Travel Grants Can Be the Secret to Free Travel

Updated: Mar 16th, 2010

Are you a new travel writer looking for travel writing jobs? Would you like free travel? There is a way that few writers know about to help them get the funds they need – funds that could take you to a destination that you’ve always wanted to write about. The same way that many high-school graduates get funding for college, and many start up business get funding to help them open the doors and put up the shingle – it’s grants! Yep, good old-fashioned grants.

Grants exist to fund all types of projects, so there’s no reason why you couldn’t apply for a travel grant. If you’re passionate about the environment and the effects that travel has on it, apply for a grant to go research and write about it. You could head an expedition to the Amazon Rain forest or some of our national parks. You could write about how tourists have taken a toll on these areas. Some possible topics could be “How can we sustain these areas?” “Is it time to stop tourism to the Amazon Rain forest?” You could help to preserve such beautiful areas for generations to come.

First you should decide exactly what it is that you want to accomplish – a series of articles, a book, etc. – and the topic. Next, make sure that you read through the grant guidelines before you write your proposal. Think of it as sending a letter of inquiry to an editor at a publication. You need to make sure it’s perfect, otherwise it could be rejected.

There are a huge number of resources online to help with tips and advice, examples of well-written proposals, and people and companies that specialize in writing grant proposals for others — do a bit of surfing to help you get started.

Here is a partial list of grant resource websites:

If you’re considering applying for a travel grant, make sure you write a compelling grant proposal. You wouldn’t send an editor a mediocre inquiry – don’t write a mediocre grant proposal. It’s imperative that you make your case in a way that is clear, concise, and intriguing, in order to get your grant approved. You might also consider the services of a grant-writing person or firm – these are people who are extremely knowledgeable about the process and how to get an approval.

Links to tips on writing a grant proposal:

Don’t be discouraged if you apply for one (or more) travel grants and get rejected — there are many sources of grant funding, so just rewrite your proposal and try again. All it takes is one grant approval to speed you on your way to an intriguing new destination and writing career. Many travel writers come back from a trip with enough material (notes, journal entries, photos and videos) and inspiration to write a large quantity of articles for weeks — or even months — to come.

~Rebecca

Have you ever applied for a travel grant? Would you consider applying for a travel grant?

About Amandah Blackwell 198 Articles

Amandah Blackwell is a creative, freelance and ghost writer for industries that include but are not limited to the arts & entertainment, travel, publishing, real estate, pets, personal and professional development, and much more.

Amandah's personal writing projects include screenplays, teleplays, YA, non-fiction, short stories, and poetry. 

You can find more of her writing at www.MisticCafe.com, savvywritingcareers.wordpress.com, and www.savvy-writer.com.

You can follow Amandah on Twitter at:  http://twitter.com/savvy_writer

4 Comments

  1. Thanks for the information on travel writing grants. I never thought of it before. Who knew that this could be 1 way to get free travel. Sweet! I know I have some projects that I’d like to have backed. Better get a move on…TTY!

  2. Brilliant! Never thought of grant writing. God knows I applied for grant writing jobs, but I never thought that I could apply for one. Guess I thought I wouldn’t get funded. Now I’ll dust off my ideas and get busy. Thanks for the encouragement and the links to the websites :)

    Signed,
    Trying-2-Make-A-Difference

  3. Interesting article. I never thought about applying for a travel grant. It would be very cool to lead an expedition somewhere or investigate an area that I’m passionate about. Also, it gave me an idea that I could possibly due some grant writing. I’m pretty saavy as a writer. I could use the extra cash. Thanks for the inspiration!

  4. What a great idea! I think I’ll work on obtaining a travel grant. There’s so much that interests me, plus I’m one of those “Let’s Save the Planet” people. I know I could lead an expedition somewhere to study something. Time for me to put my “thinking cap” on. I’ll take a look at the “tips for writing a grant proposal.” I’m sure it will help me :)

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