Your time vs. the time you 'donate'.

[Juicifer]

I started a small copywriters agency in 2008. I took on small assignments because I had a family as well and I wanted to spend enough time with spouse & children. The small part disappeared rather quickly and before I knew it I was working 60+ hours a week.
It's nice to be succesful but this plus time had to come from somewhere...
so I decided to stop taking on as much assignments.

Now, I found out that some organizations in the Greater Saint John area where I live need grant writing (proposal writing). So, just out of curiousity I offered my services to the odd ball agency. I gathered information and filled out forms for grants.
This was interesting to do.

However, a volunteer service now send out an email to all it's member organizations that I'm available as a grant writer. This happened this morning at 9 a.m. and guess how many calls for assistance in grant writing I had by 10:00 a.m.
I'm flathered that this happened but grant writing takes time and I'm afraid I'm going to have to dissapoint quite a few of these organizations.

How much time would you spend as a volunteer and how would you decide this? I mean I have told two organizations that requested my help I would help them (knowing it would consume a lot of time already) and I just had to let the others know that I would get back to them. This feels so selfish, I know but I don't see any other way.

Anyone any thoughts on this?

-For the grant writers: are there positions of 'grant writers', or is grant writing done by the executive directors most of the time?

[Juds]

There are positions dedicated to grant writing. If you are good at this, there are more than enough opportunities for you to do this full time if you desire. It sounds like you already have work that you like.

I used to do that for non-profit organizations in my general area, although I always viewed and practiced as a volunteer for them. Your experience with the flush of requests for help is not unusual. Grant writing is kind of fun, it is an interesting, often complex puzzle to solve, but it is time and energy intensive. You might want to contact the volunteer service to have them eliminate you as a resource. It will not solve your immediate concern, but it will eventually slow the requests.

My best guess is that there was a miscommunication somewhere that resulted in your services being offered in that way. If you want to do some work gratis, that would be nice for those lucky organizations, but if you are experienced in writing success grant proposals, there is nothing wrong with charging for that service, even though they are non-profits.

I am retired, so all of my work is now provided as a volunteer. A quick estimate of the time given is, oh, probably, at least twenty hours each week. My last paid employer failed, along with the loss of pensions, so I am living on a very small social security benefit, only around $10,000 per year. It is enough, as I have no large living expenses. That alone makes volunteering easy for me to do.

When I am asked to provide grant writing or any other large services like that, I tell the person/organization that I make those decisions on a semi-annual basis. I offer to take their information and share with them that all requests are kept and that I have a lottery system for choosing the work I will take. I also require that they send a detailed plan about what they hope to accomplish.

I have to be honest and share that not all those who request help from me are very happy about how I do this. Everyone believes that their ideas or projects or needs are the most important, but some people and/or organizations hold the additional belief that their work should take precedence over that of others, and that to refuse them is a personal affront, even an assault on or neglect of their very important work. Frankly, those are the people and organizations that filter themselves right out of the process. If they are that difficult so early in the process, it indicates that their needs will likely continue to grow.

Four months ago, I took on a person who was helping a veteran's organization, helping with publicity and other marketing things that could help promote their work. It was very satisfying and I looked forward to each new event. Then, there was a falling-out between the principle players and the one who left came to see me, where I volunteer, with a request.

He had decided that he was going out on his own and wanted me to make it happen. His words. When I explained that he needed to create a business plan, find a location (which he thought he already had), investigate zoning and licensing and all of the associated things required to do what he wanted, he told me that he really wanted me to get started on writing for grants and that I could do the rest of the work at the same time. And, I should not worry, because he had some other things to finish and would be willing to wait a month or two for me to do everything. There is an educational component to his plans and he wanted me to write the curriculum for that, as well. I have previously crafted curriculum for programs and they make grant writing seem like a lark.

Now, he is an individual, but there are often legitimate organizations who have scant understanding about how intensive and time-consuming such work can be. Once you have a reputation as being successful in any of these areas, word will spread and you will continue to be inundated with requests for help, most of which is needed almost immediately.

If you love grant writing, you will never lack for work.

As far as how much of your time should be given without remuneration, only you know how much energy and desire you have to do so. However, please consider that giving more than a fifth, or so, of your free time might be as much as is comfortable, as volunteering has a way of expanding to fill any perceived "empty space."

I love the work that I am doing now. The needs of organizations are greater than ever and not everyone understands that one person has only just so much time.

[fidgiegirl]

Crap! Just typed a whole reply and then hit some button that does something in Firefox 4 and lost it!!

Long reply short: It is not selfish. It is ok to say no and probably better, actually. Take only the jobs you want to do and can do a good job at. These people want money from these grants, and can only get it if you do a good job. So it doesn't serve anyone for you to stretch too thin and not win grants for anyone.

Why did your name get sent out to the whole world? I'm having trouble understanding that part.

Lastly, like Juds' suggestion, maybe you could say, I do the best work that I can do, so I can take on another project in _____ (September, August, whatever). If it's something you'll do on an ongoing basis, create a list of questions that you need to know before taking on a job. I don't have experience writing grants but I can imagine some are a much bigger deal than others. Maybe at some point in time you can work with three organizations at once while at another time you can only handle one's huge request.

I offer a few free troop programs for Girl Scouts and I have had some very presumptuous adults e-mail me (like LET ME KNOW when can you come do ALL your free programs in the next MONTH and ONE HOUR AWAY?). I give a short reply with a valid reason that I can't do it, and if I get more follow up after that, I don't answer at all. Anyone who assumes I can drop everything and do what they need on their schedule is going to end up disappointed no matter what I do, so I don't even try.

[Juds]

Kelli, I receive the same kinds of requests as you do for your Scouts' stuff. I offer career help services at our library. The reference Librarians field all of my telephone calls (do not have a regular office with amenities) and we keep a casual list of the most outrageous. Like the man who kept missing his appointments because he could not remember to get up. The last two calls were that I should call him an hour and a half prior to our appointment and remind him, and that he overslept again, so he was just coming over and I could squeeze him in during a session with another client. And, all of the others who e-mail with specific times that they will just show up, or asking me to come in on days when I am not actually at the library because they are so busy and surely I would not mind rearranging my schedule to accommodate them. Then, there is the guy who kept missing his appointments and e-mailed that this was the list of times he was available and I should let him know by the end of the day which one would work for me. Ummm, babycakes, it is Sunday, the Library is closed, no access to the schedule and, on and on. Of course, I did not write that back to him, just a reply with the telephone number and the Library hours. I never thought about it the way you share, that you will not be able to satisfy them, no matter what you do. I appreciate having that viewpoint and it sure is going to make fielding those requests much easier.

[Juds]

Sorry, when I typed that it did have paragraphs.

[Juicifer]

Thanks so much for this reply Juds and Fidgiegirl!
I have received more requests for assistance yesterday and today. I had to tell all of them I will get back to them but that it will take some time and they all seem to understand.

I'm reading up on grant writing now and am find it fascinating, it already makes my adrenaline pumping thinking you (i.e. the organization you work for) might actually get the grant.

Thanks for your answers guys!

[Gardenarian]

Anyone who assumes I can drop everything and do what they need on their schedule is going to end up disappointed no matter what I do, so I don't even try.

:+1:

[fidgiegirl]

What ever happened with this Juicifer? If you are still around? (Hope you are!)