I research & write foundation, local and federal grants for non-profits.

Call me and we will have a free phone consult to see where you are with your vision. We will then schedule a phone interview to be conducted after I do a little research.

• I will create the By-Laws
• Help you establish your board
• Write and file the Non-Profit (501C3) Forms
• Create the Budget
• Create the volunteer outlines
• Do your Reporting for your grants
• Help you create a Clear Story
• Help you research grants
• Train your board and volunteers

People often ask if I can help them get a grant for their big idea that they would like to turn into a charity. I am quiet about that I have been successful in the non-profit world because the process of attaining a grant is so much more than my grandmothers friend who loves Lamas can fathom.

In the eyes of the fundor they are responsible to someone for any money they grant and must be sure the money given to your organization is spent correctly.

….  (My rates are about 200 words below, however,  I would read my qualifications first)

How I know what I know

In 2005 I started a not-for-profit to help find homes for hard to place children who were living in foster care. I scoured the database and took every class available at the non-profit development center.

I wrote our by-laws and was given an expedited non-profit status from the IRS (yes – “The” IRS)  within a week. I duplicated this effort for other non-profits, there is a way to usually get it quick, if you really need it.

I wrote a grant for myself and the president of my board to attend a non-profit development course at the circle of 10. Within a month I was writing grants to the Arts Council of Texas for musicians to entertain at the the local farmers market and the president of my board wrote a 3 million dollar VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) federal grant and received it. (It was a really good class- He is a legend in that small town!)

The second grant that I received was an educational grant that gave me one-on-one instruction by a foundation loan officer teaching me the steps to become a “fundable entity“.  After six months I applied for a grant to this foundation and it was awarded two years in a row.

To raise money for the non-profit I saw a need within the state and wrote a proposal to create a training video for Child Protective Services adoption workers. This too was awarded and we had all the funding we needed to accomplish our goals!

I have written multi-dimensional budgets, bylaws, corporate structure outlines and volunteer guidelines. I am well versed in the non-profit world and I can explain the ins and outs of going this route to save the whales or whatever your passion.

Are grants out there for my organization?

Possibly, but you have to know where to look and have some initial funding to research them and get yourself organized enough to be qualified to receive them. This money usually comes from private donors you already know. (Most grants will not be given if their grant money is going to fund a “grant writer”.)

What are your rates for helping with my non-profit?

The first call is free. Consultations are discounted 20% for non-profits or those who think they want to be a non-profit. My normal hourly rate is $80. If we decide to work together I will write you a proposal that you can take to your initial fundor. I will be happy to work incrementally so that you can show accountability to the one who pays your bills! I keep close track of my time and bill by the quarter hour. (I also love saving the Whales so you will find that I am very easy to work with if you have a true calling!)  From now until January of  2019 I will be offering a 50% discount on my normal rates.

What I can do for you…

• Development

  • Write by-laws, submit 501C3 papers to the IRS, write a budget and develop volunteer guidelines and donation needs

• Grant Writing

  •  Private, Foundation and Government grant experience. Grant writing is about presenting your mission in a fund-able way and knowing how to share your message in an appealing manor.

Experiences

Events/ Writing/Non-Profit Management
East Texas Heart Gallery – Director/Founder – June 2005-December 2009
Objectives – Raise awareness of the need to adopt from foster care, find families for children over 8 or in a minority or sibling group through the use of photojournalistic style photography and improved biographies of children, improve effectiveness of Department of Family and Protective Services in regards to working with available families.
Actions-Determine available children, document and promote, photograph and schedule fun events, require workers to attend photo shoots so that they may know their wards, get all city, state, county and federal groups to understand and work together to assist in the recruitment and placement process.
Events- Schedule display events, book live entertainment, schedule group and individual photo events, interview and thoughtfully document children, arrange fundraisers with wine tastings and catered food, coordinate the use of hundreds of venues, gather tables, chairs and display lighting and sound equipment, photograph over 250 children across 7 counties, have families selected for over half of them, speak at judicial conference, recruit heads of state to speak and represent, manage and plan multiple National Adoption Day events simultaneously.
Promotions- print and mount portraits, create free-standing displays, acquire local and national media coverage, speak to heads of state on behalf of children, recruit celebrities, create website.
Non-Profit ACTION- Start a non-profit, raise funds, write grants, gather donations, require state employee attendance to acquaint the worker with the child they represent, encourage best practices, develop and manage multi-diminsional budgets, recruit volunteers, insure safety and privacy of children, write multidimensional budget, manage board of directors, develop relations with judges and child welfare boards, help state employees to better utilize resources, create how-to book filled with resources for adoptive and foster families.

“In 4 weeks I developed and executed a catered “Polar Express” train ride for 36 orphans,

30 social workers and 50 volunteers. A NFL Player, a Hall of Famer and the marines entertained the children. After the train ride Santa delivered 2 king size gift bags to each child from a horse drawn coach. Everyone cried, even the media.”

Collaborative Partners: Child Advocacy Center, East Texas Council on Adoptable Children, Getting together Safely, 3 in 1 Trinity Services, Hearts in Harmony Animal Assisted Therapy, Child Protective Services, Boys & Girls Clubs, Parents Anonymous, Parent Services, Graduation Party, Preparing for Adult Living, Department of Family & Protective Services, Buckner Children and Family Services, Azleway, Lutheran Social Services, Texas Baptist Home for Children, CASA, Texas Foster Family Association, State Network of Child Welfare Boards, Rainbow Room, Emancipation for Graduates

From there I helped develop the Heart Gallery of America.

Events / Promotions
Crossroads Music Company Concert Series – Non-Profit Development/ Event Manager/ Publisher/ Creative Director – 2008-2010
Objective- Provide quality music and service in Winnsboro Texas listening room
Actions- Establish non-profit, acquire donated building, acquire support from mayor, gather donations, restore building, create acoustics, recruit entertainment, acquire sound equipment and lighting, plan bi-monthly concerts, plan refreshments, negotiate contracts and rates, arrange entertainer travel, meals and accommodations, create marketing calendar,  create board and meeting outlines, adhere to non-profit requirements
City of Lancaster, Shane Shephard- Main Street Manager 903-253-7993

Writing/Non-Profit Management

Access Adventure Therapeutic Carriage Driving – Organizer- 2012-Present
Objectives – Raise awareness of therapeutic carriage driving, increase efficiency, enable organization to receive grants, prepare Michael Muir for training.
Actions – Create activities timeline, file back taxes, create new website, write marketing plan, write and disseminate media releases, get corporation in good standing, write safety standards, schedule safety certification, document procedures, mend fences, make fundraising plan, write ask letters, create multidimensional budget, recruit and train volunteers.
Access Adventure, Suisun, CA – Michael Muir, Founder. Michael Muir is a paraplegic with M.S. training for the 2017 Olympics.

Then… I scouted for the Caravan and took Access Adventure to Disabled Driving facilities and hospitals along the way….

Event/Non-Profit Adventure
The Caravan, A Transcontinental Horse Drawn Journey & Film– Scout – Fall 2014 / Fall 2017
Objective – Travel safely and enjoyably for horsedrawn carriage for 2,500 miles with a large diverse group.
Action – Scout daily for route, horses travel by dirt, support vehicles travel on pavement, gauge  level of difficulty and intensity, discover complimentary hospitable accommodations, find water in the desert,  plan for conditions, gathered and document all infrastructure requirements, discriminate route details, scenic possibilities and area history daily, offer alternatives with varied routes,  schedule arrivals and departures, work with media, contact authorities, schedule entertainment, field concerns, utilize Google Earth, MapMyRide and DeLorme Maps, schedule and plan excursions,  provide help and support with horses, pack , prepare and serve meals, attain everything free or at an extreme discount, work 17 hours a day, 7 days a week with a smile.
Ideal Harness, Inc. British Columbia, Canada –  Gerard Paagman – President 406-422-6151

Events
Festival on the Square- Volunteer – 2005
Objective – 1 day music festival in downtown Tyler with rides, kids area and vendors. Action-  Serve on multiple committees, coordinate marketing, assist with rainy day agenda, locate rides, negotiate rates, assist in set-up/break down.
Tyler Main Street Organization, Tyler Texas

Writing/ Grants/ Events/ Promotions
Volunteer in Service to America – Stipend Volunteer – 2005
Objective– Increase the prosperity of Winnsboro Texas and create jobs through the arts. Action- Have historic building donated, restore building utilizing an all volunteer workforce, book and manage a 3-day outdoor festival, negotiate contracts, promote, create ad copy and design, book entertainment, sell booths, hire caterer, gain permits, acquire grants, create theme and decorate, arrange street closures, assist with alcohol permits, book portolets, create rainy day agenda, block off parking, recruit volunteers, create agendas for workers separately from attendees, host talent contest, gather prizes. Winnsboro Center for the Arts, Winnsboro, TX – Shane Shepherd – Main Street Manager, 903-253-7993