How can you showcase your personal brand in a grant writing portfolio?

1 Define your personal brand

Your personal brand is what makes you stand out among other grant writers. It’s a combination of your personality, expertise, and goals that make you memorable and credible to your target audience. To define your personal brand, ask yourself questions such as: What is your mission and vision? What are your core values and principles? What are your strengths and unique skills? What are your achievements and successes? How do you communicate and collaborate with others? What are your passions and interests? Answering these questions will help you identify a concise and compelling summary of who you are as a grant writer - your personal brand statement.

2 Select your portfolio pieces

Once you have defined your personal brand, you should select portfolio pieces that align with your statement and goals, highlight your specific role and contribution in the grant writing process, showcase your writing style, tone, and voice, provide evidence of results and outcomes, represent a variety of projects, topics, and formats, and include testimonials or recognition from clients, funders, or partners. You should ensure that your portfolio pieces are relevant, current, and complete; if not, you may need to update, edit, or revise some of your older or incomplete work.

3 Organize your portfolio

Once you have selected your portfolio pieces, it is important to organize them in a way that is easy to access, navigate, and understand. You can create a portfolio website or use an online platform, as well as maintain a consistent and professional design, layout, and format. Additionally, you can categorize your pieces by type, topic, or client and add titles, descriptions, and dates to each portfolio piece. Providing context and background information for each portfolio piece can also be beneficial; this could include the project objectives, challenges, solutions, and outcomes. Highlighting the key features, benefits, and impact of each portfolio piece is also recommended. Finally, an introduction or overview page should be included that introduces yourself, summarizes your personal brand statement, and explains the purpose and scope of your portfolio.

4 Promote your portfolio

Once you have created and organized your portfolio, you need to promote it to your target audience. You can share it on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook, add it to your email signature or business card, mention it in your cover letter, proposal, or pitch, send it to existing or potential clients, funders, or partners. Additionally, you can join online or offline networks related to grant writing or your niche and ask for referrals from satisfied clients, funders, or partners. To ensure that your portfolio is up-to-date and relevant, you should update and maintain it regularly by adding new pieces, removing outdated ones, and asking for feedback from your audience.

5 Showcase your personal brand

Creating a grant writing portfolio that showcases your personal brand is not a one-time task; it is an ongoing process that requires you to constantly refine, improve, and communicate your value proposition as a grant writer. By following the steps in this article, you can create a portfolio that reflects your skills, values, and impact, and that attracts the attention of funders and collaborators who share your vision and goals.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?