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Grant Writer Pricing Calculator

Project fee, hourly equivalent, and expected value per proposal.

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Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.

Try a scenario

Click to load — tweak from there.

Inputs

Result

Project fee to quote

$2,890

Total hours invested

34.0

Expected award value per proposal

$18,750

Expected award per hour worked

$551

Annual writing fees

$57,800

Expected annual awards generated

$375,000

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How to use this

  1. 1Enter hours for the proposal.
  2. 2Enter target hourly rate ($).
  3. 3Enter prospect research hours.
  4. 4Enter typical award size ($).
  5. 5Enter historical win rate (%).
  6. 6Enter proposals per year.
  7. 7Read your project fee to quote on the right — it updates as you type.
  8. 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.

About this calculator

Grant writing is priced per project but delivered per hour, and success rates vary wildly by funder type. This computes a defensible project fee and shows the expected award value per hour you invest.

FormulaFee = hours × target hourly; expected value = award size × win probability.

Worked example

Using the values the calculator loads with:

Inputs

  • Hours for the proposal: 28
  • Target hourly rate: 85 $
  • Prospect research hours: 6
  • Typical award size: 75000 $
  • Historical win rate: 25 %
  • Proposals per year: 20

Results

  • Project fee to quote: $2,890
  • Total hours invested: 34
  • Expected award value per proposal: $18,750
  • Expected award per hour worked: $551
  • Annual writing fees: $57,800
  • Expected annual awards generated: $375,000

What each field means

Inputs

Hours for the proposal
The hours for the proposal used in the calculation. Starts at 28 so you have a working example on load.
Target hourly rate ($)
The target hourly rate used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 85 $ so you have a working example on load.
Prospect research hours
The prospect research hours used in the calculation. Starts at 6 so you have a working example on load.
Typical award size ($)
The typical award size used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 75000 $ so you have a working example on load.
Historical win rate (%)
The historical win rate used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 25 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–100 %.
Proposals per year
The proposals per year used in the calculation. Starts at 20 so you have a working example on load.

Results

Project fee to quote
Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Total hours invested
Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Expected award value per proposal
Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Expected award per hour worked
Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Annual writing fees
Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Expected annual awards generated
Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.

FAQ

Can grant writers take a percentage of the award?

No. Commission-based grant writing violates the AFP Code of Ethical Standards and most funders prohibit paying fundraising costs from award funds. Charge hourly or by project.

What win rate is normal?

Roughly 10–20% on cold federal or new foundation prospects, and 50–70% on renewals with existing funders. Prospect research is what moves your portfolio toward the higher band.

Accuracy and limitations

  • Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
  • Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
  • This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.

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Cite this calculator

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APA
RevenueLab. (2026). Grant Writer Rate Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/grant-writer-rate
HTML
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/grant-writer-rate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grant Writer Rate Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Markdown
Source: [Grant Writer Rate Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/grant-writer-rate) (2026).
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