- Writing: proposal and reports, but also concept papers to describe new programs or priorities so we could pitch them to funders; year-end reports to share with funders and donors to communicate impact.
- Strategy: Michelle is truly so skilled at reviewing foundation materials and understanding how to frame proposals so that they resonate with the audience.
- Equity: Michelle has a strong racial justice analysis and is a good partner in thinking through how to work with funders in less transactional/more transformative ways. For instance, not just accepting unreasonable deadlines, but asking for what would work for you; or requesting a reporting call rather than a written report.”
–Jeana Frazzini, Principal, Frazzini Consulting
“Working with Genie Grants has been a wonderful experience. From our very first meeting, I could tell that Michelle was very organized and prepared. She is a clear and direct communicator, always asking the right questions to gain greater clarity in order to inform her writing. Michelle is fearless about taking on the challenge and pushing herself to learn, grow, and produce high quality work. She has great attention to detail, works fast, and brings her critical thinking to every proposal and report she writes. We worked with Genie Grants on a trial basis and were so pleased that we are continuing to work with them long-term.
–Maria Nakae, Development Director, Forward Together
“City Slicker Farms benefited tremendously from Genie Grants, and we would recommend Michelle’s services to nonprofits of all sizes. Michelle has the ability to efficiently research potential funders and identify the ones that are the best matches. She created a well-written, thorough, and convincing boilerplate that has been used as a base for dozens of other proposals. Not only does she always meet her deadlines, she also keeps our organization on track for the deadlines we need to meet. She has an amazing ability to refine each grant proposal to address the funder’s specific interests. In just a few short months and from just a few proposals, she got City Slicker Farms $65,000 in grants!”
–Barbara Finnin, Executive Director, City Slicker Farms
“Working with Genie Grants was straightforward and very productive. Michelle was efficient with our time and was able to bring our grant writing up to the next level. She helped us to put forward an excellent proposal in a very short amount of time. I highly recommend having Michelle on your team.”
–Brian Beveridge, Co-Director, West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project
“Michelle brings a level of integrity and organization to the grant writing process that has helped take a huge load off our shoulders. She captures the spirit of our programs in every proposal and always keeps our staff’s needs and concerns at the forefront of her working process.”
–Heather Davis, Executive Director, OBUGS
“Michelle did not cut any corners. She did an excellent job. She was professional, thorough, and followed through. She listens and has a positive attitude, which I believe are crucial in the development field.”
–Rev. Ouida Cooper-Rodriguez, Director, Alameda Spiritual Living Center
“Michelle Lieberman, from Genie Grants, has been a true pleasure to work with. Her dedication to local non-profits is evident through her professionalism. She is continually demonstrating a deep understanding of grant writing and fundraising, always paying attention to detail and producing beautifully written, compelling documents. Michelle does an excellent job communicating with our project; consistently keeping in touch, sharing research, and completing high-quality work in a timely manner. Genie Grants is definitely the answer to your fundraising needs.”
–Jessica Reyes, Project Director, Boost! West Oakland