Written Wings

Written Wings is a mission-based consulting business providing development services for progressive nonprofits. The bulk of services are related to grantseeking and include: grant prospect research, grant readiness consulting, letters of inquiry, grant proposals, and grant reports. Other written materials produced include solicitation letters, annual reports, website copy, brochures, etc. Written Wings also provides consulting on starting a nonprofit, development/sustainability planning, board development, program planning, program evaluation, messaging, and strategic planning. The goal is always to help nonprofits meet their needs in a cost-effective way, so services to small nonprofits often include training and supporting their staff, interns, or volunteers to do some of the work.

Clients are both local and national organizations whose work runs the gamut of progressive causes: social justice, human services, economic development, arts, and environmentalism. The five focus areas chosen below represent a few of the clients who receive the most services. Written Wings has also served mission-based businesses, writers, and publications, as can be seen on writtenwings.com, but nonprofits are the focus and have been 100% of the clientele for years. Support sought on Idealist.org is for work with nonprofits.

Written Wings works within a social justice framework. Fees to clients are on a sliding scale based on the client's ability to pay, the economy of the client's location, and the extent to which the client serves underprivileged people. Providing development consulting is a method of appropriate allyship, as backstage work to support and uplift the leadership of people who have direct personal experience of the issues their organizations address. Consulting is also a method of holding organizations accountable by advising them on nonprofit best practices, such as ensuring that their leadership represents the people they serve.

Founded in 2011, Written Wings has been a thriving one-woman business on a constant growth trajectory, and has now reached the point of regularly needing assistant support. Continued growth is very likely, which could include both adding more hours and adding more team members. Work is done remotely with occasional in-person meetings if geographies permit.