Grant Strategy

Grant support that starts before the writing — and continues after the award.

I help senior-serving organizations identify the right funding opportunities, design fundable programs, write compelling proposals, and manage post-award reporting with confidence.

A strong grant proposal is not just well-written — it is strategically built. Funders want to see a clear need, an evidence-informed program design, measurable outcomes, a realistic implementation plan, and a compelling case for impact. I help organizations bring all of those pieces together so they can pursue funding with clarity, confidence, and a stronger chance of success.

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Whitney Bignell working at laptop

Why Grant Strategy Matters

Successful grants begin with strategy – not a blank document.

Many organizations begin the grant process by trying to answer application questions one at a time. But strong proposals are built from a deeper foundation: understanding the funder’s priorities, clarifying the community need, designing a program that is realistic and evidence-informed, and developing an evaluation plan that shows how success will be measured.

My approach helps your organization move beyond “writing the grant” to building a proposal that is aligned, persuasive, and ready for implementation if funded.

“A fundable proposal does more than describe a good idea — it shows the funder why this program matters, why your organization is the right partner, and how impact will be measured.”

Who This Service Is For

Grant support for organizations serving older adults and communities with complex needs.

This service is designed for organizations that need strategic support pursuing funding for programs, services, partnerships, or capacity-building initiatives.

Best-Fit Organizations include:

  • Senior centers

  • Area Agencies on Aging

  • Community-based nonprofits

  • Healthcare and wellness organizations

  • Home- and community-based service providers

  • Long-term care organizations

  • Academic or research partners working in aging, nutrition, wellness, or community health.

     

What I Help With

From opportunity identification to post-award support.

Funding Opportunity Identification

I help identify federal, state, foundation, and private funding opportunities that align with your organization’s mission, target population, program ideas, and readiness. This can include a funding landscape scan, review of eligibility requirements, deadline mapping, and recommendations for which opportunities are worth pursuing.

Grant Readiness & Proposal Strategy

Before writing begins, I help assess whether the opportunity is a strong fit and what needs to be developed to make the proposal competitive. This may include reviewing organizational capacity, partner roles, program goals, budget needs, data sources, and required attachments.

Program Narrative Development

I develop grant narratives that connect the community need, literature review, best practices, program design, implementation plan, staffing model, partnerships, and outcomes into one cohesive proposal. This is especially valuable for organizations that have a strong idea but need help translating it into funder-ready language.

Logic Models & Evaluation Plans

I help develop logic models, measurable objectives, evaluation questions, data collection plans, and reporting frameworks so your proposal clearly shows how success will be measured. This builds on your evaluation expertise and reinforces that you help organizations “prove it’s working,” not just get the award.

Budget Narrative & Required Attachments

I assist with budget justification, partner descriptions, work plans, timelines, letters of support, and other required attachments so the full application package feels aligned and complete.

Post-Award Implementation & Reporting Support

Winning the grant is only the beginning. I can support post-award implementation planning, progress reports, final reports, compliance documentation, outcomes summaries, and funder communication so your organization stays organized and maintains strong funder relationships.

My Grant Strategy Process

A clear process from first conversation to final submission.

Step 1: Discovery & Fit

We begin with a conversation about your organization, project idea, funding goals, timeline, and current capacity.

Step 2: Opportunity Review

I review the grant opportunity, funder priorities, eligibility requirements, scoring criteria, and application components.

Step 3: Strategy & Program Design

Together, we clarify the proposed program, target audience, evidence base, implementation plan, partnerships, staffing, evaluation approach, and budget needs.

Step 4: Proposal Development

I develop or strengthen the grant narrative, logic model, evaluation plan, work plan, and supporting language needed for a compelling application.

Step 5: Review & Refinement

We revise for clarity, alignment, funder fit, and reviewer readiness before submission.

Step 6: Post-Award Support

If funded, I can help with implementation planning, reporting, data summaries, and ongoing grant management support.

“My goal is to help you submit a proposal that is not only compelling to funders, but also realistic for your team to implement.”

What Makes My Approach Different

Sector expertise, evidence-informed strategy, and real-world implementation experience.

I bring more than grant writing skill to the table. My background includes 20+ years in community nutrition and aging services, academic expertise in nutrition and program development, and direct experience designing programs, building evaluation systems, and writing funded proposals for initiatives serving older adults.

$2.2M+

In grant funding helped secure for nutrition and health programs serving older adults.

17+ Years

Of experience in community nutrition, aging services, and evidence-informed program development.

Research + Practice

Academic rigor combined with practical understanding of what organizations can realistically implement.

Service Options

Choose the level of grant support your organization needs.

Funding Landscape Analysis

For organizations that want to identify aligned funding opportunities and decide where to focus their time and energy.

May include: grant research, opportunity summary, eligibility review, deadline calendar, and recommendation notes.

Grant Proposal Writing

For organizations that are pursuing a specific grant opportunity and need full proposal development support.

May include: narrative development, needs statement, literature review, program design, implementation plan, evaluation plan, logic model, budget justification, and required attachments.

Grant Review & Strengthening

For organizations that already have a draft but want expert review before submission.

May include: narrative editing, funder alignment review, clarity improvements, logic model/evaluation feedback, and reviewer-readiness recommendations.

Reporting & Compliance Support

For organizations that have received funding and need help with progress reports, final reports, outcomes summaries, or funder communication.

May include: report writing, data summaries, implementation documentation, and impact storytelling.

Common Grant Projects I Can Support

Examples of projects I can help fund.

  • Nutrition, wellness, and health promotion programs for older adults
  • Evidence-based or evidence-informed community programs
  • Senior center programming and service expansion
  • Rural health and aging initiatives
  • Caregiver support programs
  • Food security and nutrition access initiatives
  • Community education and outreach programs
  • Program evaluation or quality improvement projects
  • Capacity-building initiatives for aging services organizations
  • Multi-partner collaborations or pilot programs

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you only write grants for aging services organizations?

My primary focus is organizations serving older adults, especially in nutrition, wellness, community health, and aging services. I may also support closely aligned nonprofit or healthcare projects where my expertise is a strong fit.

Yes. I can review the opportunity, eligibility requirements, scoring criteria, timeline, and organizational fit to help you make a strategic decision before investing time in a full proposal.

Yes. I can review and strengthen an existing draft for clarity, funder alignment, evidence base, program design, evaluation, and overall competitiveness.

Yes. I can assist with implementation planning, reporting, compliance documentation, outcome summaries, and funder-ready impact language.

No consultant can ethically guarantee funding. What I can do is help you develop a stronger, clearer, more strategic proposal that aligns with funder priorities and reflects best practices.

Have a grant opportunity in mind — or need help finding one?

Whether you are preparing for an upcoming deadline, exploring new funding opportunities, or trying to strengthen your grant strategy for the year ahead, I’d be glad to learn more about your organization and help you determine the best next step.

Schedule a Free Discovery Call

Not sure what you need yet? That’s okay — we can start with a conversation.