Writing in the Professional World

The skill and art of writing is making its way back into the professional world. Organizations are finding it more and more necessary to have blogs, newsletters, social media accounts, and a whole host of writing heavy accoutrements in order to stay current. However, as most organizations are not large enough to afford a full time writer, the task of keeping everything updated and accurate falls on staff that already have hundreds of other things to do. 

This is where I come in. As a freelance grant and content writer, it is my job and passion to help you submit winning grants and keep your media content interesting and up-to-date. 

When you'd like to get that pesky writing task off your desk and into the hands of someone who is ready and eager to take it on, let me know.

Grant Writing 

The Situation: 

You have a great mission, community support, excellent staff, and a business plan. Everyone is working together to make sure that this organization is a success. At first, it seemed easy to send out grants and keep up with all the deadlines and required attachments. However, with success and growth come greater job responsibilities and less time to spend on grant writing and management. 

Or maybe, you are just starting out with an idea and a few strong supporters and have no idea where to start with funding. 

A Solution: 

A good grant writer is one that can tell a story and express a need succinctly. A successful grant is one that immediately captures its readers and inspires a passion for the mission. As any fundraiser knows, you gain financial support by engaging the heart, not the head. The same applies to grants.

I have spent years developing my skill. I listen to the story of the organization, its goals and its needs, and I translate that into an organized, easily understood request that inspires the heart and convinces the head. 

Content Writing

The Situation: 

You are looking for a way to engage your supporters and funders. You've been told that your organization should have a newsletter or a blog or a twitter feed. All of these sound interesting, but all of your staff have a hundred things to do a day and your budget doesn't allow you to hire someone full time to manage it. 

A Solution: 

The main goal of media content is to let your supporters feel connected to the organization without having to individually contact each and every one of them. In order to be successful at this, your content needs to have a unique voice—the voice of your organization. 

To be able to write in a voice that is not your own is not a simple task. It requires more than just using different words; you have to change your tone, your spacing, your pacing, and always keep in mind the message and the goal. It is a skill that I have been honing long before I knew it could be a profession, and I now offer it to you to help your company communicate with consistency and effectiveness. 

Business Plan

The Situation:

You have just started a new business, or you are working at an existing organization and see that the business plan hasn't been updated in years. You know it needs to be created or updated, but the day to day work of the business always manages to push the business plan to the bottom of your To-Do list. 

A Solution:

A business plan serves as the blueprints for you organization and the map that will guide your organization into the future. A good business plan can be informative and empowering, clearly stating the purpose of the organization and providing a clear and concise plan for future growth and development. 

I have spent a long time reading and assessing how an organization describes itself and how it plans for the future. I have learned the difference between a successful future plan and one that is full of pitfalls. I know the questions to ask and the information required to build a strong and useful business plan. The process of creating a good business plan requires a lot of cooperation and conversation, which serves the dual purpose of strengthening a business plan and your understanding of your business and it's future. 

Website Development

The Situation:

You need a modern, effective website. You either have an out-of-date, clunky looking website that desperately needs updating or you are just getting started and have not gotten a website yet. You know there are plenty of services that make creating a website more accessible, but it will still require you to spend time and effort learning how to use the service and putting everything together in an aesthetic and effective way. You have a business to run or art to create or are just uninterested in learning how to use yet another new software. 

A Solution:

A website often serves as your first impression as it is usually the first thing your customers will see. A good website attracts customers in the same way a clean office or an eye-catching store draws in clientele. Your website is an important factor in your success.

I have spent several years working on websites. While I am not a programmer, I have worked with programmers to create clean, modern, and effective websites. As website services like Squarespace became available, I began independently building websites. I have developed the skills to create websites that are easy to use and update, that are clean and professional, and that meet the needs and expectations of the businesses or individuals I am building them for.