Grant Funding Prospect Research

Jessica began her career in public health and nonprofit management 15 years ago and has served in both professional and volunteer leadership capacities. After graduating from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s in communication and public health minor, she went on to receive a Master of Professional Studies in Strategic Leadership from Middle Tennessee State University and a Master of Public Health from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.At the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, she spent six years providing leadership development and strategic planning support to the association’s 40+ chapters. In 2017, she served as co-chair for the Eastern Region of the Tennessee Cancer Coalition, a state-sponsored, CDC-funded public health initiative. During her tenure, she actively contributed to the design, development and writing of the State of Tennessee’s 2018-2022 Cancer Control Plan.She has experience in all aspects of grant management, from overseeing a community funding program to training reviewers, developing programs, writing applications, leading funded projects, and evaluating a federally funded program.She is a member of the Alliance for Better Nonprofits in Knoxville, TN and the Grant Professionals Association. Jessica serves as a board member with Next Step Initiative, a harm reduction organization in East Tennessee that works with individuals who are unhoused and/or have substance use disorders.Jessica lives in Knoxville, Tennessee with her husband and their 4 rescue dogs.

A nonprofit who is grant-ready but does not have the capacity to undertake grant writing efforts on their own. We most often work with executive directors who have the skills - but not the time - to research and apply to grants.An ideal client conducts work in the field(s) of public health, health care delivery, mental health, substance use disorders, social justice, housing/homelessness, health equity/disparities, child welfare, or other social services.Organizations should be able to demonstrate a history of successful service delivery and be able to clearly articulate their goals, objectives, and evaluation strategies.The ideal client has already raised at least $50,000 in the past year and has a diverse fundraising strategy that incorporates - but does not solely rely upon - grant grant funding.The most successful clients are those who are actively engaged in the grant writing process. Clients should be prepared to meet at least once per month to discuss the grant writing strategy, review recent and upcoming proposals, track progress on fundraising goals, and explore feedback on proposals that are declined for funding. Clients should understand that they may be asked to provide demographic information about their leadership, financial statements and reports, service delivery figures, and other information required for application submission. They should be prepared to answer regular emails regarding application requirements and be able to promptly provided the requested information. Of note, while the grant writer may submit the application on behalf of the client, the client is solely responsible for executing contracts and funding agreements.Some clients want to review every proposal before submission, while others prefer to simply discuss upcoming proposals during check-in meetings. We can accommodate the client’s preferences in this regard.

We will include all relevant opportunities in the spreadsheet.