Top Grant Writer Resume Skills for 2026
The grant writer resume skills funders and recruiters look for in 2026 go beyond writing: proposal development, budget narratives, prospect research, and reporting.
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A grant writer plays a crucial role in securing funding for organizations by crafting compelling proposals and managing the grant application process. They are responsible for researching potential funding opportunities, drafting grant proposals, and maintaining relationships with donors and funding bodies. Grant Writers must possess a unique blend of skills, including strong writing abilities, organizational prowess, and the capacity to meet tight deadlines.
Listing the right grant writer skills on your resume is essential to stand out to potential employers. By showcasing relevant skills for your grant writer resume, you demonstrate your proficiency in key areas such as grant writing, management, and communication. Highlighting these skills not only enhances your resume but also conveys your ability to contribute to the success of the organization by securing vital funding.
How we got the data
The data in this report was pulled from Jobscan’s database of more than 10 million job descriptions and 17 million resumes.
We analyzed the job descriptions to find the skills that employers want the most. Then we analyzed the resumes to see which skills appeared most frequently.
Armed with this knowledge, job seekers can easily tailor their resumes and cover letters to highlight the most relevant resume skills for each job they apply to.
top 10 grant writer Hard Skills
- Grant writing – 83%
- Management – 68%
- Proposals – 66%
- Fundraising – 61%
- Research – 57%
- Donor management – 42%
- Funding – 37%
- Microsoft – 21%
- Reporting – 20%
- Databases – 20%
top 10 grant writer Soft Skills
- Communication – 31%
- Organized – 24%
- Meet deadlines – 23%
- Work independently – 20%
- Committed – 15%
- Persuasive – 15%
- Motivated – 13%
- Dedicated – 13%
- Organizational – 11%
- Multitasking – 10%
top 10 grant writer Skills on Resumes with High Match Rate
- Management
- Grant writing
- Proposals
- Research
- Office
- Communication
- Editing
- Leadership
- Organizational
- Fundraising
Top 10 grant writer skills
Tips for using grant writer skills on a resume
Create a bulleted resume skills section
Use a simple, clean format that highlights your skills and experiences. Focus on readability by using bullet points and short phrases to present your skills. Properly organize your resume into education, experience, and skills sections.
“Adding a skills section to your resume is a great way to draw the recruiter’s attention to your most relevant strengths and competencies.”
– Ashley Watkins, NCRW, NCOPE, Job Search Coach
For example, grant writer resume bullet points might look like this:
- Developed and submitted grant proposals resulting in a 30% increase in funding.
- Managed donor relationships, leading to a 20% growth in annual contributions.
- Conducted comprehensive research to identify new funding opportunities, expanding the donor base by 15%.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure timely submission of proposals and reports.
- Implemented a tracking system for grant deadlines, improving the on-time submission rate by 25%.
Hitting all the top job requirements with your skills list will help you rank highly for a keyword search within an applicant tracking system. But don’t stop there. Add context for every skill elsewhere in your work experience.
If a recruiter is excited by your customer service skills, for example, the first thing they’ll do is skim your work experience to figure out when, how, and how much you used that skill.
Highlight skills and achievements in your work experience section
As you list your responsibilities, it’s also important to highlight your specific achievements wherever you can.
“For soft skills, it’s often more effective to demonstrate them in the context of your past work experience. Instead of merely stating “excellent team player”, you are better off saying “collaborated with a cross-functional team of 6 on a new product launch that boosted sales by 30% in one year”. Examples of specific accomplishments or business outcomes speak louder than buzzwords.”
– Ana Lokotkova, Career Coach and Advisor
Instead of saying,
“Wrote grant proposals for the organization.”
You could say,
“Authored successful grant proposals that secured over $500,000 in funding, demonstrating expertise in grant writing and research.”
This demonstrates your level of expertise with the skills you listed. It gives the recruiter more reason to be interested in you as a result.
Break resume skills sections into categories
If you’re applying for a role requiring a broad skillset, categorize your skills.
“If you opt to include a designated skills section on your resume, include up to 10 of your core competencies. Excessive skills lists are overwhelming and sometimes confusing to the reader.”
– Kelli Hrivnak, Marketing and Tech Recruiter
- Writing and Research: Grant writing, Research, Proposals
- Communication: Business Communication, Donor management, Donor Relations
- Fundraising: Fundraising, Funding, Budgeting
Quantify your accomplishments
Use numbers to quantify your accomplishments wherever possible. This helps potential employers understand your abilities and the impact you can have on their organization.
“Recruiters and hiring managers are looking for relevancy of how and when you applied those skills, so provide examples of this in your experience section. Bonus tip: Don’t just insert the skill like a task–include results.”
– Kelli Hrivnak, Marketing and Tech Recruiter
Instead of saying,
“Managed donor database for the organization.”
You could say,
“Managed a donor database of over 2000 contacts, leading to a 15% increase in donor engagement and retention.”
Tailor your resume to the job description
Read the description carefully and emphasize the relevant skills and experiences. Highlight the skills that the employer seeks and provide examples of how you’ve used those skills in your previous roles. Doing so can demonstrate that you’re a strong fit for the position and increase your chances of being invited to an interview.
“The ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach doesn’t work when it comes to your resume. For every job application, tailor your skill set to match the job description. Most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that filter candidates based on keywords and skills listed in the job description. So, research the role you’re applying for and distill the skills required.”
– Ana Lokotkova, Career Coach and Advisor
In order to do this, “you must first understand what skills are most important for the target role,” says Ashley Watkins.
Sample job description for a grant writer:
We seek a skilled Grant Writer to join our nonprofit team, responsible for writing proposals, managing donor relationships, and securing funding. The ideal candidate will have experience in fundraising, be highly organized, and possess excellent communication skills.
Resume bullet points tailored to the job description:
- Successfully authored grant proposals that increased annual funding by 40% for nonprofit initiatives.
- Established and maintained donor relationships, enhancing donor retention rates by 20%.
- Spearheaded fundraising campaigns that resulted in a 25% increase in financial support.
“Focus on the sought-after and in demand skills. A great way to figure out what is currently in demand is by researching current job openings from your preferred companies and reading through the posting. Pay close attention to the preferred requirements section and build your skills section based on this list.”
– Chelsea Jay, Career & Leadership Development Coach – Seasoned and Growing
Bonus Tip: Use action verbs
Start each bullet point with an action verb. An action verb expresses an action, such as “create,” “build,” “manage,” “lead,” or “implement.”
Action verbs grab the reader’s attention and paint a vivid picture of what you accomplished at work.
Action verbs make your resume more interesting to read. They also show the kind of can-do attitude that employers are looking for.
FAQs
Lead with the full grant lifecycle. List prospect research, proposal writing, narrative development, budget development, and grant reporting. Add letters of inquiry (LOIs), logic models, needs assessments, and compliance with funder requirements. Distinguish your funding experience, for example federal grants (NIH, NSF, or federal RFPs), foundation grants, and corporate giving. Mention tools like Instrumentl, Foundation Directory Online, or a CRM such as Salesforce or Raiser’s Edge.
Persuasive writing is the heart of the role: you turn a program’s mission into a compelling, fundable case. Pair it with research rigor, meticulous attention to detail (funders disqualify proposals over missed requirements), and deadline discipline since submissions are non-negotiable. Add relationship building with program staff and funders, plus the ability to synthesize complex data into a clear narrative. Show these through funded outcomes rather than adjectives.
Yes, quantified results are the strongest proof a grant writer can offer. Cite total dollars secured, individual award sizes, the number of proposals submitted versus funded, and your win rate where it flatters you. For example, secured over 1.2M dollars across 14 awarded grants or improved the foundation win rate by writing tighter narratives. Concrete figures separate you from candidates who only describe responsibilities, and they read as credible to reviewers.
Mirror the posting’s language. Frequently matched keywords include grant writing, proposal development, prospect research, budget narratives, grant reporting, federal grants, foundation relations, and compliance. If the role names a system like Grants.gov, eRA Commons, or a specific CRM, include it verbatim. Spell out program acronyms once, for example Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), so the scanner recognizes both forms and your real experience surfaces.
Translate adjacent writing and research work into grant terms. Volunteer to draft proposals or LOIs for a nonprofit, document any fundraising or persuasive writing you have done, and complete a recognized course such as a Grant Professional Certified (GPC) pathway or a foundation-led workshop. Highlight transferable strengths like research, technical and persuasive writing, and budgeting. A small portfolio of sample proposals often matters more than a long title history.