Customer Reviews

How to Become a Grant Writing Consultant

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

There is usually more than one way to become successful in any field, and Bev Browning has written about her path to success as a grant writing consultant. Her account has left me impressed, awe-struck, and appalled.

The book (really more of a workbook in format and presentation) documents a path to successful nonprofit-sector consulting that combines the chutzpah of a used car salesman with an entrepreneur's business savvy, but neglects the professionalism and non-financial rewards that a successful practice has to offer.

...P>The work is a disappointment when looking at the potential breadth and depth of the subject matter implied in the title. The book is expensive ($49.00) for its meager saddle-stitched format. Some very good and insightful information is presented in a style heavily mixed with cheerleading "you can do it" boosterism and self-important, mundane pull-quotes, always attributed to the author herself.

It is important to note that this book teaches one nothing about how to write a successful grant application. It is assumed that the reader is already experienced at grantsmanship, or is pursuing a separate road to acquire that knowledge. This assumption is never stated in the promotional material or the cover text of the shrink-wrapped volume. This oversight is serious, especially when considering the "you can do it, too!" tone of the text on the back cover.

Ms. Browning does a good job of identifying the materials and equipment necessary to starting a home-based business, but "dates" her material by recommending particular products and specifications for computers and peripherals. She does a good job of providing some tables and checklists for helping the reader identify their expertise and probable target market for clients. However, be wary of the opinions and statements about the legalities surrounding setting up a business in one's home; some communities' ordinances and covenants are not as tolerant as Ms. Browning implies.

As good and relevant as some of the basic advice may be, I cringed when I read about her marketing techniques. The idea of monthly direct mail and telephone follow-up is a reasonable, though unusual, professional client recruitment strategy (the telephone follow-up is key). It's more appropriate for recruiting speaking and teaching engagements than for specific grants preparation assignments, though this distinction is never explored.

However, the practice she follows and recommends of dropping business cards on workshop and conference tables, resource racks -- and even airplane seats and office restrooms where nonprofits have office space -- does damage to the professional image that most nonprofit-sector consultants work to project. Of course, the author's company name, with three dollar signs in place of the letter "S," is another indicator that a professional image is not being cultivated. Most readers, especially those with a grounding in the nonprofit sector and therefore those most likely to benefit from a book on the topic, will not see themselves in such a blatant promotional/sales role and will need to seek alternate strategies, equally effective, with which they (and their clients) are more comfortable.

Building a consulting practice in the field of grantsmanship can be a rewarding experience in many ways, and can take many forms. This slim "book" (really a workbook format) focuses on one person's success and fails to present the broader picture, additional information, and illustrative experiences that the reader should expect for the title and the price.

The author did a terrific job in her other book "Grant Writing For Dummies". I expected more of the same in her "Consultant" book. The book is little more than a desktop published brochure. It is particularly irksome given the hefty price of $50 for a 60 page printout. This stikes me as little more than opportunism by the author.

My advice is to stick with her "Dummies" book. "How to Become a Grant Writing Consultant" falls short of the mark.

This is the only book I've ever read where the author actually quotes herself. Too much of the book is Bev singing the praises of Bev and selling her other books and workshops. It has some useful information, but overall it is overpriced for the content. One of her chapters is a half page long! The only reason I bought it is because there is a lack of information about setting rates for consulting, and this was addressed in her book in a straightforward manner.

$49 for a 62 page book of Bev congratulating Bev, Bev singing the praises of Bev, and Bev subtly or not-so-subtly recommending Bev's training courses and workshops.

Expert advice regarding such issues as general business equipment you need - computer, fax machine, separate business phone, etc. The kind of thing that if you can't figure out for yourself you better keep your day job forever. But nothing about core skills such as researching potential funders.

An entire chapter bragging about how much money she made with her marketing newsletter, but no practical advice about what might be included in such a newsletter.

Yes, there were nuggets here and there. But they were VERY few and far between. The rest was just Bev loving Bev.

Guess she's fairly savvy, though. I spent 49 bucks for a book that looks like the cheap, self-published pamphlet it is.

This book was not worth [money]. There were 62 pages with a large font (perhaps size 14 or 16) with a paperback, stapled binding. The book is anecdotal and has a conversational tone. The language format chosen is surprising given the fact that the author is a professional writer. The book not only sounds home-made, but looks it. The graphics and layout looked as if the book was published on Microsoft Publisher. I wish that I had seen this in a bookstore because I certainly wouldn't have wasted the money.

I was a little taken back by the price of the book at first, but as a professional business woman in another field, I recognize that good information doesn't come cheap. I found the investment worthwhile and I would recommend this book to anyone who wants the nuts and bolts of getting into the grant writing business.

I recently read this book for some inspiration and advice on how to get started as a grant writing consultant, and found what i was looking for. Bev Browning is the only person doing this who has written a "How-to" book on the subject, and I have been trying to find some real-life and honest information on the subject. This book is a generous and honest account of how to get started and succeed. I was particularly interested in fee setting, branching out into various subject areas, marketing, and her philosophy on helping others succeed. I have been a state funder and am now writing grants in a part-time consulting business, and I have read and re-read this book!

I can't comment on the validity of the information contained because of my lack of grant writing experience, but I am absolutely certain I paid way too much for way too little. This book reminds me of my grade-school strategy to dupe the teacher into thinking she got what she asked for by writing with really big letters and repeating paragraphs verbatim in order to fill us space. Didn't work back then, either.

I was utterly surprised and disappointed when I opened the box and found what can only be described as a pamphlet inside.

It certainly is NOT worth the $49 price tag. The roughly 60+ sheets (printed on both sides) of paper and the oversized type serve as negative reminders that I paid far too much for this booklet.

"How to Become A Grant Writing Consultant" did have some useful information and tips. But it is not worth the [money] and it is almost insulting that the author charges so much for so little "real" information. The only reason I bought it was because I am very interested in the field and could not find the book in a library. I figured that I could re-sell it on Amazon.com and I did (in one week) so I recouped some of my investment and I'm happy. "How to Become a Grant Writing Consultant" is not a book that anyone needs to add to their permanent library collection.