We bring passion and perspective to your process

Strategic, effective fundraising requires community leadership, vision, planning, and execution.

Our team helps organizations identify funder prospects, organize donor data, develop outcomes-based programs, compile program budgets, train staff, establish fundraising-related internal procedures, complete grant applications, steward grant funds, manage grants data, and leverage the grants program to strengthen major gifts programs, annual funds, special events, and capital campaigns. Please see our Services page for more details.

 

“Melanie and her team were very helpful in helping us recreate our development plan and process. We all knew what we were doing was important and were willing to raise money for it. However, now we have actionable steps to follow to get us there.” Kelton Hays, Executive Director, Cobblestone Farms

 

Our Values

  • We all have the potential to be effective and efficient community changers. The information, training, support, and partnership we provide helps leaders develop their power and proficiency. We are particularly focused on empowering emerging professionals, professionals from marginalized communities, and community-led organizations. We not only complete projects, but we also equip teams for the future.

  • Nonprofits are designed to address inequities, yet our sector has inequities built into it as well. Organizations led by the dominant culture historically have more access to training, support, and funding.

    To support equity, we provide intensive pro bono services each year to organizations led by marginalized communities and we support emerging professionals with a community-centric approach. We also provide training and support in spaces and places that are safe, convenient, and accessible. Finally, we prioritize building our own diverse team whose perspectives are critical in providing excellent service to our clients.

  • We believe in the strength and power of vulnerability. Being willing to be vulnerable with each other is the first step in connecting and growing. Our role as consultants gives us a unique opportunity to lend an unbiased perspective. We always approach our work with a primary goal of understanding where our clients want to go, who they want to be, and what is holding them back. In many nonprofit spaces, there is tremendous pressure to project an image that may not feel authentic to everyone. We strive to disrupt this dynamic and encourage a work environment in which we can all be ourselves.

  • We are highly skilled performers committed to our craft. Our work is a combination of creativity, relationship-building, and technical ability, and we are constantly refining our skills. We pursue certifications that require excellence and our team logs a combined 80+ hours per year in professional development in fundraising strategy, nonprofit leadership, equity and inclusion, and more. We serve in leadership roles within industry associations. Our team caters to each other’s strengths and we use this intentionally balanced expertise to help our clients become fundraising virtuosos, too.

  • We are direct, open, and friendly and we believe strongly in telling it like it is. And we want our clients to tell it like it is, too. This means that we have the courage to tell our clients what they don’t want to hear, and are committed to building a safe space for our clients to be honest with us. We love cheering on our clients and we also embrace difficult conversations. We believe that fundraising can elevate the community and discourage power imbalances and barriers between people. We are genuine, authentic people who love working with genuine, authentic nonprofit leaders.

Meet Our Team

 

Melanie Palmer (she/her), GPC, CFRE
Owner/Principal

Strengths: Strategic, Responsibility, Learner, Ideation, Intellection

I am a seasoned fundraising professional who loves the big picture, executes the small details, and wants everybody at the table. I love helping my clients raise money through grants and other fundraising avenues because more money is more mission.

In more than a decade as a fundraiser, I have helped raise millions of dollars for my employer organizations and my clients. I have secured and managed private (foundation), state, and federal grants, as well as directed annual funds, special events, and major gifts programs. I have served as a fundraising Board Member, Executive Director, and Development Director – giving me the background to understand common organizational challenges related to fundraising and the experience to help our clients overcome them.

In 2012, I was the first Grant Professional Certified (GPC) in Arkansas. I am a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) as well, and my broad experience in all areas of fundraising enables me to help my clients develop strategic fundraising strategies. I am one of only two GPC/CFRE dual-certified fundraisers in Arkansas.

I currently serve as President of the Arkansas Chapter of the Grant Professionals Association. I am also a Past President of the Northwest Arkansas Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. An experienced trainer at the local, regional, and national level, I love helping organizations move resources to empower our community.

When I am not pondering evaluation objectives or chasing after my two daughters, I enjoy digging in my garden, doing genealogical research, reading, y aprender español.

Alexander Battaglia (he/him)
Associate

Strengths: Input, Woo, Communication, Learner, Arranger

I am a practiced non-profit and public policy professional looking to help community-based organizations thrive through equitable fundraising. Whether we are submitting a grant proposal, crafting a case for support, or reimagining your goals for next year, I come to this work with a deep respect for the voice of our neighbors and the power of working together. My time as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic and at a major non-profit in Northwest Arkansas inform how I approach fundraising and share your story with grantors. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Political Science from the University of Central Arkansas and currently study at the Harris School of Public Policy at The University of Chicago. When not staring at a thesaurus or analyzing policy proposals, I enjoy running along Lake Michigan and cooking with my cat Frank. (He is a dedicated fan of the reguetonero Bad Bunny.)

Hannah Lastra
Project Manager

Strengths: Achiever, Harmony, Learner, Responsibility, Discipline

I am excited to be joining M. Palmer Consulting as an Associate in 2021. I am passionate about grant work involving the arts, immigrant and refugee rights, and social services. As a growing fundraising professional, I have experience in integrated marketing campaigns, social media fundraising campaigns, and graphic design. Because of my upbringing in the arts, I am passionate about the arts and music education. I am a proud Razorback, having received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance in 2019 and a master’s in Musicology in May 2021 from the University of Arkansas. I currently serve as a Board Member of the Arkansas Chapter of the Grant Professionals Association. Nationally, I serve as Fundraising Chair of the Grant Professionals Foundation.

Addison Mahaffey (she/her)
Project Manager

Strengths: Intellection, Input, Individualization, Learner, Futuristic

I am an emerging fundraising professional with a passion for creating effective community change. I enjoy helping nonprofits turn their big-picture visions into compelling proposals supported by both stories and data. In 2021, I received my Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Arkansas. I currently serve as a Board Member of the Arkansas Chapter of the Grant Professionals Association.

Leilani Ocasio (she/her)
Project Manager

Strengths: Input, Achiever, Intellection, Ideation, Futuristic

I am a community-oriented fundraising professional passionate about supporting nonprofit organizations and nonprofit professionals in equitable work. Whether brainstorming ways to connect people with the right resources, gathering critical information needed for a strong case for support, or creating fabulous formatting for attachments - I love the ways that grants tell stories and connect people. I have held leadership roles in both nonprofit programming and development work, so I understand the need for all parts of an organization to work together in service of the community. I have served on the Arkansas Chapter of the Grant Professionals Association, and I currently serve on the national Grant Professionals Association Board of Directors. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Lyon College and have led a team in raising more than a million dollars annually for community-based nonprofit services. When I am not being a fundraising rockstar, I like to take my dog for long walks, practice yoga, and attend concerts.