industries such as nonprofit organizations. They are also indispensable in areas like businesses, research, and education. In essence, it’s a form of goal-oriented technical writing.
Do I need to be certified to work as a grant writer?
The short answer is no. Being a grant writer does not require a specific degree or certification. However, degrees and certificates help grant writers achieve quicker and easier career progress. Grant writing certifications inform recruiters and clients of your credibility, overall skill level, and how dedicated you are to the cause. However, it is not a requirement.
How do I choose a grant writing certificate?
To choose the ideal grant writing certification, you must have a career map in mind. Once you have that, pick a course that delivers knowledge and skills ideal for that. It’s also vital to choose a certification program that aligns with which professional sector you want to work for (nonprofits, education, healthcare).
