I make the case funders actually fund.
Grant proposals written from the funder's side of the table, for small and community-led nonprofits. After a decade evaluating funding requests and years on nonprofit boards, I write your proposals and run your grant calendar, so your team stops scrambling at deadlines.
What do you need help with?
One specific grant or proposal Ongoing help with my whole pipeline Finding the right funders to apply to I'm not sure yet Question 1 of 3, pick one to beginFour steps, from first call to funded pipeline.
No long onboarding and no jargon. You stay focused on your programs while I handle the grants.
Book a fit call
We talk through your funding goals and current pipeline, and see if we're a match. No pressure.
I map your funders
Prospect research and a grant calendar, so you know what to apply for and nothing slips through.
I write the proposals
Full drafts, budgets, and narratives, ready for your review and submission on deadline.
We keep it moving
On a monthly retainer, your pipeline runs on a schedule instead of a last-minute scramble.
What you get working with me.
I came to grant writing from the money side, not the other way around. That changes how your proposals read.
A writer who thinks like a funder
I spent years deciding who got funded. I write to what funders actually weigh, not what sounds nice.
Your calendar, handled
No more missed cycles or applications thrown together the night before. The calendar is mine to run.
Budgets that hold up
An MBA and a lending background mean your numbers are sound and defensible, not guesswork.
Flat fees, never a cut
I charge for the work, never a percentage of your award or a fee for winning. That's the ethical standard, and it's how I work.
Plain-English briefs
Each month you get a short, clear update on where your funding stands and what's next. No mystery.
Someone who's sat on your board
I've served as a nonprofit treasurer and board president. I understand the pressures your team is under.
You'll work directly with me, start to finish.
I'm Cristal Finley. More than a decade evaluating funding requests, an MBA, and years on nonprofit boards, including treasurer of the Native American Youth and Family Center and past president of the Risk Management Association's Portland chapter. I know how funders decide, and I know the nonprofit side from the inside. That mix is what I bring to every proposal I write for you.
Read my full story →A clear path, not a menu.
Most teams start with funding strategy to see where the money is, move to a single proposal, then shift to an ongoing pipeline once the work proves out. Start on whichever rung fits where you are.
Funding strategy
I research the funders worth your time and map a prioritized plan to go after them, before anyone writes a word. It is the clearest first step, and it rolls straight into writing when you are ready.
A single proposal
One proposal or letter of inquiry, written start to finish with the budget and narrative. Good for a specific deadline, or a first project before we talk about ongoing work.
Your grant pipeline, on retainer
I run a twelve-month funding calendar: prospect research, the writing, budgets and narratives, reporting after each award, and a short monthly brief so you always know where things stand. Your pipeline becomes routine instead of a scramble.
Built for the nonprofits doing real work without a development team.
Most small organizations can't afford a full-time development director. They still need strong proposals and a steady funding pipeline. That's the gap I fill, for the teams that need it most.
Ready to stop chasing deadlines?
Take the 30-second fit quiz, or book a call directly. No pressure, no jargon.