Accidentally On Purpose

Sometimes life’s most remarkable journeys begin by accident. More than 28 years ago, I wrote my first grant proposal simply to help a colleague who had too much on her plate. That proposal was funded—and I was hooked. The process combined strategy, storytelling, and impact in a way that lit a spark in me. Over time, I mastered the craft, writing federal proposals and managing awards, while realizing this work could change lives and communities.

But the creation of Grant Consulting Services was no accident. In 2000, I was a single mom with two young boys, determined to earn a living while being present for their childhoods. Having returned to Detroit from Virginia, I drew on my own lived experiences—struggles with addiction, domestic violence, and mental health challenges—that had instilled in me resilience, empathy, and the grit Detroit is known for. With support from family, local business counselors, and a growing sense of purpose, I wrote a business plan and launched Grant Consulting Services from a small apartment—between playground visits and school drop-offs.

The early years were intense. I juggled finishing my degree, networking despite being an introvert, and writing late into the night to serve my first clients. To keep my family stable, I also accepted a full-time role as Director of Grants for a school district. That job sharpened my skills and broadened my experience, and within a few years, I stepped back into consulting full-time. For many years, I kept the company intentionally small, so I could balance work and family and never miss my sons’ basketball games or after-school milestones.

When my youngest graduated from high school, I embraced a new chapter—moving to San Diego. The palm trees and welcoming nonprofit community brought fresh energy. In 2019, I formalized the company as Grant Consulting Services, LLC, joined a business accelerator, and began building a team. The timing coincided with a surge in grant opportunities during the COVID-19 years, which allowed us to grow while helping organizations secure the funding they desperately needed.

Twenty-five years later, Grant Consulting Services is a trusted partner to organizations across the United States and beyond. Our team brings unique expertise, creativity, and compassion to every project. Together, we support nonprofits through every stage of the grant life cycle, helping them become “grant optimized”—fully prepared and competitive for funding opportunities that can transform their futures.

This journey has always been about more than grants. It’s about making sure nonprofits have the resources to feed families, protect vulnerable populations, advance the arts, steward the environment, and bring hope to communities. It’s about building a better future, not only for the people we serve today, but for generations to come—including my own grandsons, whose smiles remind me why this work matters so deeply.

From a one-woman venture at a wobbly kitchen table to a thriving firm with national impact, our story is one of resilience, grit, and passion—accidental in its beginning, but very much on purpose every step since.

In honor of celebrating 25 years of Grant Consulting Services LLC, I was interviewed for a “25-Year Rapid Fire Q&A”. Here are 3 (three) additional questions to commemorate my overall 28 years in the business.

Three More Questions….

Knowing what you know now, would you still go into the grant business? Yes, absolutely. I probably would have started to grow the company sooner and offer more training opportunities earlier in my career in order to impact more organizations and people. 

Could you walk through your process for budget development and financial narrative, especially for complex projects? In my opinion, the budget should be developed first, and the narrative should be based on the budget in both complex and simple projects. This is not always possible, especially when working with multiple departments and people. The simple explanation is that the budget should drive the activities, and the activities are what are conveyed in the narrative portion of the grant application.

If you could meet 3 (three) people, past or present, alive or dead, who would they be and why?

I would love to meet Dolly Parton because she has built such authentic and community-driven philanthropic initiatives. Her Imagination Library is an incredible example of how one person’s passion can grow into something that impacts millions of families around the world, all while staying true to her values.

I also want to meet MacKenzie Scott. I deeply admire her bold approach to philanthropy—giving unrestricted gifts and trusting nonprofits to know how best to use those resources. I think her style of trust-based giving has challenged and inspired the nonprofit sector in important ways, and I would value the chance to learn what she looks for in organizations and how she chooses to invest.

Finally, I would like to meet my maternal grandfather, who passed away before I was born. I’ve heard that he had an eclectic array of talents, such as being a poet and an inventor, and was generally a very kind person. Everyone loved him. I grew up with stories of how he helped people and made a difference. I would like to look him in the eyes and say thank you for that legacy. 

To catch the FULL interview, click here: https://youtu.be/_xWNRm-QwDo