Foundation Relations & Strategic Grants Consulting
This is not grant writing. It's positioning your organization for long-term philanthropic investment.
Your foundation fundraising strategy can't rely on chasing grant opportunities. The strongest organizations position themselves so the right foundations see them as trusted partners in creating lasting impact.
My Approach
With nearly 14 years of experience securing and stewarding foundation partnerships ranging from small family foundations to some of the world's largest philanthropies, I've learned something important:
Strong foundation fundraising begins long before a proposal is ever submitted.
The organizations that consistently secure transformational grants don't simply write compelling applications. They understand the philanthropic landscape, build authentic relationships, communicate a clear vision, and position their work in ways that align with what foundations are trying to accomplish.
I'll take a thoughtful look at your mission, programs, organizational capacity, funding history, and existing relationships, and we'll build from there. No chasing every opportunity that appears in a database. No generic proposals copied and pasted from one foundation to the next. No unrealistic revenue projections built on wishful thinking.
Just thoughtful, strategic work informed by:
Your mission, programs, and long-term vision
Current philanthropic priorities and funding trends
Foundation giving history and strategic interests
Organizational readiness and capacity
Existing and potential foundation relationships
The operational realities of your team
But strategy alone doesn't secure philanthropic investment; relationships do.
I help organizations understand not only which foundations are likely to invest, but why they would invest and how to build meaningful partnerships that extend well beyond a single grant cycle.
Taking a relationship-first approach to foundation fundraising, I'll focus on:
Developing a strategic foundation fundraising plan aligned with your organizational priorities
Identifying and prioritizing foundation prospects with genuine mission alignment
Strengthening your positioning, concept notes, and case for investment
Preparing leadership for conversations with program officers and foundation executives
Building sustainable prospect management systems, cultivation strategies, and grant pipelines that support realistic revenue forecasting
I'm approachable and transparent in my guidance. I'll thoughtfully share what I see as your strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities because my priority is helping your organization build a foundation fundraising program that creates sustainable, long-term philanthropic partnerships.
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A thoughtful foundation fundraising strategy grounded in your mission, organizational capacity, philanthropic landscape, and long-term revenue goals.
Strong foundation fundraising doesn't begin with a list of grant opportunities. It begins with understanding where institutional philanthropy fits within your organization's broader fundraising strategy and identifying the types of philanthropic partnerships you're best positioned to build.
We don't start with grant deadlines. We start with strategy.
This work may include:
Assessment of your organization's current institutional fundraising efforts
Analysis of your existing foundation portfolio and funding mix
Identification of strategic funding priorities aligned with your mission
Development of a multi-year foundation fundraising strategy
Evaluation of organizational readiness for institutional philanthropy
Recommendations for leadership engagement and internal capacity
The outcome is a strategic roadmap that helps your organization pursue the right opportunities, at the right time, with the right approach.
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A qualified foundation pipeline built on mission alignment, strategic fit, and realistic funding potential.
Successful organizations don't apply everywhere they can. They focus their time and energy on foundations that are genuinely aligned with their work and most likely to become long-term philanthropic partners.
Finding foundations is easy.
Finding the right foundations requires strategy.
This work may include:
Comprehensive foundation prospect research
Evaluation of mission alignment and eligibility
Analysis of funding history, priorities, and typical grant sizes
Identification of relationship pathways and existing connections
Prioritization of prospects based on strategic fit and likelihood of success
Development of a qualified institutional fundraising pipeline
The outcome is a focused prospect portfolio that allows your team to spend less time searching and more time cultivating meaningful opportunities.
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Grant proposals that reflect thoughtful strategy, compelling positioning, and a clear understanding of what foundations are trying to accomplish.
The strongest proposals aren't simply well written. They're built on a compelling case for investment and demonstrate why your organization is uniquely positioned to create meaningful impact.
Writing is only one piece of the process.
Positioning is what makes proposals competitive.
This work may include:
Development of concept notes and letters of inquiry
Proposal strategy and narrative development
Refinement of organizational messaging and case for support
Alignment of proposals with foundation priorities
Review and strengthening of budgets, outcomes, and supporting materials
Proposal editing and strategic feedback
The outcome is stronger, more competitive proposals that communicate both your impact and your organization's long-term value as a philanthropic partner.
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Confident leadership equipped to build authentic relationships with program officers, foundation executives, and institutional funders.
Many funding decisions are influenced long before a proposal is submitted. Conversations, stewardship, site visits, and ongoing relationship management all play a critical role in building trust.
Relationships open doors.
Preparation helps you walk through them.
This work may include:
Coaching for meetings with program officers and foundation leadership
Outreach and cultivation strategy
Site visit preparation
Stewardship planning for existing funders
Executive messaging and presentation coaching
Guidance on navigating foundation relationships throughout the funding lifecycle
The outcome is leadership that approaches foundation relationships with greater confidence, clarity, and strategic intent.
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A sustainable institutional fundraising system designed to create greater visibility, accountability, and confidence in your grant revenue.
Strong grant programs don't rely on memory, spreadsheets scattered across departments, or last-minute proposal deadlines. They rely on systems that allow organizations to manage relationships, forecast revenue, and make strategic decisions over time.
Hope is not a forecasting strategy.
Systems are.
This work may include:
Development of a foundation pipeline management system
Grant calendars and cultivation timelines
Revenue forecasting models
Prospect movement and relationship tracking
Internal grant management workflows
Stewardship and reporting systems
The outcome is a grant program that is organized, measurable, and sustainable, allowing your organization to forecast institutional revenue with greater confidence and build long-term philanthropic partnerships.
SERVICES OFFERED
I offer a wide range of foundation relations and strategic grants consulting services. Whether you're pursuing your first foundation grant, strengthening an existing institutional fundraising program, or preparing for a transformational funding opportunity, I provide practical, strategic guidance tailored to your organization's unique goals, capacity, and stage of growth.
WHO THIS IS FOR
My foundation relations and strategic grants consulting services are ideal for organizations that:
Are preparing for ambitious growth but need a stronger institutional fundraising strategy
Are building or rebuilding their foundation fundraising program
Have received grants before but lack a proactive, relationship-driven approach
Need help identifying, qualifying, and prioritizing the right foundation prospects
Want to strengthen relationships with current and prospective foundation partners
Need support developing compelling concept notes, cases for investment, and proposals
Want to prepare leadership for conversations with program officers and foundation executives
Need a sustainable grant pipeline to support revenue forecasting
Are overly reliant on individual donors and want to diversify their revenue streams
Want to move beyond reactive grant writing and build long-term philanthropic partnerships
This is premium, strategic work to build sustainable foundation fundraising.
DELIVERABLES
My services are tailored to each client's stage, capacity, and growth goals. Depending on the scope of our project, your organization's work with me may result in:
A comprehensive Foundation Fundraising Strategy aligned with your mission, programs, and long-term revenue goals
A structured, qualified Foundation Prospect Pipeline prioritized by strategic fit, funding potential, and relationship opportunities
A customized foundation prospect portfolio with research, qualification, and prioritization recommendations
A multi-year foundation cultivation strategy and grant calendar
Revenue forecasting tools grounded in realistic institutional funding opportunities
Compelling concept notes, letters of inquiry, proposal narratives, and case-for-investment materials
Executive coaching for meetings with program officers, foundation executives, and institutional funders
Internal systems for prospect management, relationship tracking, stewardship, and reporting
Strategic recommendations to strengthen your organization's positioning for long-term philanthropic investment
All clients receive:
Full access to my Foundation Relations Toolkit, including proprietary templates, planning tools, exercises, and implementation guides
Access to all password-protected tools and strategic planning resources on chermolle.com
Customized recommendations designed to strengthen your organization's long-term institutional fundraising capacity
Each deliverable is designed to be practical, durable, and immediately usable—not theoretical.
outcomes
While outcomes will vary depending on the scope and focus of your engagement, clients generally experience the following shifts:
A focused institutional fundraising strategy grounded in organizational priorities rather than grant deadlines
A stronger, more qualified foundation pipeline built on mission alignment instead of guesswork
More productive relationships with program officers and foundation leadership
Stronger concept notes, proposals, and cases for investment that clearly communicate organizational impact
Greater confidence in pursuing six- and seven-figure grants
More predictable institutional revenue supported by strategic forecasting and disciplined pipeline management
Leadership teams that understand how foundations make funding decisions and how lasting philanthropic partnerships are built
Development teams operating with greater clarity, consistency, and strategic focus
Sustainable systems that reduce last-minute proposal writing and reactive fundraising
Foundation partners who see your organization as a trusted collaborator rather than simply another applicant
Increased institutional funding that is both achievable and repeatable
Foundation fundraising stops feeling reactive. It becomes intentional.
Revenue becomes less dependent on finding the next grant opportunity and more dependent on building the right relationships, telling the right story, and pursuing the right philanthropic partners.
Instead of chasing grants, you position your organization for investment. Instead of hoping for funding, you build a strategy that earns it.
Foundation fundraising stops feeling overwhelming and becomes a strategic advantage.