A Note About Fees Based on “Commission” or a Percentage of the Grant Award

We fully understand how scarce and precious an organization’s dollars are. It is wise — and 100% necessary — to avoid wasting money for any reason. In most circumstances, however, a commission-based grant writing fee arrangement is neither feasible nor fair to our clients. Ironically, it can drain more of our clients’ money than a simple fee-for-service arrangement that is independent of a particular grant or outcome.

Most government grant programs and private foundation programs explicitly prohibit a commission-based fee in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Funders do this to protect grantees from over-paying a grant writer at the expense of the grant program goals. While funders do understand the investment of time, effort, and skill required for successful grant pursuit, they also do not want chunks of awarded dollars immediately siphoned out to cover the effort. Awarded grant monies are best spent serving the communities or organizations they are intended to support.

Any incentive system could shift a grant writer’s focus from where it should be — on your organization’s long-term sustainability and success — to the short-term collection of dollars. At The Aubrey Group, we know that good grant programs are worth more than the dollar amount. While money is a necessary tool to help achieve goals, we want to guide our clients toward grants that provide more than just money.

Good grant programs result from an enormous amount of strategy and expertise on behalf of the funding organization. Sometimes, a $15,000 grant that aligns with the vision of an organization or city and blends a funder’s expertise, guidance, and network can be far more valuable than a $1,000,000 grant that truly isn’t the right fit. Our business model honors that relationship, and our clients and funders will never be viewed as sources of money. We want to champion your vision and help you achieve the meaningful change you dream of.

Unlike other grants consultants who focus on “where the money is,” we are proud of our deep understanding of “why the money is where it is.” Ensuring a grant’s purpose aligns with your vision and goals will always drive the most value.

When we are selected to write an application, we also develop grant programs and provide expert consulting that advances your organization’s goals regardless of whether a particular grant application is successful. We thoughtfully apply our efforts in each application toward creating assets that will serve you in multiple scenarios, including program plans, job descriptions, departmental and program budgets, and written content that can be leveraged in fundraising campaigns and stakeholder communication. Clients have commented on the objective value in the quality of our work, and we want to partner with clients that share that perspective.

There is an exception. We can charge a percentage commission on grant programs structured as simple reimbursements for actions your organization has already taken. Examples include buying energy-efficient HVAC systems or hiring a certain number of employees. These programs are meant to reward an organization after the fact and are typically free from any technical assistance or future involvement with the funder. We can advise on ways to maximize the benefit of these programs and structure our fees based on the amount of post-award reimbursement.