You’ll need at least two samples of past work to be seriously considered for any grant-writing assignment. A writing sample such as a published newspaper or magazine article demonstrates whether or not you can write clearly and compellingly, but before someone pays you to write a grant, they want to know you also understand the grant process and how to write in a way that appeals to funders.

The best way to build your portfolio is to create a proposal as a volunteer helping a small nonprofit. This could be for your house of worship, kids’ soccer team, community chorus, hospital auxiliary, friends of the public library, or any community group. You’ll have the advantage of access to any past grants and descriptive materials they have on hand and be able to interview the people in charge and those who run the specific programs. You may even be able to talk to program participants (like your kids who are on the soccer team or your sister who is in the local chorus) for great quotes that will enhance your proposal. Additionally, this is a proposal you’ll submit and get a result—hopefully a positive one!

Other opportunities to create your grant samples might lie with friends who need to fund a personal project. Artists are always looking for support to cover their time and materials, and people starting a new business might need help securing start-up money. A good business plan, after all, has all the elements of a grant proposal.

Two sample proposals are the minimum you’ll need for your portfolio, but you’ll ideally have as many as five, written for different projects or organizations. Potential employers seldom review more than two proposals, but with more to choose from, you can include proposals that most nearly match what your potential new client wants you to do for them.

All your sample proposals should at minimum include the cover letter, program description, and a budget. Do get permission from the people for whom you wrote the proposals before using them as samples. In some cases, an organization may not want its materials (especially its budget) shown to its peer organizations.