Top 10 Cities for Grant Writers
Philanthropic organizations in the United States awarded more than $66 billion in 2017. Grant writers connected these foundations to thousands of nonprofit projects and causes. If you love writing and want to make a difference in the world, grant writing for nonprofits or other organizations could be your ideal career.
A grant writing course will teach you how to write compelling proposals, so you can put your writing skills to use. But once you’ve got the skills, how can you find nonprofits looking for grant writing? We delved into the Burning Glass jobs database to find the cities with the highest salaries, biggest grant writing employers, and coolest nonprofits. We found these top 10 cities for grant writers:
1. Ann Arbor, Michigan
Median grant writer salary: $64,000
Biggest employers: University of Michigan, Mercy Medical Center, Trinity Health
Coolest nonprofit: 826michigan helps students from elementary through high school learn writing skills in fun and creative ways.
Ann Arbor is tops when it comes to high salary opportunities and low cost of living. Its thriving health care industry is ideal for grant writing for nonprofit organizations. There are tons of restaurants and live music venues, so it’s simply a great place to live.
2. New Haven, Connecticut
Median grant writer salary: $59,000
Biggest employers: Yale, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Planned Parenthood
Coolest nonprofit: The Arc of Greater New Haven helps adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities reach their full potential.
Grant writers in New Haven make significantly more than the median city-wide salary ($37,126, according to the U.S. Census Bureau), making home ownership an attainable goal. And with prestigious employers like Yale and a gorgeous coastal location, it’s an all-around winner.
3. Seattle, Washington
Median grant writer salary: $60,000
Biggest employers: University of Washington, City of Seattle, Kaiser Permanente
Coolest nonprofit: TeenTix provides opportunities for Seattle’s low-income teens to experience all of its cultural offerings — and inspires them to participate.
Seattle is the nation’s fastest-growing tech hub, with job openings increasing 11 percent from 2016 to 2017. But you don’t have to be a science whiz to cash in —thanks to all that technology growth, even entry-level grant writing jobs are easy to come by
4. Salinas, CA
Median grant writer salary: $64,000
Biggest employers: California State University, Americorps, Monterey Peninsula College
Coolest nonprofit: Northern California may be the tech hub of the universe, but not all its residents can afford computers. Loaves, Fishes & Computers helps change that.
Thinking about heading to the Bay Area for grant writing job opportunities? We’d recommend looking into Salinas, which is located about 100 miles south of San Francisco. You’ll have the same amazing career offerings and Northern California lifestyle, but Salinas has a much lower price tag.
5. Los Angeles, CA
Median grant writer salary: $63,000
Biggest employers: Red Cross, Cedars Sinai, UCLA, independent nonprofits
Coolest nonprofit: A Place Called Home aims to give South Central’s children a safe place to call theirs.
Sunshine, beaches, and tacos … if you’re more into the Southern California way of life, we’ve got good news. Los Angeles has an excellent median salary and tons of potential employers.
6. Minneapolis, MN
Median grant writer salary: $59,000
Biggest employers: Great River Greening, Reading & Math, Inc., State of Minnesota, University of Minnesota
Coolest nonprofit: EMERGE helps people redefine their lives — one job, apartment, or financial literacy course at a time.
Minneapolis offers all the amenities of a big city, but what it doesn’t have is sky-high living costs. And, if you’re looking for great restaurants and top-notch museums, Minneapolis is a smart move.
7. State College, PA
Median grant writer salary: $57,000
Biggest employers: Pennsylvania State University
Coolest nonprofit: Centre County PAWS helps organize affordable spay and neuter services, emergency aid, and more for animal friends.
The Pennsylvania State University has an enrollment of nearly 100,000 students. It is also a RU/VH (research university/very high research activity), and this is music to the ears of any grant writer. It may be only one institution, but it’s a doozy.
8. Houston, TX
Median grant writer salary: $58,000
Biggest employers: Houston Independent School District, Baylor College of Medicine, Boys & Girls Clubs, Texas A&M University
Coolest nonprofit: The Ensemble Theatre is a cultural fixture in Houston. Additionally, it’s the biggest and oldest African American theatre in the Southwest.
Houston’s “cool” factor is on the rise, and its new status as a Texas tech and medical hub means grant writing opportunities are growing. Cost of living is relatively low, but quality of life is high. What are you waiting for?
9. Trenton, NJ
Median grant writer salary: $54,000
Biggest employers: Red Cross, Princeton University, Capital Health
Coolest nonprofit: One Simple Wish collects the wishes of neglected children on its website, then they match them with generous donors to make their dreams come true.
Trenton’s location can’t be beat. It’s just 30 miles from Philadelphia and 60 miles from New York City, so you’ll have plenty of places to explore. That’s also why top-notch employers like the Red Cross make their headquarters here. Come see for yourself why Trenton is tops.
10. Washington, DC
Median grant writer salary: $57,000
Biggest employers: U.S. Government, Georgetown University
Coolest nonprofit: The Newseum is on a mission to ensure the public understands the importance of the First Amendment.
In Washington D.C., the opportunities for writing grants for nonprofits are unrivaled, and the competition is top notch. In the nation’s capital, you can make valuable connections. Networking is a way of life in D.C., so any conversation might lead successful grant applications. So, if you dream big, head to the District.
Compensation in this career path varies. Many grant writers are self-employed, so they work on freelance contracts with a wide range of rates. Once you have the training and some experience, you’ll be able to determine your own salary.
Are you prepared to move to one of these amazing cities? A nationally-recognized grant writing course can prepare you for the competitive grant writing world. You’ll be writing effective grant proposals soon enough, and then you can truly make a difference in the world.
If you’re ready to take the next step, why not earn your grant writing certificate online?
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