Grant writing is a practicable skill that can enable projects, programming, and even paid positions. This is especially important in GLAMs (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums).
While regularly discussed in professional discourse and included as a preferred qualification in job postings, there are limited opportunities to learn about, let alone practice, grant writing.
Grants are granted funding allotments. Grant writing is the tool individuals or institutions use to present their proposals for grants. A grant can be very narrow or incredibly broad in its scope. Most generally, they are intended to help the grant recipient achieve a stated outcome. This outcome can range from anything from the digitization of a collection to a public humanities project to an intensive research project.
Considering the combination of many demands and limited funds information professionals face, grant writing is an especially critical skill.
Even if you have never written a grant proposal, you have written some sort of application before. Grant writing is just that, an application.
Whether the endeavor you are looking for support with is institutional or individual, you as the grant writer are advocating for the alignment of the aims you hope to achieve with the scope of the respective grant through your application.
While many grants are extremely competitive, it can be helpful to remind yourself that there are many grant opportunities and that you have put together a successful application for acceptance to an institution, a position, or an opportunity.
This guide contains links to further advice on writing grants, grant directories, and groups that might offer a community of support as you write.
