You can do good & make good money
Learn how to build and scale a sustainable grant writing business in our 1-year membership program.
Doors close Oct. 31 at 11:59 pm CT.
Grant Writing Boss Club
is for you if
You want additional income, want to replace your full-time job, or want to grow your existing freelance grant writing business
You love serving the greater good, working with a wide variety of people
You want to create a business that actually builds financial stability for you and everyone you work with
You want the option of working from home and setting your own schedule (and work boundaries)
If any of that sounds like you, I invite you to explore Grant Writing Boss Club.
Our course designers and instructors have Ph.D.s in Writing and the Teaching of Writing, currently work as grant writing consultants, and are former university writing faculty.
When You Join
You'll Start on the Grant Writing Boss Pathway
You'll start with the Visionary Phase and progress through each phase as your earnings increase. Each phase has 15-18 mini-lessons that break down the most essential tasks for your phase down and helps you accomplish them easily.
Already past the Visionary phase (or beyond)? Then we recommend quickly going through the curriculum for earlier phases to make sure you haven't missed any of the basics. You might find there are some crucial steps you haven't done yet. Once you mark those off, you can progress to the next phase.
Where You Are
As a Visionary, you might be thinking about becoming a consultant. You haven’t taken any major action yet to get clients or make your first dollar or you’re just getting your first few clients. You want to grow your business so that you can either leave your current job or maybe even start making money for the first time in a while.
What You'll Do in this Phase
The Visionary phase is all about starting strong. We'll teach you how to set up the essential elements of your business—everything from registering your business to landing your first (or next) client! This phase is designed to help you gain confidence, build momentum (and revenue), and lay the groundwork for future growth.
Where You Are
As a Builder, you’re no longer just starting out. You’ve secured clients, delivered high-quality work, and established some foundational systems in your consulting business. Now, it’s time to grow your business by creating sustainable systems, increasing efficiency, and expanding your client base.
What You'll Do in this Phase
In the Builder phase, we’ll help you create the systems and processes that will allow you to scale your business and manage multiple clients effectively. This phase is all about refining your workflow, optimizing your operations, and setting up sustainable practices that will help you grow. You might even hire your first team member and will begin to build your financial systems for scaling.
Where You Are
As a Boss, you’ve moved beyond the foundational work from the Visionary and Builder levels and are now focused on scaling your business even further. If you identify as female, you’re in the top 5% of all female* entrepreneurs in the United States. If you identify as male, you’re in the top 17% of all male* owned businesses in the United States. Congrats!
What You'll Do in this Phase
The Boss phase is all about refining your systems, expanding your team, and positioning yourself as a true leader in the grant writing field. You’re not just working for clients—you’re building a business that can run efficiently, generate steady income, and position you as a thought leader in the industry. We'll help you become strategic and leverage your time and resources to maximize your impact.
Where You Are
As a Mogul, you have a team, more advanced systems that are helping you scale, and you're now known as a leader in the grant writing field. You might be wondering what's next. First, we have to celebrate you. If you identify as female, you’re in the top 3% of all female* entrepreneurs in the United States. If you identify as male, you’re in the top 11% of all male-owned businesses in the United States. Be proud of all that you've accomplished at this phase.
What You'll Do in this Phase
In the Mogul phase, you'll make some big decisions about how you want to participate in your business. If you want to still be an integral part of daily operations and actual grant writing, you can, but you can also choose to focus on business development, thought leadership, passive income, and succession planning. We'll help you figure all of that out (plus how to manage the huge profits you're making).
*Currently, available data is limited by traditional gender binaries. We’re on the lookout for better data that is inclusive of all gender identities. These numbers come from the US Census Bureau.
Core Boss Training Library
In addition to the training on the Boss Club Pathway, there are 9 core trainings (3 hours each). Each training includes a workbook and templates to create the business products we teach you.
Grant Writing Course
Learn to write grants with our grant writing course, Grant Writing Made Easier, which is included in your Boss Club membership. This mega-course includes training on how to find and evaluate grants, write a standard grant narrative, use AI to elevate all parts of your grantseeking, conduct strategic planning, get organizations grant ready, and get nonprofit teams organized. This course is beneficial to all levels of grant writer, from beginner to advanced.
Grant Writing Made Easier is worth 23.5 CFRE Continuing Education points.
Advanced Boss Training Library
These trainings are accessible to all students on Day 1. There are 18 advanced trainings (1 hour each) and a new live training is held each month.
1-on-1 Coaching
You'll have two 1-on-1's with Krista to discuss your individual needs and strategies, set up your personalized action plan for success, and check on your progress.
Monthly Office Hours
Every month, you'll join our team and other Bosses on a group coaching call to check in on your progress, plan your next boss steps, get in-depth hot seat coaching, and more.
Writing Feedback
You can complete two writing assignments, get feedback from our team, revise, and then earn your grant writing certification.
The first assignment you'll complete is a service you provide to clients for $3,000+ and the second is a service you can provide to clients for $10,000+.
Daily: Online Chat
In our Mighty Networks Space, you'll get your course content, registrations for live events, community chats, and job postings all in one place.
You can also access the course from the Mighty Networks mobile app, so you can easily watch trainings, register for events, and chat with other members right on-the-go.
Weekly: Power Hour Co-working
Attend our Monday Power Hour co-working sessions where you can come, be in community, and get your work done. Our sessions provide body doubling, a sense of accountability, and a blocked time for focused work so that you can be more productive than ever.
The Boss Club Directory
Want to quickly see where other members are in the world, what they specialize in, and more?
Explore our Boss Club Directory, where members can find other members to meet up, collaborate with, and network with.
AI Training & Templates
We love technology. It's a big part of how we operate and is part of what we studied in graduate school. That's why we are among the leading experts in implementing AI for grant writing. We came out with the first course on the subject and have stayed on top of developments in order to keep our students ahead of the curve.
We provide you with the most updated info, templates, and guides so that you don't have to make sense of what's going on yourself but can implement top strategies now.
Our AI Grant Writer
Using the methods we've developed over the last 2 years of using AI to assist our grant writing consulting processes, we've developed our own AI grant writing assistant. As soon as you join, you'll be given the secret link to our proprietary GPT trained on our data.
Tech Discounts
We've experimented with a lot of different software over the last 9 years, and now we use and recommend the best of the best to Boss Club members. We've partnered with many of these software companies to bring you discounts or free trials to our favs that keep our business running smoothly.
Use our link to get one free month of the industry's leading grant search database and tracker.
New! Work Shadowing Program
You'll get to shadow our team as we work on real client projects and develop our internal processes. This program is designed to give you hands-on insight into how we operate at a deeper level, going beyond the examples and templates we typically share, and diving into real-world projects in real-time. This is unpaid, and you won't be responsible for doing any work, only watching, engaging, and learning.
Job Board
Find jobs from prospective clients who come to us ready to contract with a grant writer. You don't have to complete your grant writing certification with us in order to access the job board, but once you do get certified, you'll have even more credibility with our prospective clients.
Grant Writer Certification
Once you complete our program and pass our grant writing assignments, you will receive our official, customized completion certificate and Certified Grant Writing Consultant logo to display on your website and marketing materials.
Total Club Value $30,000
Registration is Now Open
Not sure whether you're BIPOC, Ally, or Supporter? Read the fee structure details below.
Our Anti-Oppressive
Sliding Scale Pricing
Select the pricing structure that fits where you are.
Categories and language are adapted from Rachel Ricketts' Fee Philosophy and Ride Free Fearless Money.
Supporter
- I have earning power due to my racial privilege, class background, level of education, gender identity, age, ability etc. (Even if you are not currently exercising your earning power, we ask you to recognize this privilege.)
- I easily meet all of my basic needs.
- I make all mortgage/rent/utilities payments with relative ease.
- I have investments, savings, and/or inherited money.
- I have access to family money and/or resources in times of need.
- I often have expendable income.
- I take trips or vacations without substantial financial burden.
Ally
- I have earning power due to my racial privilege, class background, level of education, gender identity, age, ability etc. (Even if you are not currently exercising your earning power, we ask you to recognize this privilege.)
- I comfortably meet most of my basic needs but do not have any savings.
- I have housing stability.
- I have some debt but still meet my primary needs.
- I sometimes have expendable income.
BIPOC: Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color
- I am a Black or Indigenous person or a person of color.
This rate is available to any Black, Indigenous, or person of color regardless of their current financial situation.
This category relies upon self-identification.
Grant Writing Boss Club
Gets Results
We want your testimonial up here next.
Hear from our recent Grant Writing Boss Club members because they have a lot to say about how the membership helped them get their first clients, increase their pricing, replace and even 2x their salaries, and have the confidence they needed to grow their businesses.
“I’m going to make times two what I’m making in my job as a professor . . . . More people need to hear that and to see that it is possible!
If you’re thinking about making the jump, Krista is the very best of the very best . . . Everything she does is of quality, so you’re going to be in good hands. She will guide you along the way. You do your part. . . If you show up, if you believe in yourself, if you implement anything that she says, you are going to get some results, for sure.
It’s already lonely to be on this journey in the first place… But you have this community to compare notes with, to ask questions to, to encourage each other. That is gold.”
-Dr. Omotola Akinsola, The Funding Magnet
“One of the things I gained was more confidence [to charge her new client instead of doing it for free]. . . . Before when I was writing [grants] I didn't ask for anything.
If you want to get your business’s foundation well-established, the Boss Club is an excellent place to start. You’re not going to second-guess anything you’re doing during the set-up of your business, and it’s going to ease your mind that you have a well-established business to move forward with.
It is a very good class to take. It eases the stress . . . . There are other classes I’ve taken on building a business where they only give you so much information and you’ve got to figure a lot of it out yourself. But with you, it’s very helpful.
You give step-by-steps…You give us the ability to be more confident and feel better as we’re setting up our own business.”
-Patience Frisby
“I feel like Boss Club was the stepping stone for me to get to the place that I’m in now. Now, I feel like I’m centered. My feet are planted firmly, and I’m ready to go.
I want to speak to anyone who might come after me, who feels like I can’t get it together.
I don’t even know that you realize what you put together. It goes so far beyond grant writing. It’s ridiculous. . . . It infused my life with so many things that I didn’t even realize I’d gotten from Boss Club until the last few weeks.
I swear on everything that I love, that Krista, you created something that was so incredible. You’re giving so many people access to freedom, not even just financially or freedom from the 9-5 workplace, you’re giving people freedom in their lives.
I was so excited for all of the women in the club whose businesses were just exploding. It’s so inspirational.
[I know] the world needs what I’m going to do."
-Kyoni Cummings
"Beyond Phenomenal!
Dr. Kurlinkus always provides value and goes above the expectation.
The most important lesson is to believe that you can do it and look back on the workbooks as a guide to keep yourself on track.
Join the Grant Writing Boss Club. You won't regret it!"
- Brittnei C. Leon
Write the Vision Plainly, LLC
"An awesome place to network with driven & inspirational bosses!
After joining the club I now have a template to use to better build out my grant writing services particularly & 2 new clients.
The most valuable lesson I learned were strategies to implement on how not to under sell myself, business & skills.
My favorite things about the club was the recorded sessions, workbooks & community of amazing people.
I would highly recommend this club to anyone looking to structure a profitable grant writing business.
I absolutely enjoyed the club. It was both educational & fun!"
- Shametria Richardson
She’s Favored Network
"I had very little “formal” experience. I had the writing skills down, but never knew where to go to learn all of the other skills I needed - like budgeting and contracts!
One of the most important lessons I learned was how to break each project down and establish a structured timeline to stay on track.
Everyone is so encouraging and easy to talk to and I love that! It gave me so much more confidence to “just do it!”
I’m more confident in telling potential clients I write grants.
Take this course before you start your grant writing business!"
- Angie Bates
The Write CEO
"So valuable, well organized, and perfectly delivered!
My favorite parts were learning from experts and the community.
I also appreciated the suggestions Krista had of various tools and techniques she uses in her own business.
If you are an experienced grant writer who wants the flexibility and opportunity of owning your own business, the GWBC will guide you through this process.
Krista did a fantastic job!"
- Jeff Jackson
Clarity Grant Writing
"I've gone from feeling like no one would pay for my grant writing expertise to developing a price structure and feeling confident about the prices and list of services I offer.
The information, format, and structure allow new or seasoned grant writing professionals access to other accomplished professionals who offer priceless details regarding their journey, pitfalls, success and perspectives. I also loved the camaraderie.
I enjoyed the process and I'm looking forward to applying the knowledge and strategies as I build my business."
- Sheila Fleming
WesCourt Advisors
Registration is Now Open
Not sure whether you're BIPOC, Ally, or Supporter? Read the fee structure details here.
Here's What You'll Create
01
Your Service Sheet
Your service sheet is the written material you'll send to prospective clients that explains who you are, why you do what you do, your qualifications, the services you offer, your pricing, and what their next steps are for working with you. I share examples of my own service sheet across the 9 years I've been in business as well as a beautifully designed template to customize!
02
Your Marketing Materials
I'll share how to navigate the beast that is online and organic marketing. I provide you with a high-converting lead page template that you can then customize and publish to your website or use as your website. You'll create your own SM page on the platform of your choice, and I'll share essential SM templates with you to use to promote your biz. You'll also write promotional emails using our templates to get people interested not just in your work, but you. (You'll learn to be liked and loved because people buy from people they like and love.)
03
Your Client & Subcontractor Contracts
Use our contract templates, designed by an attorney who has represented clients in business law for the last 30 years. We provide a client contract template and a subcontractor template (for when need to bring others onto your team) and will advise you on how you can customize each for your needs.
04
Your Client Pipeline Materials
You'll create your own customer journey map using our template, so you know exactly how you'll move customers from awareness to loyalty. You'll receive our discovery call questionnaire so that you can vet prospects before getting on a call with them. Once you do take a discovery call, you can use our discovery call script and slides that you can revise to move clients from consideration to acquisition. Then once you sign your client using our proposals and contracts, you can use our
client onboarding templates to make the process smooth for everyone.
05
Your Client Work Processes
When you have to get down to the billable work of being a Grant Writing Boss, we've got you covered. We share a detailed, 13-page Standard Operating Procedures for client work that you can use as a template, project management software templates, and a Google Drive file template that will help you keep all of your business files organized . Not only that, we share the structure, templates, and proposals for 3 client projects that can be sold for $3k, $10k, and $30k+.
06
Your Budget, Cashflow, and Profit First Spreadsheets
Learn what you have, what you can spend, and how you can pay yourself, all your bills, and make a profit. And track that *ish weekly! This will revolutionize your finances, guaranteed.
07
Your Boss Manifesto
Your own personal statement on who you are, why you do what you do, how you will take care of yourself, and what you hope to grow through your business. This is for your eyes only and will help you remember your why when you most need to be reminded.
Meet Your Grant Writing Boss
Krista Kurlinkus, Ph.D.
I have helped my grant writing clients win tens of millions in grants over the last 9 years, and my team and I still work with a full roster of clients to this day. I am proud to have built a business with longevity and a record of success.
It's important that I continue to work with clients and grow my consulting business while I teach you to do the same. It keeps me up-to-date with the realities of grant writing consulting, allows me to test new strategies on my own business before teaching them to my students, and keeps my skills sharp.
I'm an expert in the teaching of writing and the arts of persuasion. I earned my Ph.D. in English-Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy Studies from The Ohio State University in 2015. I spent over 7 years teaching writing in universities before creating my online grant writing courses.
I created Grant Writing Boss Club to help grant writers like you serve the greater good while also creating financial stability for yourself, your team, and your clients.
- Krista
What Makes Grant Writing
Boss Club Different?
1. It's taught by trained educators. Yes, I think that makes a huge difference. Being a successful expert doesn't also make you a great teacher. I have a Ph.D. in teaching rhetoric and writing and taught university writing for over seven years. My co-leader, Dr. Stephanie Weaver, has the same education plus even more years of experience teaching university writing. We know a few things about curricular design and pedagogy.
2. It's grounded in equity and justice. We believe in and actively fight for racial, ethnic, economic, gender, LGBTQ+, and disability equity. Our instructional content and guest experts reflect this focus. Our pricing is on a sliding scale that is meant to counter capitalist, sexist, and racist structures that our country is built upon. If that makes you uncomfortable or you think it's wrong, this is not the spot for you.
3. It features guest experts. I lined up a whole bunch of experts in finance, law, marketing, consulting processes, and business mindset to give you the best education you can get. So you're not just getting my expertise and perspectives, you're getting access to a bunch of pros.
4. It's results-oriented. I'm here to help you succeed, i.e. make that money and keep those clients happy. I don't want you just to learn a bunch of stuff and never use it. We'll take action and make it happen during office hours.
5. It's pleasurable. Ultimately, I think everything you do as a business owner should have some element of pleasure. If not, why are you doing it? From the content, to the design, to the personalities you'll encounter, this experience will be a pleasurable one. Guaranteed.
6. It's accessible. We provide multiple price points for multiple identities and economic situations. We don't just talk about equity, we do it. We also provide multiple ways to access the course lessons, including captions on all videos and the content taught in the videos written out in the workbooks.
Hear from More
Boss Club Members
Heather Scaled Her &
Her Husband's Businesses
Sandy Got 10 Clients
by Word-of-Mouth
Zen Says We're Her #1 Grant Writing
with AI Resource
&
Danette Shares How She 4x'ed
Her Income Using AI for Grant Writing Strategies
Learned in Grant Writing Boss Club
Kyoni Says Boss Club Goes Beyond Grant Writing and is Life-Changing
Sheila Says No Other Program
Offers What We Offer
Justina says her Ph.D. in Nonprofit Management Didn't Offer Anything Close to What We Taught
(& It's Amazing!)
Patience Gained the Confidence and Systems to
Take Her First Paying Client
After Only Doing Pro-Bono
Grant Writing For Years
Registration is Now Open
Not sure whether you're BIPOC, Ally, or Supporter? Read the fee structure details here.
Here's Why Now
is the Time
Most nonprofits can't afford to keep a full-time or even part-time grant writer on staff.
You might think, if they need a grant writer, won't they just hire one? Hiring staff takes even more money than contracting work out.
Usually, the biggest factor is affordability. A nonprofit can commit to several thousand dollars to hire you to write a few grants, but they can't afford the $70k+ needed to hire and provide benefits for a staff grant writer.
This doesn't mean you should work for a low rate that can't keep you and your family fed. (Don't worry, I teach you how to determine your rate in the workshops).
It means you'll be writing fewer grants than a staff grant writer or you'll just be doing more specialized work.
For example, a nonprofit might hire you to conduct a grant search and evaluation, then take over on the writing themselves. That's still several thousand dollars in your pocket! Or maybe they ask you to revise a grant draft after they've already completed the bulk of the work.
(Again, I teach you how to pitch your services and help a client understand how you can most benefit them in the club.)
So, now is the time for you, as a freelance grant writer or grant writing consultant, to go all in.
Frequently Asked Questions
What will we learn in Grant Writing Boss Club? Is this right for me?
-You should either already have some grant writing experience or advanced writing skills in another field that you can easily translate into grant writing skills. We don't believe in throwing people into consulting if they don't have the writing skills to do it successfully.
-You should be ready to take the time and mental space to attend the monthly trainings, grant writing workshops, and office hours (or at least watch the recordings if you can’t be there live). You can expect to do at least 1 hour of work each week.
-You should be willing to be engaged in a community of folks who are there to support you and get your feedback as well. Showing up to the trainings, workshops, and office hours as often as you can and communicating with your peers on our Mighty Networks community is important to your success.
-You should be ready to do some inner work to get yourself in the right mindset to succeed in your business. This is absolutely the most challenging but most essential part of doing this work. We’ll be there to help you.
Should I take this course if I want to learn to write grants but have no interest in opening a grant writing business or being a freelance grant writer?
No, if you’re interested in learning to write grants only, we recommend taking Grant Writing Made Easier.
Can I share a club membership with someone else?
No, each club member must purchase their own separate membership.
Can I join at a later date?
Yes, but this round, we're closing registration on October 31, 2024 and won't reopen it until 2025.
What if I miss a training?
All trainings, office hours, and grant writing workshops will be recorded and posted inside the club member site within one business day. If you know in advance you can't make a training and have specific questions on that month's topic, please email support@grantwritingmadeeasy.com with your questions or post them in the student community.
What if I have trouble logging in to the club or need help with something else?
You can reset your password from Mighty Networks login area. If you still have trouble logging in after resetting your password or need help with something else, email support@grantwritingmadeeasy.com, and we'll respond within one business day.
Do you offer scholarships or other payment plans?
We offer equity pricing, which includes the payment categories of BIPOC, Ally, and Supporter. Members self-identify with their appropriate category based on the definitions listed on the course info page, and we don't ask for any sort of “proof."
Then each of those categories has both a 1-payment and a 12-payment option.
If you apply the lessons, complete the materials for the course, and put yourself out there, the course will more than pay for itself. The Return on Investment can be high if you put in the work.
What if I want a refund or don't want to complete my 12 payments?
You can learn all about our refund policy in our Terms & Conditions. The TLDR is we don't offer refunds on this program.
We do not offer refunds on Grant Writing Boss Club, nor are the payments optional to complete once you have been in the course for 26 days. We’re asking you to make a commitment to learning, and we offer plenty of evidence that our training and support is phenomenal (see all of the testimonials above).
Registration is Now Open
Not sure whether you're BIPOC, Ally, or Supporter? Read the fee structure details here.
Still have questions?
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