What should you look for in a grant consultant? Competence, certainly. But how do you evaluate competence in someone you've never worked with? And what else is important?

Here are four criteria to help you recognize and choose a good grant consultant. Someone who meets all four criteria should save you time and energy, in addition to providing expertise. And the best consultant might not be a "someone"----  a consultant with a team approach can offer special advantages.

Previous Experience

Ask about the types of proposals the consultant has written, or what type s/he specializes in---- foundation, federal, corporate? Ask about your subject area. If you are in public education it may not serve your interests to hire a consultant who has never written a proposal for K-12. If you are with a municipal government, does the consultant have experience with cities, counties and/or state agencies? Again, a team approach can help; team members with diverse backgrounds bring a variety of experience and strengths to the table.

Skill

Some people present themselves better verbally, so don't be wowed by a great interview; ask to see samples of previous proposals. Check the consultant's written materials, including website and written communications. Are they full of typos? This means you'll be proofreading the consultant's work against a very tight deadline.

Ask about the budget in a sample proposal----  did the consultant develop it? Or did the client? Is the consultant familiar with budgeting requirements of funding agencies and terms such as indirect cost rates, fringe benefits, and "allocable" costs?

Ask about technology skills---- can the consultant analyze data in Excel or produce a graphic to include in the narrative? Does the consultant know how to insert pictures images, convert to PDF documents, or make use of file-sharing portals such as DropBox?

Resourcefulness

Can the consultant help you create a winning project design? From scratch? A proposal developer needs to be two things: 1) a "logical visionary" with a 30,000-foot perspective, and 2) a nuts-and-bolts person who can translate this vision into details: strategies, activities, goals, outcomes, needs, aims, timeline, evaluation design, etc. We've found that a logic model is a good way of organizing major concepts as well as the innumerable details that must be addressed----  is the consultant familiar with logic models?

And how well connected is the consultant? Can this person identify local resources that might strengthen your proposal such as possible collaborating partners, or national resources such as evidence-based best practices?

Tough Love

A consultant should be able to evaluate your chances of winning a grant and give you an honest opinion. S/he should also realize challenges of the grant, should you win it, and apprise you of possible pitfalls in managing the project. A consultant should also offer support and training that builds your capacity; you should come out of the process better able to meet your next challenge.

With a good consultant, developing a grant proposal is a less daunting task. With this checklist in hand, you should be able to identify strong candidates who can help you.

Visit the GrantProse website for our free grant writing resources and guides.

Good News for Nonprofits

Nonprofits that receive federal pass-through funds are getting a break. The new OMB Uniform Guidance now requires government agencies and other pass-through entities to reimburse nonprofits for indirect costs they incur in providing services. The rules also define more costs as direct, fully reimbursable costs. Haven't negotiated an indirect cost rate? Download the U.S. Department of Labor's Guide for Indirect Cost Rate Determination and get started, or take the minimum indirect cost rate of 10%.

Funding for Healthy Food Projects

Looking for ways to fund a healthy food project? The Healthy Food Access Portal is a good place to start. This online resource includes links to federal, state, and local programs that fund projects increasing access to healthy food in low-income communities and communities of color. The site has information on grants, loans, and incentives, as well as reports, guides, webinars, and a searchable database of current funding opportunities.