Seliger + Associates: grant writing fees and project fit

Seliger's published engagements

Source: Seliger's fee page, checked October 3, 2026. Request the applicable quote and terms; “usually” and ranges are not fixed prices.

Editing's published minimum equals $4,500 prepaid: $300 × 15 hours. Confirm what your assignment will require and how any unused prepaid time is handled.

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Read the fee page and FAQ together

The FAQ publishes $6,000–$15,000 for most government proposals and $1,500–$6,000 for individual foundation proposals. The broader writing range on the fee page differs; a single foundation proposal is also a different scope from its ten-application package. Ask which offer and figure applies.

There is a payment distinction too. The fee page requires full advance payment for flat-fee assignments of $6,000 or less; above that, half starts work and half is due before final release. The FAQ's general process answer instead mentions an invoice for half. Obtain the assignment-specific payment schedule in writing.

Sources: fees and FAQ, checked October 3, 2026. We do not combine the pages into a new range or assume the general FAQ overrides the detailed fee terms.

This difference does not prevent a useful inquiry. It makes a specific quote more important. Include the funder instructions, work you want purchased and deadline, then ask for the exact price and cash due before work starts.

Does Seliger work with your type of applicant?

The firm describes proposal writing, grant research, editing and needs assessments for nonprofits and public agencies. It also lists selected businesses and eligible researchers, with explicit business exclusions.

Its services page identifies areas such as technology and research, selected energy projects, housing and job training. It says it does not work with categories including retail or online sales, consulting/professional practices, multi-level marketing and childcare facilities. Those are the firm's published service boundaries, not a complete statement of every grant program's eligibility.

Do not assume a broadly described business can hire the firm for any funding search. Name the proposed project and actual opportunity. A firm offering writing for selected businesses is not evidence that your retail business qualifies for a grant, or that a current funding competition exists.

A nonprofit or public agency should still ask about relevant project experience. The organization's legal form alone does not establish that the proposed service will fit its subject, application or deadline.

For broader organizational comparisons, see nonprofit grant writers or the general service comparison.

Is a fixed assignment or hourly editing the better request?

Start with the material you already have. If you have an application to produce and only program information, ask about a writing assignment. If your team has a draft and needs a defined improvement, ask about editing or technical assistance.

Before requesting editing, identify the problem:

• The narrative is hard to follow, but the project and evidence are sound.
• Important application questions are unanswered.
• The budget and narrative describe different work.
• Review comments require changes that staff have not yet made.
• The draft needs assessment against the application requirements before final approval.

These problems require different amounts of work. An hourly rate cannot tell you the expected total until the scope and hours are estimated. A minimum commitment can also make a substantial editing service unsuitable for a very small task, even when the hourly rate is clear.

Ask what would cause the provider to recommend a new writing scope instead. If most sections need replacing or the application changes, paying to edit a weak starting document may not be the most useful purchase.

The grant-writer cost guide helps compare complete commitments across providers. Use the same draft, component list and deadline when requesting comparable quotes.

What the foundation package actually buys

The foundation/corporate package is organized around one project concept and a defined set of applications. That means your choice of concept matters. It should have enough detail for research and tailoring: target population, activities, location, costs and evidence.

Before purchasing, ask how potential sources are selected and which application routes are feasible. A list may contain opportunities that require an invitation, relationship or preliminary contact; establish how those situations are handled.

Ask whether the package includes portal-specific adaptation and supporting documents for each application. Clarify what happens when a chosen source changes its instructions, closes a cycle or does not accept the proposed applicant.

You also need to decide what your staff supplies. A reusable project description helps, but ten funders may ask different questions. A fixed application count does not define who obtains letters, prepares financial documents or approves the requests.

The right request is about the purchased deliverables and decision process. Avoid treating a package as a guarantee that a set number of funders will accept or approve your applications.

What a retainer should settle beyond the monthly fee

A retainer can suit recurring research and proposal needs, but it deserves its own scope discussion. The published structure tracks time and banks unused hours; ask how that balance is reported and handled when the agreement ends.

Do not infer a refund, expiry period or cancellation right from the statement that time is banked. Obtain the terms for your agreement.

Ask these practical questions:

1. What tasks draw down the balance: drafting, research, meetings, travel or administration?
2. Who authorizes new assignments and estimates the hours?
3. How are deadlines prioritized if several applications arrive together?
4. How often do we see time records and remaining balance?
5. What happens if the balance is insufficient for an agreed deadline?
6. What happens to remaining time at renewal, cancellation or contract end?

For a not-to-exceed assignment, distinguish a spending cap from a promised finished deliverable. Ask what output the quoted cap covers and what happens if your organization changes the application. A clear cap needs a clear scope and an approval process for any change.

Understand cash due before work begins

A deposit is part of the total fee, not an extra fee on top. The practical questions are how much you must pay now and what triggers the balance.

For example, suppose Seliger gives you a flat writing quote of $10,000 and confirms the fee-page schedule applies. The stated half-deposit rule would make the starting payment $5,000, with the remaining $5,000 due before final release. This is hypothetical arithmetic, not a quote for your project.

If your approval process takes time, settle it before choosing a deadline. Ask when the firm can start after the contract and payment, when drafts will arrive and when your team must approve them. An application due soon does not establish that a provider has room to accept it.

What your organization still has to do

Seliger's FAQ describes project scoping, a document memo, narrative drafts and help preparing the application package. Your staff should expect to supply facts and supporting records and to review the work.

Source: client-process description, checked October 3, 2026.

Make the handoff concrete. Identify a staff contact for program information, a finance approver and the person authorized to submit. Ask whether the firm prepares portal fields or advises your staff, and who confirms the completed submission.

For in-person work, ask about additional charges. The fee page describes electronic working and separate advance-billed travel time/per diem for a requested on-site scoping meeting. An office location does not establish free local service.

Source: working arrangements and expenses, checked October 3, 2026.

A scope request you can send Seliger

We are [organization and applicant type] seeking [writing, editing, research, a foundation package or continuing support]. The project is [brief description], and the application is [public link]. Our deadline is [date], with internal approval by [date].

We have [program plan, approved budget, draft and supporting documents]. We need you to prepare [components]; our staff will provide [items] and retain [approvals and submission authority].

Please identify the applicable fee and service, reconcile any relevant fee-page/FAQ difference, and confirm payment timing, drafts, review, attachments and portal responsibilities. For hourly or recurring work, specify the minimum commitment, time reporting and treatment of unused prepaid time. Our professional-services budget is [amount or not yet set].

The hiring kit provides a fuller brief and reference questions.

How to assess the service before hiring

We have not commissioned Seliger, independently checked client outcomes or assigned a review score. The firm itself explains in its FAQ that it does not calculate a funding success rate. That is not evidence of good or poor performance; ask for relevant references and evaluate the work you intend to purchase.

Its official contact page lists seliger@seliger.com and (800) 540-8906. Send a bounded request, confirm the applicable terms and decide from the written offer. You contact and hire the firm directly.

Ask Seliger for an assignment-specific quote