Dear Sunflower Grant Writers Clients,
Hello! And welcome to the halfway point of 2022! I wanted to touch base with all of you briefly
on a variety of topics. I hope you find this letter helpful and informative. As always, please
reach out to me directly with any questions or concerns. My contact information can be found
at the end of this letter.
Welcome to and get to know our Sunflower team members
Chris, Rachel, Jacleyn, Melissa, Venita, and Cecily are our additional grant writers. Each one
brings a unique skillset and perspective based on their previous work experience to their
writing at Sunflower.
Chris is a grant writer and project manager as well as a part-time faculty teacher with twenty
years of experience;
Rachel is a writer, editor and social media manger currently working with Harper Social Media.
She will bring a visual as well as a strong writing skill set to her grant writing for Sunflower;
Jacleyn is a grants writer and administrator and former teacher who brings almost thirty years
of experience to her work with Sunflower;
Melissa is a former Development Associate and current Editor who will bring her combination
of funding knowledge and close eye to detail to Sunflower;
Venita brings a vast level of knowledge and experience with the Federal system and Federal
grants and will continue to be helpful as we navigate those systems and processes;
Cecily brings an impressive medical background from Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic that
will invaluably assist us in creating new healthcare grants;
Craig continues to be our talented and dedicated researcher using his Project Management
Skills to get us started on the right foot;
Bev is my delightful and tireless personal assistant from Zeal.
Milestones
Earlier this year, Sunflower reached a million dollars in grants received on behalf of its clients.
We are proud of this accomplishment and the work we have been able to do on behalf of all of
you. We look forward to seeing what the second half of the year brings to everyone.
In addition to our many clients right here in Nebraska, Sunflower also now has clients in
California, Washington, DC, Maryland, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Possible Sunflower team road
trip?!
Estimates
We have started providing all clients with a minimum estimate for their grants in advance of
getting started on any work and we hope that you have found this new information helpful.
Starting August 1, you will now be charged a fee for your grant based on this estimate. Grants
are snowflakes, no two are alike, and we hope that this will streamline the billing process and
make things simpler for you. You will be given an estimate on the minimum amount of time it
could take to complete your grant. This estimate will include all costs for emails and phone calls
between you and Sunflower, the grant writing, as well as any additional research to support the
grant, submitting the grant, and follow up on the grant. You will pay 50% up front and 50% once
the final version of your grant is completed. While we will always do our best to stay within our
estimate, there may be occasions where the final bill will reflect some additional costs, such as
additional rounds of review or more questions from the funder.
You should have some 30-second videos
Short videos are a great way to set yourself apart from your peers, clarify your message, and
keep the content on your website and other social media sites current and always relevant.
Amy and Shawn Watson, co-owners of Mo Valley Productions, are great at helping capture all
of this for you. They specialize in creating short videos that quickly share your story and help
grow your brand. Please be in touch with them if you would like to talk more about video. They
can be reached at:
Shawn and Amy Watson
amy@movalleyproductions.com 402-669-7288
shawn@movalleyproductions.com 402-598-0272
If you need help with banking in any way
Theresa McClatchy is a commercial lender and a friend with strong ties to the area and a very
special interest in helping nonprofits. She grew up in Lincoln and went to Doane before settling
in Omaha. She would love to help you with any banking needs your business may have and I
highly recommend her. She can be reached at:
Theresa A McClatchey
U.S. Bank
Officer and Assistant Vice President | Business Banking Relationship Manager
402.399.2714
theresa.mcclatchey@usbank.com
You probably need something designed
Carrie Newell is the incredibly talented designer behind the look of Sunflower and I highly
recommend her for all of your graphic design needs. She is wonderful and easy and fun to work
with and can somehow easily capture the look you are hoping to have for your product or
service. Don’t wait to call her. Carrie can be reached at:
Carrie Newell
Photographer & Graphic Designer
C MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN
402.203.5531
cmariephotodesign.com
Newsletter
You may have noticed we created a new Sunflower Grant Writers newsletter that goes out
monthly. If you know of someone you think would enjoy receiving it, please let me know and I
would be happy to add them to our growing distribution list.
T-shirts
Finally, we have been making Sunflower Grant Writers t-shirts in a few different styles for a
variety of people. If you are interested in a t-shirt, please let me know and I can go over the
options and prices with you!
Thank you as always for your continued support! It means the world to us! And if you refer a
client to me and they engage in a contract, you will receive 15% off your next grant!
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