Pick a clean, professional template that highlights grant-writing results and program management. Use a reverse-chronological layout so your recent grant wins and funder relationships appear first.
Keep length to one page if you have under 10 years of experience. Move to two pages only if you have many relevant grants, funder lists, or large budgets to show.
Use ATS-friendly fonts like Calibri or Arial. Set body text to 10–12pt and headers to 14–16pt. Keep generous margins and consistent spacing so each section reads fast.
Use clear headings such as Contact, Summary, Experience, Grants & Awards, Skills, and Education. List grant outcomes with numbers, dollar amounts, and timelines so readers see impact quickly.
Avoid complex columns, embedded images, and decorative icons. These elements often break parsing and slow hiring managers. Stick to bullet lists and short achievement lines.
Watch for common mistakes. Don’t use unusual fonts or tiny text to squeeze content. Don’t cram too many bullets under one job. Don’t leave vague phrases like "supported grants" without results.
Format your grant entries clearly. Start each bullet with an action verb. Include the funder, your role, the award amount, and the result. That makes your work easy to scan and verify.