My Clients

Through Blú Atelier Co. LLC, I work with new and established nonprofit organizations, local governments, and community and economic development organizations. My clients include small, locally rooted nonprofits and larger organizations with established staff, programs, and funding histories. Nonprofit clients typically range from approximately $25,000 to more than $1 million in annual revenue.

Each organization comes with a different starting point. A new nonprofit may need help defining its priorities, preparing documentation, and understanding which funding opportunities are realistic. An established organization may need additional capacity, a fresh funding strategy, or support developing a significant application. Local governments may need help connecting community priorities with funding sources and coordinating the information, partnerships, and planning required to pursue them.

I shape each engagement around the organization’s mission, readiness, resources, and goals. The work starts with understanding the people you serve and what your organization is working to make possible. My clients are truly unique thus every conversation is unique. The above are just estimates of typical engagements but are not set organizational requirements.

My Service Area

Based in Indiana, I serve organizations throughout the state and across the country. My work includes locally focused projects, regional initiatives, and organizations serving broader populations.

Location shapes funding eligibility, community needs, and available partnerships. I research opportunities with those differences in mind, considering the organization’s service area alongside the requirements of each funder.

Most collaboration takes place virtually, allowing for a consistent working relationship across locations. In-person meetings and site visits can be arranged in advance when appropriate to the engagement.

My Areas of Focus

I am a grant generalist, working across a range of fields and adapting my research and consulting approach to each organization’s mission. My areas of focus include:

• Public safety: emergency services, preparedness, equipment, and community safety initiatives.

• Arts and culture: public art, creative programming, cultural access, and community arts spaces.

• Parks and recreation: recreational programs, outdoor amenities, and accessible community spaces.

• Housing and community development: housing for low- and moderate-income households, neighborhood improvements, and community facilities.

• Leadership and youth development: leadership education, mentorship, youth engagement, and personal development.

• Internship and workforce programming: internships, career exploration, and connections between education and employment.

• Faith-based and Christian initiatives: community programs and services rooted in faith, with careful attention to funder eligibility and permitted activities.

• Rehabilitation and recovery: programs and facilities supporting recovery, stability, and access to services.

• Food access and basic needs: food pantries and programs addressing essential household needs.

• Emergency housing and homelessness services: emergency housing facilities and programs serving people experiencing homelessness.

These areas reflect the breadth of my work, and I welcome conversations about other community-serving initiatives.

I help organizations identify and pursue funding through community foundations, corporations, and state and federal agencies, typically supporting grant requests ranging from $25,000 to $900,000. Each opportunity is considered in relation to the project’s purpose, eligibility, timing, and the organization’s capacity to carry out the work.

My Engagement Process

I offer two ways to work with Blú: a phased approach for defined projects and a retainer approach for ongoing funding support. Both begin with a conversation about your priorities, followed by a written agreement outlining the scope, deliverables, and working expectations.

Phased Engagements

The phased model provides a structured path from preparation through post-award support. Each phase is scoped separately, and not every organization needs every step.

Grant Readiness Assessment

When additional preparation is needed, I assess the organization and proposed project before funding research begins. This may include reviewing project goals, documentation, internal capacity, partnerships, and implementation needs. The result is a clearer understanding of readiness gaps and recommended next steps.

Phase 1: Grant Strategy & Funding Research

I research and evaluate funding opportunities based on your organization’s priorities and project needs. Deliverables may include customized research, prioritized grant recommendations, a strategic funding roadmap, and an actionable report explaining where to focus and how to prepare.

Phase 2: Grant Development & Proposal Writing

When your organization elects to pursue a specific opportunity, I develop a scope around the application’s requirements. Support may include planning, narrative development, budget development or refinement, supporting documentation, partner coordination, and submission preparation. An agreed schedule guides information gathering, drafting, review, and approval.

Phase 3: Grant Management & Reporting

Once funding is awarded, I can provide support based on the grant’s requirements. Services may include reporting, compliance monitoring, performance tracking, funder communication, amendment assistance, and strategic guidance throughout the grant period.

Retainer Engagements

The retainer model provides an ongoing consulting partnership for organizations with recurring funding needs. Clients may begin directly through a retainer, with readiness review and initial strategy incorporated into the opening work plan.

Retainer support is organized into two levels:

Base Retainer

Includes one focused research or opportunity review deliverable each month and support for one active application at a time. This level provides a consistent rhythm for organizations advancing a defined set of funding priorities.

Expanded Retainer

Includes one focused research or opportunity review deliverable each month, plus support for two active applications or an agreed increase in application complexity. This level provides additional capacity for overlapping opportunities or more demanding applications.

How the Monthly System Works

Both levels include a monthly strategy meeting, funding pipeline updates, application coordination, and a written progress summary. Together, we establish priorities, review upcoming deadlines, identify outstanding decisions, and agree on the next milestones.

Monthly research focuses on an agreed project or funding question. Application support moves through planning, drafting, review, and submission according to the opportunity’s requirements. An application may span several months, so retainer capacity is based on active applications rather than a guaranteed number of submissions each month.

Complex state or federal applications receive an individual scope review. Post-award reporting, grant administration, and other additional services are scoped separately unless included in the written agreement.

Across either approach, I work with a designated primary contact to coordinate information, feedback, and approvals. The goal is a clear, collaborative process that gives your organization practical direction and the support to move its funding priorities forward.