No. This is considered an unethical practice by the Grant Professionals Association Code of Ethics and violates the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Code of Ethical Standards and Donor Bill of Rights. Compensation for M. Palmer Consulting is flat-fee only, based on the volume of work. Please see my Fees page for details.

We work with start-up organizations for general fundraising planning/training. We don’t work with start-ups for grants. Grantmakers very rarely fund start-up organizations, because they want to see several years of successful programming from an organization before making an investment. Also, grantmakers want their grantees to have steady fundraising income from other sources so that they can sustain grant-funded programs after the grant ends. This usually takes several years to develop. For these reasons, we do not recommend grant seeking for start-up organizations.

For organizations with robust grants programs who want to outsource their grants work, or for organizations who want to develop grants programs, we recommend the “Mobile Grants Office” (retainer contract) option. For a flat annual fee, we perform all functions of the organization’s grants office, including prospect research, proposal development, program design assistance, reporting/stewardship, and strategy. We are here for the organization at all times for any grants-related work that comes up. This gives organizations peace of mind, makes their grants programs impervious to staff turnover or other disruptions, and enables us to develop a deep working knowledge of the organization that makes grant-seeking more efficient and more successful.

Yes. Usually, we work with organizations for one proposal when the proposal is large, both in complexity and the size of the request. Some organizations hire us to lead their proposal development for state/federal grant proposals only since those are often the most complex.

Some organizations contact us because they want to relieve their staff of all grant-related responsibilities. It is important to know that for a successful grants effort, an organization’s development and program staff must invest significant time and effort into the process as well, even when working with a consultant.

We work with an organization’s leadership to identify compatible organizational goals and funder priorities. Based on this, we develop an overall grants strategy. Then, we work with development and program staff to complete applications and reports. Development and program staff provide the information for the proposals/reports, and we do the writing and document development. We “drive the bus” to complete a competitive proposal on time. We provide coaching and staff training as needed if included in the contract. A grants consultant provides leadership, expertise, support, and completion of grant proposals and reports. But always, program and development staff must provide the information and strategy. Relationships with funding agencies are also managed exclusively by staff.

Melanie has been developing proposals for 13 years. She has experience in private, state, and federal grant programs and grants management. She has worked with higher education institutions, healthcare organizations, social services organizations, arts organizations, and faith-based organizations. Our team of associates has varying levels of experience and areas of strength which we align with our client's needs to bring different perspectives and skills to the process.

Over the last 3 years, 87% of our clients’ proposals have been funded. We usually complete 40 - 50 proposals per year and reports/stewardship materials. Other fundraising projects vary widely depending on client needs. While we can never guarantee funding of any grant proposal, we are proud of the strong overall return on investment that our clients receive. In 2020, for every $1 our clients invested in our firm’s services, they raised $72.

Yes. Melanie has presented on grants topics to professional groups locally in Northwest Arkansas, statewide in Arkansas, and on the national level at the Grant Professionals Association conference. We do trainings specific to one organization and also to the professional nonprofit community at large.

The Grant Professionals Association, Community Centric Fundraising, and Association of Fundraising Professionals are the most comprehensive sources for ongoing professional development of fundraising professionals. In addition, fundraising groups for specific communities - such as Women’s Philanthropy Institute, Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy, Hispanics In Philanthropy - provide critical resources, information, and perspective for all fundraisers.

Melanie, Hannah, Leilani, and Addison currently serve on the Board of Directors for the GPA Arkansas Chapter. Melanie is also a Past President of AFP Northwest Arkansas Chapter.