Sheila C.

Hi, my name is Sheila. I am a subject matter expert in the Social Sciences and Nonprofits. I worked for the US Depts. of Education and Labor developing programs and distributing/managing grants, and with the US Dept. Of Justice and Energy on planning and executing a large, state-wide grants in West Virginia); Tools to serve under-resourced young people (Black, Latinx, and Immigrant communities); Child, Adolescent Psychology and Social Work; Training for the Workforce (Labor) and Economic Development; Community and Economic Development and Housing Issues (not construction), Agriculture, Energy (specifically, Energy Efficiency (Where the field of Energy Efficiency is concerned, Residential Construction methods—but I don’t build anything but PROPOSALS). I have also had two funded SBIRs, and if that weren’t enough, Health Care Disparities for People of Color, LGBTQ and the Disabled. Please Note: Grant writers do not get paid AFTER the grant is funded, so please do not ask us to do any grant “on commission”, paying us from your proceeds. It is illegal in most cases, and unethical in all cases. If you have cancer, you cannot tell the doctor that you’ll “…pay him if you are cured…”, or the Attorney that you will “…pay him when he gets you acquitted for robbery..”. You’ll die of cancer and be convicted of robbery! You have to pay these professionals in advance, and you have to pay me in advance, too. We either take an hourly fee, work on retainer subtracted from a flat fee (my preferred method) or are paid a monthly salary. Freelancers like me normally do the first two, but it is hard work and we are specialists, and no matter how well you write, the chance of you winning a grant is LOW, whereas the chance of me winning it is MUCH HIGHER if it fits the cause and you and I have done our homework. So, now you know! I am also a nonprofit expert, having created over 100 nonprofits “from scratch”, as well as doing Board Development, Strategic Planning, and nonprofit “rescue” (what happens when you fail to do what you are legally compelled to do—sometimes, you need a helping hand with your funders, with a government, and with donors.). Call on me—I can help in a confidential and expedient manner. Yes, I have held senior management positions in every one of those aforementioned fields, as well as having been a university professor for 22 years. . But the connecting thread here is FUNDING—GRANTS. I am an expert grant writer. I’m patient and honest with clients. I’m connected. I help clients build their model from their random ideas, letting them know what is realistic and what isn’t, so that you are not wasting time and writing “pie in the sky” that won’t get funded. I’m really good under pressure, and I often know what you want to say when you don’t even know what to say. I am detail-oriented, a clear communicator, and I will get your proposal turned in on time. I will go to the mat for you, if needed, burning the midnight oil, but if we do things right, hopefully than won’t be necessary. I specialize in large projects with many working parts, and I am interested in working not just quickly, but most importantly, WELL. There is just too much on the line to be slapdash about this work. The expertise you get is verifiable and solid. On the other hand, I have also been hired by the Federal Government and States to conduct Program Evaluations on funded grant programs, so I’ll be looking at this portion of your grant to ascertain if you can pass an external evaluation (sometimes required for large sums of money). I have also conducted Federal research as a Principal Investigator (PI or co-PI) for the US Department of Energy and NIH, amongst other agencies.. Clients must compile their own budgets, but I will assist you (or teach you how). Clients must also make their own arrangements to submit their own grant proposals in a timely matter (never let anyone else submit your funding proposals—only you as an organization is responsible.) I can help you with reminders and expertise to help keep you on track so that we can work seamlessly together! I am serious, but also funny and not at all difficult to work with. My clients hire me multiple times not just because they like my work, but because we become colleagues and friends. Finally, I ask you to please be respectful of my rate and my time. To set your expectations, I will always respect your budget (disclosed in advance) and indeed MAY work with you to find a price that we can both live with if we aren’t far apart, but please don’t ask me to reduce my rate by half or more. If my rate is 50% or more outside of the top end of your budget, then I am not the person for the job. I am willing to negotiate, but please be a professional and be realistic and respectful of my time.