the work I do. . .

helps teams and organizations thrive. I choose to work with clients who are committed to their vision, their core values and doing work that has meaning and impact. That kind of work, no matter what the scale, changes our world. I want to help you do that. My consulting work is coordinated through my firm, Break of Day, LLC, where I serve as the Principal Consultant. In addition to my own services, I have a specialized team of experienced and talented consultants who I often select to partner with on complex projects.

The areas where my expertise and interests will benefit you the most fall into categories based on specialty, skill and/or organization type, including:

• Nonprofit guidance: strategic planning, operations, 501(c)(3) formation

• Development communications

• Grant seeking & grant writing

• Team facilitation: workshops

• Copywriting & editing

It makes sense that your project or organization may require some combination of these. No problem! I love talking through things, even if your ideas or needs aren’t fully formulated, so please contact me and let’s set up a time to talk.

Nonprofit guidance

The nonprofit world feels like home to me. I navigate comfortably in this terrain, probably because the nonprofit mentality aligns with my personal values and worldview. The deeply meaningful vision and mission-driven work that fuels these organizations and teams is intrinsically inspiring. It’s also where I started my career after science.

Nonprofits of all sizes and across all interest areas often experience the same cycle of challenges. I love working side-by-side with nonprofit teams to find realistic and uncomplicated solutions that help move their mission forward.

I've worked in nonprofit operations, development, marketing and education/programming, so I have a 360 degree perspective that is efficient and focused on the challenges you are facing and the goals that are most important to you.

Development communications

From creating a case statement to determining the best way to thank your donors, I love immersing myself in an organization’s development communications strategy to elevate how messages are crafted and delivered.

I have deep experience in every kind fundraising communication. I also have a pretty extensive network of talented and good people I can call upon to help you with design work, social media, and public relations and I love making those connections happen.

Grant seeking & grant writing

Most nonprofits know their work’s value, and know it’s worthy of funding, but making that connection in the real world of philanthropy can be a tremendous challenge.

I earned all my grant seeking and writing knowledge the hard way: by living through mistakes and challenges as a determined nonprofit leader. I 100% believe that nonprofits are the champions of our society — bringing necessary services, leveraging wide networks, and filling gaps that no entities can, or will.

I love learning what nonprofits want to achieve and then systematically finding funders whose priorities align. Once identified, I’ll determine the best strategy to make an introduction and prepare compelling materials to capture interest and advance the relationship.

Team facilitation & workshops

The employment landscape has evolved dramatically since I started accidentally consulting 20 years ago and now there are dozens of certifications and frameworks and programs that have elevated the title of “facilitator” to well-deserved professional ranks.

I love this. I have educated myself extensively within this space, but my talent and skill in this area is from successfully working with teams of all sizes in all settings to help them collaboratively identify and achieve their goals.

My facilitation style is authentic, personable, positive, and patient and I’m most effective in group settings under 50 people. I specialize in leading strategic planning sessions, brainstorming workshops, and team retreats.

Copywriting & editing

I'm a writer first; it’s my first step when planning or processing. Creating compelling content or editing the work of others has always been a happy state of being. Translating thoughts into words that make people pause, think, laugh, cry, wonder, change, or take action will always be what I do best.

I’m grateful to have exceptional versatility with my writing skills, being interested and capable of crafting detailed technical grant proposals as well as creative and engaging web content or fundraising materials.

I specialize in the areas of grant writing, executive ghostwriting, fundraising materials, strategic plans, pitch decks and impact reports.