The work

Grants officers consider applications for grants and decide which are worth putting forward for further consideration. Final decisions on grants are usually made by senior staff or by a committee.

A grants officer deals with many applications at any one time. The procedure on receiving an application for a grant varies. Some applications can be for small amounts and are straightforward. Other applications can be for large projects and are very complicated. The work can involve the following:

Checking that an application falls within the scope of the grants officers organisation and putting details of the application on computer.

Obtaining further information about the application, or giving the applicant advice on improving the application. To do that, a grants officer might contact the applicant by telephone. It may be necessary to arrange to visit the applicant or employ a consultant to visit. Some applications are for individuals. A grants officer may need to contact organisations helping the applicant, such as welfare organisations or Citizens Advice Bureaux. At this stage, they try to identify any applications that are fraudulent.

Analysing the information in order to judge the application. For very complex applications, a grants officer may arrange for a consultant to analyse the application before any judgement can be made.

Individually, or in a team, grants officers then review the application, taking into account the applicants ability to achieve the desired result. They then make a recommendation about the application and submit it to a senior staff member, a committee or board of trustees to make the final decision.

Informing applicants of the result of their application. When an application is successful the grants officer might advise the applicant on how best to proceed. The officer keeps in regular contact with the applicant to make sure that the grant is being put into practice as agreed and that money is not being used fraudulently. This can involve making spot checks or reading reports. Sometimes it becomes clear that changes would be appropriate to improve the use of a grant. The officer might advise on these changes and authorise them.

Grants officers may be responsible for making sure that grant payments are made promptly and accurately.
They make sure that records are kept of all applications. They must be able to advise on the status of all applications.
They deal with queries from applicants, colleagues and committee members.
Some grants officers make presentations about the grants they offer and the procedures for applying.

Hours and Environment

There are no standard hours for this work. With some organisations grants officers work normal office hours, Monday to Friday. Some organisations operate a flexitime system. The work is office-based. Grants officers spend some time away from the office when meeting applicants and consultants, visiting projects and giving presentations. A driving licence is helpful for some jobs.

Skills and Interests

Grants officers should:

• be able to manage and organise their own work
• be able to work to deadlines
• be good with figures, ie able to understand accounts and analyse budgets
• be capable of quickly assessing the suitability of applications for grants
• be skilled in using computers to collect and analyse information
• have good communication skills.

This includes being able to explain things clearly face to face and by telephone. They must also have good writing skills to be able to write reports

• be diplomatic
• have the confidence and ability to give presentations
• be good team workers while also working well on their own
• be decisive
• have the ability to deal sympathetically with members of the public. Where necessary, though, they must deal with them firmly
• be able to deal with complex written and numerical information
• for some jobs have specialist knowledge, such as in heritage or the arts.

Entry

There is no upper age limit for entry to work as a grants officer. Grants officers have normally had experience in other areas of work, such as management, marketing or finance, and their maturity and experience is valued.

Training

There is no set minimum qualification for entry to this work. Most entrants, though, have a higher-level qualification or a degree.

• A good level of English and maths is required.
• Computer skills are useful.
• Experience of working in a voluntary organisation is helpful.
• A qualification and/or experience in finance or administration is also useful.
• Working for a Charity is an organisation that runs short courses. They include courses that help people see how they can apply their skills to the voluntary sector. These are particularly suitable for those who are considering a career change, returning to work after a break or are recent graduates.

Opportunities

Grants officer could be employed by:

• a local authority
• a central Government department
• a charity
• a health authority
• an independent grant-making trust or foundation
• a benevolent fund
• a large public company.
• This a small area of work but the number of grants officers is growing.There is a lot of competition for advertised vacancies

Annual Income

Further information

Newly appointed grants officers are trained by their employers. There are also a number of courses, including:

MSc Voluntary Sector Organisation. This is run by the London School of Economics. Entry is with a degree or equivalent qualification and voluntary sector experience. The course lasts 21 months part-time. It is also available as a 9-month full-time course.

Diploma or MSc Voluntary Sector Management. This is run by City University. Entry is with a degree or equivalent professional qualification and at least three years experience in a management job. The Diploma course lasts for 16 months part-time, while the MSc takes an extra twelve to 18 months. The Open University runs a range of courses for management of public and non-profit organisations.