[FUNDED SERIES] What's Working in Freelance Grant Writing Right Now

The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is OPEN for the last time in 2026!

You’re ready to quit your toxic job, retire with meaningful, part-time work, or work from home so you can pick up the kids. But how do you replace your paycheck?

Our 12-month group coaching program helps aspiring and seasoned grant writers replace your full-time income, on flexible hours, writing grants from home. You will build grant writing, marketing, and sales skills to find clients and create recurring income on flexible hours.

Get weekly coaching, unlimited grant and business reviews, business and grant training, hundreds of templates,Grant Writer & Consultant Certification, a community, and listed on our Grant Hire for Hire Directory.

Our students have earned over $12.6 million in freelance business revenue. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Join the Academy for $3,500 or 8 monthly payments of $475. Doors close October 23rd at 11:59 PM Eastern.

What are nonprofits actually paying freelance grant writers for, and what can those services teach you about building more consistent income for your grant business?

In this episode of our monthly Funded Series, Holly Rustick breaks down August, 2026 results from students inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy and Grant Professional Mentorship. Students reported approximately $40.9 million in grant awards across 36 wins, along with more than $350,000 in client sales.

But the biggest takeaway isn’t simply the dollar amount. It’s what nonprofits are buying.

From monthly retainers and grant research to grant readiness, proposal reviews, strategic planning, prospect research, and even CRM migration, these results show that nonprofits are paying for grant expertise that extends well beyond writing individual applications.

Holly explores five key patterns emerging from the August data, including the role of recurring retainers, how smaller offers can open the door to larger engagements, why pricing confidence matters, and how strong client relationships can create additional revenue opportunities.

You’ll also learn how to approach your next Discovery Call differently by diagnosing the organization’s entire funding process instead of simply asking what grants they need written.