My Favorite Clients
Fort Collins is a wonderful community and I enjoy working with nonprofits here where I live. Because most of my clients are local and I want to bring as much funding into our community as possible, I don’t specialize in one area. My specific areas of expertise include the arts, early childhood, youth development, disability, and aging.
What People Are Saying
“We have been working with Maggie at StoryForge for several years now, and we are very happy to have her as a colleague and a partner with our organization. Over the years the learning curve has been amazing--for both of us. It only took a very short time for Maggie to get to "know" us--to effectively represent our organization in writing. She was a great communicator during that "get to know you" period, and very shortly I became very comfortable working with her. Now that we have been partners for years, I continue to enjoy working with Maggie, and I look forward to many more fruitful years collaborating.” — Michael Querio, Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre
“Maggie has been involved with The Matthews House since May 2017 as a grant writer. I oversee all our grants and I have found Maggie to be a great asset to our team. She understands all aspects of a grant proposal. She is a highly skilled writer as well as being timely and organized. She pays attention to details in regard to the Foundation's values. and trends in funding. She has helped our organization receive over 400K in grants annually. Overall she is a proven writer with an engaging style.” — Jerri Schmitz, The Matthews House
“StoryForge provides highly professional grant writing services. I am the director of a non-profit organization which has contracted with StoryForge for grant writing services for the past four years. StoryForge has been effective at identifying new grant opportunities, providing excellent drafts of grants for review, and ensuring that all of the required grant components are complete and submitted before the deadline. Maggie is a delight to work with, and I would strongly recommend her services.” — Bev Thurber, Early Childhood Council of Larimer County
What People Are Asking
Do you use AI to write grants?
Artificial intelligence tools have begun to enter the grant profession. My philosophy is that AI can be a labor saving tool and help to support creative writing, but comes with numerous ethical challenges. My approach is to stay up to date on any developments, explore new tools, and participate in ongoing conversations about AI with my colleagues and clients. I collaborate with each client on the use of AI tools, according to their interest and comfort level. The Grant Professionals Association has issued a statement on the use of AI (https://grantprofessionals.org/page/aiandgrants). I am currently exploring Grantable, an AI tool designed for grant writers (https://grantable.co).
how much do you charge?
My rate is within the standard range for experienced grant consultants in this region, as determined by the Grant Professionals Association annual salary survey. While my rate is fixed, the details of my contract depends on your budget and the scope of work. The best way for your organization to manage costs is to bring as many of your own resources to our work as possible, ensuring the most efficient use of my time.
can we pay you once a grant is awarded?
No, paying a grant writer on commission or a percentage of the grant awarded is considered unethical. There are good reasons for this. Most foundations won’t pay for grant writing fees. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) state that services should be paid at the time provided. The Grant Professionals Association and Grant Professionals Certification Institute prohibit members from accepting a commission or percentage of compensation based on grants. Also, there are many variables that determine if a grant proposal is funded, many of which are not controlled by the grant writer.
what is your success rate?
There are many ways to define success. To keep it simple, let’s define success as the percentage of grants awarded. My success rate by this definition varies considerably from one client to another, but overall it is 70%.
since you are not a member of our staff, how can you write a good grant proposal about our work?
As a professional grant writer, I rely on your organization’s ongoing participation to help you meet your goals. I bring high-quality research and writing, strategic thinking, effective project management, and storytelling techniques to the table. You bring your expertise, institutional knowledge, and passion for your organization’s mission and goals. Together, we will look for opportunities for me to learn about your work, which may include talking with staff and board members, attending an event, or observing programs and activities.
are you available to write a grant that is due next week?
No. My first project with all new clients is a grant readiness assessment and foundation search. I only enter into a contract for grant writing once this initial step is completed and we can determine how to move forward together.
can you write one grant for us?
No. Successful grant writing goes beyond simply submitting grant proposals by deadlines. My expertise is a more strategic approach to grant seeking designed to secure the funds needed to sustain an organization’s operations, programs, and services. As with individual donors, success lies in building relationships with foundations, finding alignment with their passions and priorities, making a persuasive case for support, and then nurturing ongoing relationships.
can we just give you our materials so you can write the grants?
No. Our goal must be to submit competitive grant proposals, which is best accomplished with a collaborative approach to the work.
do you have relationships with foundations that will help us get grants?
It is important for nonprofits to take a lead role in developing relationships with foundations. As with individual donors, success lies in your ability to find alignment with their passions and priorities, make a persuasive case for support, and nurture ongoing relationships. I can help you prepare for these discussions.
can our new nonprofit apply for grants?
It depends. Most foundations require applicants to have been in operation as a 501c3 nonprofit for at least three years prior to submitting a proposal. They also expect to see significant support from the community where a nonprofit is located, in the form of cash and in-kind donations and volunteer support. There are some foundations providing seed money for start-ups.