Grant Writer Intern

Description

About S.W.A.A. Tax & Financial Consultant Corp

S.W.A.A. Tax & Financial Consultant Corp is a professional accounting and financial services firm headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. We provide comprehensive tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll processing, financial consulting, and grant writing support services to individuals, small businesses, and non-profit organizations throughout the greater Indianapolis area.

We are committed to developing the next generation of accounting and financial professionals. Our internship program offers hands-on experience in a fast-paced, professional environment under the mentorship of experienced practitioners.

Position Overview

1. S.W.A.A. Tax & Financial Consultant Corp is seeking a talented and research-driven Grant Writer Intern to support our clients in the non-profit, small business, and community development sectors. The ideal candidate has a passion for writing, a keen eye for research, and an understanding of philanthropic funding landscapes.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

1. Research and identify grant opportunities from government agencies, private foundations, and corporate philanthropic programs
2. Draft compelling grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and funding narratives aligned with client missions and project goals
3. Assist with assembling complete grant application packages including budgets, attachments, and supporting documentation
4. Track application deadlines, submission requirements, and award notifications in a grants calendar
5. Support post-award grant reporting and compliance documentation for funded clients
6. Maintain a grants database and library of reusable narrative content and templates
7. Collaborate with clients to gather program data, impact metrics, and organizational information
8. Proofread and edit proposals for clarity, grammar, tone, and adherence to funder guidelines

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

1. Experience in at least ONE of the following areas: journalism, communications, creative or technical writing, non-profit administration, philanthropy studies, or public relations
2. Demonstrated strong writing ability — samples or portfolio may be requested
3. Research skills, including the ability to evaluate funding sources and read RFPs (Requests for Proposals)
4. Familiarity with non-profit organizational structures and/or charitable funding mechanisms
5. Excellent grammar, proofreading, and editing skills
6. Strong time-management skills with the ability to meet strict deadlines
7. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel) and Google Workspace

Preferred Qualifications

1. Bachelor's degree or current enrollment in Communications, English, Journalism, Non-Profit Management, Public Administration, Philanthropy, or a related field
2. Prior grant writing experience — professional, academic, or volunteer
3. Knowledge of Indiana-based funding sources and philanthropic organizations
4. Experience using grant research databases such as Candid (formerly Foundation Center), Grant Station, or Grants.gov
5. Familiarity with non-profit accounting and program budgeting concepts

Learning Objectives

Here are learning objectives for the Grant Writer Intern role:

Grant Research & Opportunity Identification

1. Research and identify viable grant opportunities from government agencies, private foundations, and corporate philanthropic programs that align with client missions and project goals.
2. Develop the ability to evaluate funder priorities and eligibility requirements to determine fit before recommending an opportunity to a client.

Proposal & Narrative Writing

1. Draft compelling, well-organized grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and funding narratives tailored to each client's mission and specific project goals.
2. Adapt tone, structure, and content to match the distinct expectations of different funder types (e.g., government RFPs vs. private foundation guidelines).
3. Translate client program data and impact metrics into persuasive, evidence-based narratives that align with funder priorities.

Application Assembly & Compliance

1. Assemble complete, accurate grant application packages, including budgets, attachments, and supporting documentation, in accordance with funder requirements.
2. Develop attention to detail in following funder-specific formatting, page limits, and submission guidelines precisely.

Deadline & Project Management

1. Maintain an accurate grants calendar tracking application deadlines, submission requirements, and award notifications across multiple clients.
2. Demonstrate the organizational discipline required to manage multiple concurrent deadlines without missing critical submission windows.

Post-Award Reporting & Compliance

1. Support post-award grant reporting and compliance documentation, ensuring funded clients meet ongoing funder requirements.
2. Understand the relationship between grant compliance reporting and a client's ability to secure future funding from the same source.

Knowledge Management

1. Maintain and contribute to a grants database and library of reusable narrative content and templates, improving efficiency for future proposals.
2. Recognize which content can be effectively reused/adapted versus what must be customized for each specific funder or project.

Client Collaboration

1. Collaborate effectively with clients to gather program data, impact metrics, and organizational information needed for strong proposals.
2. Develop interviewing and information-gathering skills to extract compelling, specific details from clients who may not naturally think in "funder language."

Editing & Quality Control

1. Proofread and edit proposals for clarity, grammar, tone, and strict adherence to funder guidelines before submission.
2. Build a critical eye for distinguishing a generic proposal from a genuinely persuasive, funder-aligned one.

Leadership & Professional Growth

1. Take ownership of assigned grant opportunities from research through submission, managing the full proposal lifecycle with increasing independence.
2. Exercise judgment in prioritizing which grant opportunities and deadlines require immediate attention versus longer-term planning.
3. Proactively communicate with clients and supervisors to gather missing information or flag potential issues well before deadlines.
4. Seek and apply feedback on writing and research to continuously refine proposal quality and funder-alignment over time.

Contact Information