July 1, 2026
If you are planning to launch or advance your career as a grant writer, you may have wondered if it is worth earning a certificate in grant writing.
In this post, we review three options for professional certificates, summarizing what each includes, how well-known and valued they are by employers, how much they cost, and the steps required to attain certification.
If you are an established grant writer, working either as a consultant or as a nonprofit employee, certification may feel unnecessary because you have a track record of grant successes you can show potential clients or employers as evidence of your experience and skills.
For those transitioning to grant writing, the potential value of a certificate is higher. Completing a certificate program can demonstrate your commitment to the field and provide assurance to future employers that you understand grant writing fundamentals, including common terminology and standard application sections.
Experienced proposal writers and managers may want to consider a certification program if they are moving into a new type of proposal work, such as switching from grant writing at a small nonprofit to working on cooperative agreements or contracts for a larger nonprofit or for-profit entity.
For both new and experienced grant writers, certificate programs can expand skill sets and help build confidence. But while increased skills and confidence are nice to have, to justify the time and expense, most people want to know whether earning a professional certificate will lead to measurable advantages, such as more job opportunities and a higher salary. This is where things get a little murky.
Grant writing certificates typically fall into one of the following types:
Certificates from professional associations. Examples include certifications from the Association for Proposal Management Professionals (APMP).
Certificates from institutions of higher learning. Community colleges and universities (the latter through continuing education programs) offer grant writing training and certificates.
Certificates from private vendors. Private companies and online course platforms offer certificates for course and program completion.
Which option, or combination of options, is best for you depends on your goals, budget, and the preferences (and sometimes the requirements) of potential employers. Generally, the more "official" the certification program, the more expensive and time-consuming the certification process will be. However, the more official the source of the certification, the greater the potential benefits. Certificates from recognized organizations and institutions will carry more weight than those from a little-known small business.
Professional Associations
Professional associations that offer proposal writing training and certification include APMP and a certificate offered by the Grant Professional Certification Institute (GPCI). These are two of the better-known certifications.
Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP)
The APMP offers several certifications, the most popular of which is the Foundation Certification. The certification primarily tests proposal management skills and knowledge, although it also covers proposal development and writing strategies.
Link: APMP - Association of Proposal Management Professionals
Eligibility: To sit for the exam, you must have at least one year of experience in bids and proposals. You may be asked to verify your experience.
Cost: $75 for APMP members, $125 for non-members
Certification process: For the Foundation Certification, you must take an exam that consists of 75 multiple-choice questions. The exam is a timed (65 minutes), pass-fail, open-book test that covers 40 entry-level and early-career competencies.
Another option in the professional association category is the American Grant Writers’ Association, which offers a Certified Grant Writer Series for $999.
Shipley Associates helped establish APMP, and its approach to proposal management and writing is similar to APMP’s. Shipley is well regarded, and its certificate training programs are often required for proposal managers and writers at U.S. defense contractors. Shipley offers online and in-person training.
Link: Training at Shipley
Eligibility: If you have the time and money to complete its training program, you can earn a Shipley certificate. Shipley does not require a specific number of years of experience in proposal development to apply for certification. However, if you are inexperienced, Shipley training could be overwhelming.
Cost: Individual courses range from $999 to more than $2K. Achieving Shipley certification is a significant investment that can cost $5K or more, depending on whether the courses are purchased individually or as a bundle.
Certification process: To receive a Shipley Certification in proposal writing, proposal management, or capture, you must complete a series of Shipley-offered courses.
Best for: In the nonprofit community, except for international NGOs (INGOs) pursuing opportunities worth tens of millions of dollars (e.g., federal cooperative agreements and contracts), Shipley is not a relevant certification. INGOs often state in their job postings that applicants should have (or preferably will have) APMP or Shipley certification. Given Shipley’s cost, its certification program is also a better fit for those with access to employer-based tuition assistance.
Grant Professionals Certification Institute (GPCI)
Link: GPCI – Grant Professionals Certification Institute
Eligibility: GPCI’s certification process includes detailed eligibility requirements, including education level, practical professional experience, evidence of continuing education, and community involvement.
Cost: The exam fee is $639
Certification process: You must pass the Grant Professionals Certification exam, a generalist test that covers competencies and skills as defined by the Grant Professionals Certification Institute. The test includes a multiple-choice exam and a writing test.
Best for: The GPCI certificate is best for individuals working at U.S.-based small- to medium-sized nonprofits. Ideally, applicants should have a professional role that encompasses more than just proposal writing, including post-award grant management. To qualify for GPCI certification, you must have at least five years of experience in the last seven years.
Courses Through Higher Ed Institutions
Grant certificate programs are offered by educational institutions across the United States. In-person training courses still seem to be the most common, although virtual options exist as well.
Eligibility: Eligibility requirements vary by program. An institution may offer a single entry-level course in grant writing or a series of courses that must be completed in a designated order.
Cost: Tuition can range from a few hundred dollars to $1,000 or more.
Certification process: The certification process varies by course and program. It may require successfully completing one or more courses, taking an exam, or submitting a portfolio of recent proposals.
Best for: Training and certification programs offered by educational institutions are a good choice for those who enjoy a traditional classroom environment and seek employment in the local community. Community colleges are typically well known within the immediate community and are a good option for those pursuing job opportunities with local employers. Certifications from nationally recognized universities are a better option if the goal is to pursue jobs or clients at the regional or national level.
Online Program Offered by Solopreneurs & Small Businesses
Eligibility: Online programs offered by solopreneurs and small businesses are typically open to anyone, regardless of their experience. While most grant writing courses target less-experienced grant writers, a subset focuses on specific types of proposals, proposal sections, and programmatic areas. The diversity of online courses is their greatest strength. Through independent course providers, you can find specialized training on advanced topics not typically found in standard professional certification programs, which usually focus on the fundamentals.
Cost: Courses from online course providers vary considerably in cost, quality, duration, topics covered, and intended audience. Most courses seem to fall in the $100-$400 range.
Certification process. Certification requirements vary. Some course providers offer completion certificates for each course, while others require completion of multiple courses. Course completion certificates are usually automatically generated once you’ve completed all course modules.
Best for: Online courses from solopreneurs and small businesses are best for self-motivated learners who want to increase their knowledge of proposal management and writing and increase their skills in specific areas, such as developing an M&E plan or preparing complex federal proposals. Online course instructors differ in their experience, so it is important to choose an instructor whose content aligns with your goals. Many online instructors focus on writing proposals for small foundations, which typically award grants under $100K. If your goal is to submit multimillion-dollar proposals to government agencies, these courses will be of limited value. Likewise, if your goal is to write proposals for small nonprofits seeking grants in the $50K range, taking courses on preparing complex federal or multilateral grant proposals will be unhelpful.
Certificates offer benefits, but do employers actually value them? Will completing a certificate program lead to more job opportunities and higher pay? The answer depends on the type of proposal writing you are currently doing or aspire to do.
Grant Writers
Most nonprofit leaders and hiring managers are unfamiliar with professional grant-writing and proposal-management certificate programs. Those familiar with them are unlikely to have undergone the training themselves, so they don’t know what the certification covers. As a result—for those focused on grant writing (i.e., not federal cooperative agreements or contracts)—earning a certificate is unlikely to significantly expand job opportunities or lead to a higher salary.
Grant writing certifications are rarely a job requirement for smaller, community-based organizations. However, in recent years, there has been a modest uptick in job descriptions listing GPCI certification as a preferred qualification, but this still represents a minority of open positions within the United States.
If you are based outside the United States, earning a GPCI certificate confers even fewer career advantages because the organization focuses on the U.S. grant community and is not widely known outside the United States.
Proposal Writers
The potential value of completing a professional certificate program is different if you want to write more than just grant proposals. If your career goal is to write proposals for international NGOs or for-profit companies, earning APMP's foundation certificate or a Shipley certificate could be a good investment. This is because the proposal preparation methods endorsed by APMP and Shipley, which are similar because Shipley helped establish APMP, have been widely adopted by companies that regularly compete for federal contracts and business-to-business opportunities. This includes companies located outside the United States (APMP has an active community of international chapters).
In terms of return on investment, earning an APMP or Shipley certificate can lead to more job opportunities, as employers in the business and federal contracting sectors often require APMP certification. Additionally, INGO’s frequently list APMP certification as a preferred or required qualification.
As stated earlier, whether a certificate program is worth your time and money depends on your career aspirations and experience level. To summarize:
Training offered by educational institutions. If you want to enter the field of grant writing, enrolling in a grant writing certificate program at a community college or university extension program might be worth it because the curricula are typically designed with the novice or less-experienced grant writer in mind. Just be aware that many of these programs are oriented toward proposals for small grants from private foundations rather than large, multimillion-dollar awards from federal agencies. It is important to evaluate the courses based on your career goals and the types of proposals you envision writing.
Professional organizations. Certification programs offered by recognized professional organizations or entities, such as GPCI, APMP, or Shipley, have the potential for the greatest return on investment because a growing number of employers seek applicants with these certifications. Still, whether they are worth the investment depends on the type of organization you work for or aspire to work for. APMP and Shipley certificates are most relevant if you want to expand into proposal writing and management in the business sector. To a lesser extent, these certificates are also valuable for positions at INGOs and some national nonprofit organizations.
For those based outside the United States or seeking employment with global companies, APMP certification also offers international recognition.
GPCI’s certificate is best for U.S.-based grant professionals focused on grants for small- and medium-sized nonprofits, and the certification is gaining traction in this sector. For INGOs, GPCI’s certification is rarely seen in job postings for grant positions and is less widely known than APMP or Shipley.
Online certificate programs offered by individuals and small businesses. The diversity of programs and courses makes it difficult to offer a blanket recommendation for or against these types of online programs. One benefit of online courses from an experienced grant professional is that you can gain specialized knowledge and practical "real-world" tips and tricks that are absent from traditional certificate programs sponsored by professional associations, which mostly focus on general skills. A second benefit of online courses is that they can be much more affordable than the other training options offered by educational institutions and professional associations.
Certificates from online programs from individual trainers and small businesses are best viewed as professional development investments rather than a direct pathway to more or better career opportunities. These types of less-formal trainings can advance your practical skills and knowledge and make you a better grant writer and manager, but they will not carry any meaningful weight if listed on a resume or cover letter.