Stacy L ChinFounder, KeepYourEquity · I get the government to write you checks

Watch out for Freelance Grant Writers

29 Apr 2026 · 1 min

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In this monologue, Stacy Chin warns founders that hiring freelance grant writers can be either a strategic advantage or a costly mistake, depending on their ability to discern quality. She emphasizes the wide variability in freelancers' experience, strategy, and quality. The best freelancers are described as flexible, hands‑on, relationship‑focused, and committed to long‑term success across multiple grant submissions. Pricing structures—hourly, flat fees, or success‑based—are highlighted as unreliable indicators of quality. Moreover, top freelancers are hard to locate because they are typically found through referrals, reputation, and existing networks. Consequently, the core question for founders shifts from whether to use a freelancer to whether they can identify and secure a truly good one.

Chapters

I've seen founders pick the wrong freelance grant writers and it costed them. That's the hard truth. However, freelance grant writers can be your biggest advantage or your biggest mistake if you can't tell the difference. And this is your most variable option where you'll see a huge range of experience, strategy, and quality. On the upside, the good ones are incredibly strong. They tend to be more flexible, hands-on, and have a much more customized approach. And the best freelancers think long-term. They care about relationships. They wanna see you win across multiple submissions, not just one. But this is where things get tricky. Pricing can be all over the place. Some charge hourly, some do flat fees, and some layer in success fees or incentive fees. And none of that actually tells you whether they're good or the right fit for you. But the reality is the best freelancers are really hard to find because they're usually referral-based, reputation-driven, and already working with people in your network. So the question doesn't become, should you use a freelancer? But rather, can you actually find and identify a really good one?