I gave them $8300 to write a business plan and to use it to send out letters to get grant money from investors to fund my business. No Plan, No letters, No answers to calls or emails. I blew it, they scammed me. They made promises of up to $465, 000. Statements like Misty Lee, Quality Assurance Department Specialist
Compass National, 8915 S. Pecos Rd. Suite 20, Henderson, NV 89074, (877) 702-8915 Toll Free, (702) 776-8368 Ext. 517, (702) 446-8273 Fax
www.compassnational.com
[email protected]
who told me she had a young daughter and would never scam a fellow mom out of needed money, they are very convincing.
And others who said things like " you are in good hands." I now know that I am one of thousands who have been taken.

What concerns me the most about the possibility of any grant-sourcing/writing company being a scam are as follows:

1. No willingness to identify satisfied customers - this is a major concern even though their policy, as articulated, seems understandable. Most grant providers will list the organizations to whom they have provided funds. This is certainly the case for government sponsored grants. Additionally, most businesses will advertise their satisfied customers because it will impress possible customers to "come on board." There really is no good reason to keep secret satisfied customers, unless there aren't very many, or worse, there aren't any.
2. No willingness to identify possible, specific grant sources they will approach. An experienced grant writer knows pretty much upfront which company or government program(s) is most likely to provide funding.
3. Providing the allurement of raising substantial money for a first-time request. Most grant providers will not approve a first time request for a donation, but if and when they finally do, they will grant considerably less than the requested amount. The grantee must prove their worthiness before getting additional funding. In fact, in many cases, it takes a persistent request for funding over a period of five years or more before the first grant is offered by legitimate foundations.
4. Your request was transferred from the first person with whom you talked to a second or third person. This may indeed be the result of employee turnover based on the discovery by the previous employee that the company is operating a scam.
5. The amount of money they tell you is available for what you are doing, the service you are providing, is raised when you decide to take more time to ponder and research the company's validity. Quite frankly, for example, holding out the carrot of $200, 000 as a possible amount for which you would qualify is extreme given your being a first time requester. If a grant writer were to be successful to raise 10 or maybe 20K, that would be amazing; but, 200K is likely impossible.
6. The short length of time the company has been in operation under the name "Compass National" does make it difficult to assess the truthfulness of the few complaints logged against it. Nevertheless, "buyer beware."
7. Requiring a fairly substantial up-front fee. However, an up-front fee of some sort to get the grant writing process started is not an unusual requirement of competent grant writers.
8. As one blogger wrote, and I agree, as a general rule, small businesses do not get awarded grants; low interest loans, yes, but not grants. Anyone who comes close to promising a grant for a small business is suspect.

Overall, it would be less costly, and less of a gamble. to pay a local grant writer to research appropriate, possible granters and write a professional request on your behalf. It is also advisable to check with your State's Attorney General's office or Secretary of State's office and/or the State's Secretary of Commerce office for complaints or litigation against the company in question.