Grant Writing and Consulting Service Contract

What a good one includes

• A highly detailed scope of work specifying exactly which grants will be researched, drafted, or submitted, along with explicit deadlines for each draft.
• A clear fee structure that outlines hourly rates, flat fees, or milestone payments, while explicitly prohibiting commission-based or contingency fees to comply with ethical fundraising standards.
• A comprehensive intellectual property clause stating that the NGO retains full ownership of all organizational data, narratives, and final grant proposals.
• A robust confidentiality agreement to protect sensitive donor databases, strategic plans, and proprietary program methodologies shared with the consultant.
• A clear termination clause that outlines how either party can end the contract early, including notice periods and how partial work will be compensated.
• An independent contractor clause confirming that the consultant is not an employee, which protects your organization from unexpected tax and benefit liabilities.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Tying the consultant’s payment to the success of the grant, which violates the ethical codes of major fundraising professional associations and can disqualify your application.
• Failing to define a concrete timeline for review cycles, leading to rushed, last-minute submissions that compromise proposal quality.
• Neglecting to specify who is responsible for the actual submission of the grant portal credentials, causing missed deadlines due to technical access issues.
• Relying on vague verbal agreements regarding rewrite requests, which often results in scope creep and uncompensated labor for the writer.

Frequently asked questions