Grant writing services: compare the work you can buy
Hiring a grant-writing firm starts with a scope decision: do you need suitable funding opportunities, a new proposal, help improving a draft, or continuing support? Compare the providers below by those tasks, then ask the firm you choose to put the deliverables and total commitment in writing.
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By GrantWriterMatch Editorial. Updated October 2, 2026.
Compare firms by the engagement you need
These are editorial listings in alphabetical order, not a quality ranking. A published service describes what a provider offers; it does not establish what a particular quote includes. Prices are in US dollars, and deadline capacity has not been confirmed.
| Writer or firm | Documented service focus | Fee or engagement condition | Direct contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connor Resource Associates | Paid research, foundation or government proposals, and editing | Research estimated at $500–$2,500; foundation proposals estimated at $3,000–$15,000+. Confirm add-ons. | Contact Connor Resource Associates |
| DH Leonard Consulting | Nonprofit grant planning, writing, editing and mock review | Quote required. Its FAQ describes custom annual support and says it does not accommodate isolated grant requests. Confirm any review-only arrangement. | Contact DH Leonard Consulting |
| Eva Garland Consulting | Scientific funding plans, full proposals, and scientific review | Quote required. Confirm the technical field, program, assigned consultant and scope. | Contact Eva Garland Consulting |
| McAllister & Quinn | Funding strategy and coordinated proposal development | Quote required. Confirm whether the engagement covers one proposal or continuing support. | Contact McAllister & Quinn |
| Seliger + Associates | Research, proposal writing, substantial editing and retainers | Most writing assignments: published $6,000–$20,000 range. Editing: $300/hour, 15 hours prepaid; $4,500 minimum commitment. | Contact Seliger + Associates |
| Think and Ink Grant Consulting | Research, writing and grant management | Quote required. Its described nonprofit route requires a 501(c)(3) determination and a $3 million+ annual operating budget. | Contact Think and Ink Grant Consulting |
For organization-specific fit, use the nonprofit comparison or SBIR specialist comparison. For the complete published-price evidence and a quote comparer, see grant writer costs.
What do these grant-writing services cover?
The matrices below separate published capabilities from a purchased package. Offered means the provider describes that work publicly. Not confirmed means our sources do not settle the specific task; it is not a statement that the provider cannot do it. Optional means the source describes an add-on or additional service. Your written scope determines inclusion, quantities and responsibility.
Research and proposal preparation
| Provider | Funding research | Proposal narrative | Budget or justification | Attachments and supporting material |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connor Resource Associates | Offered; separately priced research | Offered | Offered; budget development also appears as an optional add-on | Offered; documentation also appears as an optional add-on |
| DH Leonard Consulting | Offered; prospects and grant calendar | Offered; tailored letters of inquiry and proposals | Budget development described in its process; exact scope to confirm | Special-requirement support offered; preparation of every attachment not confirmed |
| Eva Garland Consulting | Offered; scientific funding planning | Offered; full scientific proposals | Budget-preparation support offered | Registration support offered; individual attachment duties not confirmed |
| McAllister & Quinn | Offered; strategic funding identification | Offered; coordinated writing teams | Exact budget-development responsibility not confirmed | Exact attachment-preparation responsibility not confirmed |
| Seliger + Associates | Offered; separately purchasable | Offered; government and foundation proposals | Exact budget-development responsibility not confirmed | Exact attachment-preparation responsibility not confirmed |
| Think and Ink Grant Consulting | Offered; prospects and calendar | Offered | Exact budget-development responsibility not confirmed | Exact attachment-preparation responsibility not confirmed |
Review, submission and continuing work
| Provider | Review or revision | Submission assistance | Continuing or post-award work | Scope boundary to confirm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connor Resource Associates | Editing and rewriting offered | Packaging and final-submission support offered | Optional post-award guidance and tracking tools | Which preparation tasks are included versus added to the fee |
| DH Leonard Consulting | Editing and mock review offered; a second mock review described on request | Submission assistance described | Annual grant support and grant-team development described | Whether the requested work fits its annual engagement model |
| Eva Garland Consulting | Scientific review and editing offered | Full-proposal submission and registration support described | Separate accounting and compliance services | Whether proposal and post-award services require separate scopes |
| McAllister & Quinn | Reviewers and editors described within proposal teams | Proposal development for submission described; portal duties not confirmed | Continuing grants strategy offered | The assigned team, duration, and who completes submission |
| Seliger + Associates | Editing and technical assistance offered | Exact portal or submission duty not confirmed | Research, writing and advice under retainers | Service-specific minimums and who submits the application |
| Think and Ink Grant Consulting | Exact revision allowance not confirmed | Submission described in its writing process | Separate reporting, management-system and evaluation services | Which services are included in the quoted engagement |
Sources: Connor's service description and pricing; DH Leonard's services and FAQ; Eva Garland's scientific proposal services and accounting services; McAllister & Quinn's proposal-development services; Seliger's services and fees; Think and Ink's writing, research and management. Source content checked October 2, 2026.
A service list is not a package promise
The distinction matters most when a fee looks clear but its scope does not.
| Published example | What the source establishes | What remains to settle in writing |
|---|---|---|
| Connor proposal estimates | Separate estimated prices for research and foundation proposals; funder lists, budgets, compliance checks and attachments also appear as optional add-ons | Whether those tasks are included in your proposal estimate, how many applications it covers, and the revision allowance |
| DH Leonard annual support | Its current FAQ describes custom annual scopes and excludes isolated grant requests | The portion of your grant calendar covered, responsibilities, review arrangements and full contract commitment |
| Seliger foundation/corporate package | Its fee page describes research for one concept, a foundation letter, and applications to ten selected sources | Current package price, any optional government-source research, and payment terms for your assignment |
| Think and Ink nonprofit support | Research, writing and management are offered to its described nonprofit client profile | Whether your quote combines those services, the number of proposals, reporting duties and agreement length |
An omitted task is not automatically excluded. An explicitly optional task is not automatically included. Ask for a line-by-line scope that states both.
Choose the engagement around your next decision
You do not have a suitable funding opportunity yet
Request research or strategy first. Specify the project, service area, organization type, funding need and eligibility facts. Ask for a dated prospect list with the reason each funder fits, application route, deadlines or cycles, and a practical priority order.
Agree on the handoff: a spreadsheet, report, calendar or meeting. Decide whether outreach to funders is included. Buying research does not mean you have also bought proposal writing or that a funder will accept an application.
You have an application to prepare
Identify the funder, program, official instructions and deadline. Define the application components: narrative, budget, justification, forms, letters, supporting evidence and final submission. Ask which sections the writer prepares and which your staff must supply.
If the application needs technical work, name the field and program when asking about the assigned team. General government grant writing is not evidence of experience with a particular scientific mechanism. Use the SBIR comparison for a small-business research application rather than treating every federal writer as an SBIR specialist.
Your team already has a draft
Distinguish proofreading, substantive editing and a review against scoring criteria. A scored review may deliver comments rather than a rewritten application. Agree on who makes the changes and whether the provider checks the revised draft.
A small edit should be priced as its own scope. Seliger's published editing minimum is $4,500 prepaid, while Connor publishes a separate estimated editing/revision range of $250–$1,500. Those are different service descriptions and commitments; confirm the amount of work each would buy before comparing them.
You need ongoing help or already hold an award
For recurring support, list the expected work rather than asking only for a monthly rate: research updates, proposals, check-ins, revisions and staff training. Request limits on hours, applications, carryover, extra work and cancellation.
For an existing award, ask specifically about reporting, financial tracking, evaluation and compliance support. Proposal writing and grant management are separate tasks. Eva Garland and Think and Ink publish separate post-award service descriptions; the proposal fee alone does not establish that those services are included.
Compare the payment arrangement without losing the scope
| Arrangement | Useful when | Confirm before agreeing |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed project fee | The application or deliverable can be defined clearly | Components, number of applications, revisions, changed instructions, milestones and payment schedule |
| Hourly editing or assistance | The work will evolve or can be measured by time | Minimum hours, prepayment, spending cap, time records and approval before exceeding the cap |
| Monthly or annual support | Several opportunities require ongoing attention | Covered work, minimum term, full commitment, unused hours, extra charges and exit terms |
Ask for both the amount due before work starts and the total committed cost. A deposit credited toward a project is not an extra fee. An hourly rate with a prepaid minimum is not a one-hour engagement. The cost comparison keeps those conditions beside the relevant offers.
What your organization should be ready to supply
Prepare one concise brief with the program you want funded, the people or place it serves, measurable results, project timing and the amount available to pay for professional help. Add the funder's instructions when known, existing drafts, relevant financial documents, and the person authorized to approve the work.
Then assign responsibilities. Identify who can confirm financial figures, obtain letters, provide technical evidence, review drafts and authorize submission. A provider can help assemble a proposal; your organization still needs to approve the facts, commitments and final application.
Keep sensitive records out of an initial inquiry. Ask the provider how it handles confidentiality, document access, subcontractors and any use of AI tools before sending material that requires protection.
Ask these questions before requesting a price
- What exact files and services will we receive? Name the research handoff, application sections, budget, attachments and final format.
- Who will do the work? Ask about the assigned writer, reviewer and technical specialist rather than only the firm's overall experience.
- What is outside the fee? Confirm add-ons, travel, extra applications, revisions and work caused by changed instructions.
- What does our team need to provide, and when? Agree on an information deadline and review schedule.
- Who submits? Specify account access, organizational approval, final checks and responsibility for the submission receipt.
- What is the full payment commitment? Include minimum hours or months, deposits, and any spending cap.
- Can you accept this deadline? Published services do not establish current capacity.
Use the grant writer hiring kit to turn these questions into a scope brief and comparable quote request.
Contact the firm whose service fits
Use the named contact links in the comparison to ask providers about their own work. GrantWriterMatch provides research and comparisons; it does not prepare your application, negotiate your contract or forward an introduction in this version.
Browse the full grant-writer comparison or use Find My Grant Writer to narrow the published options. You can contact a provider without completing the finder.
About this comparison
We compared the providers' own service descriptions, fee pages and engagement conditions. The source checks establish what was published on October 2, 2026; they are not independent performance assessments, accepted quotes or confirmations of capacity. Contact links lead to the providers' public contact routes. We have not submitted test inquiries or confirmed a provider relationship.
The list is selective and does not cover every grant-writing company. We do not label a firm the best because it has more listed services, a public price or a larger advertised funding total. Read our methodology and advertising disclosure for how we handle evidence and ordering.
For a correction, email partners@grantwritermatch.com with the page and supporting source.