Success Stories
Imagine running a young nonprofit with a fantastic mission, a thriving program, growing community supporters, and appreciable fundraising revenues, yet you need funding to enrich your program services. That was the situation for a young youth nonprofit. Early in her grant writing career, Kristin helped this nonprofit secure foundation program grant funding so they could purchase equipment to help grow and expand their program. Much of the all-volunteer board needed an understanding of grant writing. Despite this, Kristin teamed up with the treasurer and submitted the organization’s first-ever grant. Several months later, Kristin received a call. The application was approved, and the funder awarded the total funding request! Six months later, the children enjoyed learning, exercising, and growing together, using the new equipment.
Nonprofits experience many challenges, some more urgent than others. A month before their program grants were due, a local chapter of a national nonprofit organization had an emergent staffing need. Their grant writer became ill and was suddenly unable to complete their upcoming grants. The organization relied solely on grant funding revenues for this one program. They needed grant funding to continue this program. They turned to Kristin. She conducted a site visit promptly to assess the project’s scope and current resources. Through research, Kristin quickly became a program subject expert on their initiative. After securing organizational information and financial data from the organization’s leaders, Kristin drafted section narratives and developed a project budget. In collaboration with a leadership representative, Kristin reviewed and revised the application. She also provided support while the leader submitted the grant application via the online portal. Throughout the process, Kristin shared advice on best grant writing, budgeting practices, and additional ways to engage community support, develop partnerships, and raise funds. Kristin helped to prepare two grants for this nonprofit. Each grant received total funding, allowing the organization to sustain its program for the year.
An established nonprofit with robust community support and multiple funding sources, yet limited grant funding success, had contacted Kristin for help with grant writing. They had enlisted other grant writers but needed consistent success. After an initial meeting, they decided to place their trust in KGA. Kristin has helped to research appropriate funding opportunities, to educate the grant team about the grant process, program development, program budgeting, and how to establish funder relationships. She has successfully prepared several program grant applications. In the process, Kristin and the nonprofit’s grant team have found an excellent working relationship, and she remains engaged with this nonprofit.
A youth performance theater nonprofit was hitting its stride when the global pandemic hit. The resulting lockdowns forced it and many for-profit and nonprofit businesses to operate with razor-thin margins. The youth performance theater nearly closed due to dwindling resources and no means to capture program or performance fee revenues. Due to generous community support, they made it and were beginning to generate financial growth when they contacted KGA for help to secure general operating grant funding. Kristin worked quickly with the board president on a client-identified funding opportunity. The timeframe to help the organization prepare its first grant from start to finish was three weeks. Kristin directed the grant proposal writing, securing necessary program and financial information from board members. The team was thrilled that they were able to submit a timely and compelling proposal. The funder awarded this first-time applicant $30,000 to hire a part-time development director.
When working as a volunteer with a health and human service organization, Kristin helped to recapture a funder’s interest in the organization. Before submitting a program support request, the funder had funded the organization for emergency relief funding. Kristin’s grant proposal relayed the impact of the funder’s gift by combining data with persuasive writing. Doing so helped to convey the needs of the population served. The funder’s acceptance of Kristin’s grant request helped the nonprofit to forge a new relationship with the funder. Their full support of Kristin’s grant proposal request indicated that they had a change in perspective and understood the value of supporting the organization’s ongoing, year-round programmatic work as well as emergency relief initiatives.
Occasionally KGA engages with select small business entrepreneurs to assist them with their grant-seeking efforts. Such was the case for a math-minded, adventurous minority-owned business owner who contacted Kristin for help with a State of CT Department of Environmental Protection Grant. Within three weeks from start to finish, Kristin worked tirelessly to compile data to demonstrate the funding need and draft the project description and financial budget required for the grant application. To help establish community support for this application, she advised her client to join the local chamber of Commerce. Additionally, she secured a letter of support for her client’s business from the CT state legislator representing the district and business location. Her client was thrilled with Kristin’s work and continues to engage her for his business writing needs.
