Calculators
Grant Writer vs In-house ROI Calculator
Compare the net expected return of writing grants in-house with hiring a grant writer, based on time, fees, success rates and award size.
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The tool
Enter your numbers below. Results update as you type, and nothing leaves your browser.
Everything you enter stays on your own machine. Nothing is sent to us or to anyone else, which you can confirm in your browser network tab.
What people use it for
- Deciding whether to hire a grant writer
- Development budget planning
- Board proposals
- Freelance grant writer pricing pitches
About this tool
What the Grant Writer vs In-house ROI Calculator does
Grant writing takes time that staff could spend elsewhere. An experienced grant writer costs money but may raise success rates and free staff. Comparing expected funding minus cost for each option, per year, shows which is the better use of resources.
It also works as a grant writing time roi calculator.
Formula
- Expected funding = proposals × success rate × average award
- In-house cost = proposals × hours × staff rate
- Writer cost = proposals × (fee + support hours × staff rate)
Worked example
Using the starting values in the calculator above:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Proposals per year | 12 |
| Average award | $40,000 |
| In-house hours per proposal | 40 |
| Staff cost per hour (incl. benefits) | $42.00 |
| In-house success rate | 20% |
| Grant writer fee per proposal | $2,500 |
| Staff hours to support the writer | 8 |
| Success rate with the writer | 30% |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Higher expected net return | Grant writer |
| Difference per year (writer − in-house) | $34,128 |
| In-house expected net | $75,840 |
| Grant writer expected net | $109,968 |
| In-house ROI | 376.2% |
| Grant writer ROI | 323.1% |
| Staff hours freed per year | 384 |
How to read the result
Professional ethics codes discourage paying grant writers a percentage of awards; flat or hourly fees are standard.
Value freed staff hours too; they can go into donor relationships or programmes.
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Questions
Questions about this tool
The things clients actually want to know — costs, timelines, ownership and what happens after launch.
It can be if their success rate and the staff time freed outweigh their fees.
Typically a flat fee per proposal or an hourly rate, depending on complexity.
Major professional associations consider commission-based pay unethical, and many funders do not allow it.
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