In the competitive world of grant writing, your portfolio can make or break your next opportunity. Along with professional certifications, writing samples are among the most requested materials for demonstrating your expertise. They showcase not just your technical skills, but your ability to craft persuasive narratives that reach what I like to call the "of course factor"—that moment when funders think "of course that makes sense" and "of course I want to fund that."
Why Writing Samples Are Essential
When potential employers or clients evaluate grant writers, they're looking for three critical elements: exceptional writing mechanics, strategic thinking, and the ability to tell a compelling story. While a certificate proves you've completed coursework and understand best practices, a writing sample proves you can deliver results.
Your samples demonstrate your command of grammar and spelling—the basic requirements for any professional writer. More importantly, they reveal your strategic approach to framing proposals. Can you position a project to align with a funder's priorities? Do you understand how to build a logical case that moves from problem identification through solution implementation? These sophisticated skills only become apparent through actual writing samples.
The challenge is that your best work often belongs to someone else.
Navigating Confidentiality Without Compromising Quality
Most grant writers face the same dilemma: their strongest proposals contain confidential organizational and financial information that can't be shared freely. The solution isn't to abandon these samples—it's to thoughtfully adapt them while preserving their impact.
Skip the Black Redaction Approach
Nothing kills readability like a document peppered with thick black rectangles. When large portions of text are blacked out, the writing loses its flow, and your potential employer can't assess your actual capabilities. You're essentially asking them to evaluate Swiss cheese.
Avoid Generic Placeholder Names
Don't fall into the "ABC Organization with DEF Program" trap. Acronyms without context force readers to work harder to understand your narrative. Human brains naturally seek stories and meaning—when you use meaningless placeholders, you're fighting against cognitive processing.
Instead, create realistic replacement names that maintain the proposal's authenticity. If you wrote for a youth mentoring nonprofit, rename it something like "Community Youth Connections" with a program called "Pathways to Success Mentoring Initiative." These names immediately convey the organization's mission and program focus, allowing readers to follow your narrative without mental gymnastics.
Handle Financial Information Strategically
Remove all budget figures, financial data, and funding amounts entirely. Don't replace them with placeholder numbers—simply delete them. Potential clients don't need to see dollar amounts unless they're specifically evaluating your budgeting accuracy. What they need to see is your ability to structure logical budget narratives, justify expenses, and demonstrate cost-effectiveness conceptually.
Creating Professional Sample Headers
At the top of each writing sample, include a brief header that serves multiple purposes. This header should contain:
A disclaimer that organization and program names have been changed for confidentiality
A note that all financial information has been removed for privacy purposes
A strategic statement explaining why you've included this particular sample and how it demonstrates your approach to matching proposals with specific grantmaker priorities
For example: "Organization and program names have been changed to protect confidentiality. All financial information has been removed for privacy purposes. This sample demonstrates my approach to private foundation grants, specifically how I align educational programming with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's commitment to building a culture of health through community-based initiatives."
This header immediately signals professionalism while giving context for your strategic thinking.
The Head and Heart Balance
Strong grant proposals engage both analytical and emotional decision-making. Your samples should demonstrate this dual approach:
The Head: Data-Driven Evidence Include proposals that showcase your ability to present compelling statistics, research findings, and measurable outcomes. Demonstrate how you use data to build credible arguments for funding necessity and program effectiveness.
The Heart: Human Stories Balance hard data with authentic storytelling. Include client testimonials, case studies, or narrative descriptions that help funders connect emotionally with your cause. Show how you bring abstract problems to life through concrete human experiences.
Curating Your Portfolio: Quality Over Quantity
You don't need an extensive collection—focus on strategic diversity. Aim for three distinct samples that demonstrate your versatility:
Government Grant Sample Choose a federal, state, or local government proposal that shows your ability to navigate complex application requirements and speak the language of public funding priorities.
Private Foundation Sample Select a foundation proposal that demonstrates your research skills and ability to align project goals with philanthropic giving strategies.
Corporate Grant Sample Include a corporate proposal that showcases your understanding of business priorities and corporate social responsibility objectives, as well as your ability to articulate the economic impact of the grant funding.
This trio proves you can adapt your writing style and strategic approach based on different funder types and their unique evaluation criteria.
The In-Person Portfolio Strategy
Resist the urge to email samples ahead of interviews. Instead, bring them as physical copies in a professional portfolio or folder. This approach serves multiple purposes:
You maintain control over your intellectual property while still demonstrating your capabilities. Present the samples during the interview, allow time for review and discussion, then take them with you when you leave.
This strategy also creates a more interactive interview experience. You can walk through your strategic decisions, explain your research process, and demonstrate your expertise in real-time rather than hoping your samples speak for themselves in someone's inbox.
For a complete guide to what materials to bring to grant writing interviews and how to present yourself professionally, check out our Business of Freelance Grant Writing course and Freelance Grant Writer Template Packet.
Planning for Future Success
Building a strong sample portfolio requires advanced planning. If you're early in your career or transitioning into grant writing, consider strategic volunteer opportunities—but only if you can negotiate sample retention rights upfront.
Before beginning any volunteer work, establish a clear agreement that you retain the right to use adapted versions of your writing for future portfolio purposes. This ensures you're building career assets while contributing to worthy causes.
For established professionals, regularly assess your current samples. Are they recent enough to reflect current best practices? Do they represent the types of clients or causes you want to attract? Your portfolio should evolve with your career goals.
Creating compelling writing samples requires balancing confidentiality, authenticity, and strategic positioning. By thoughtfully adapting your best work while preserving its impact, you can build a portfolio that opens doors to your next great opportunity.
Ready to strengthen your grant writing credentials? Learn more about our comprehensive Grant Writing Certificate Program to build the foundational skills that make samples shine.
What tips or questions do you have about writing samples for grant writing? We'd love to hear from you! Comment below.
