CONSULTING: Principal of Bright Star Grant Consultants, Inc. Consultant to over 152 national and international government, non-profit, and university clients, Renee is an organizational and program strategy expert leading local, statewide, and international initiatives to integrate constituency, program, policy, and infrastructure objectives. She has lead multi-country community assessment and development plans, diversified fund and program development, and international organization scale-ups. Her overall grant writing 80% success rate track record includes a 100% success rate with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

WRITING: Her most recent co-authored book with Susan Howlett, Getting Funded: The Complete Guide to Writing. Grant Proposals, 6th Edition, won the Axiom Prize for Philanthropy and is the standard textbook for grant writing. Getting Funded gives organizational development and sustainability advice in addition to building ideas into thoughtful, measurable plans that attract grant maker support and enthusiasm. www.gettingfundedbook.com.

GRANTMAKING: Bright Star Philanthropy Partners, a philanthropic initiative of Bright Star Grant Consultants, Inc., drives economic development through identification and support of Central American indigenous leaders. BSPP supports economic solutions and pride building that indigenous leaders design and execute with BSPP technical assistance, grants, and introductions to other funders.

BSPP ignites grant maker action in education and economic development by mobilizing and coordinating networks of donors to drive innovations in ending poverty.

ACADEMICS: Former Sr. Lecturer of Grant Writing in the Non-Profit Management program of the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, Graduate School, University of Washington. She taught finance, philanthropy, and prospect research to Phd and Masters students from across the Graduate School including business, medicine, public affairs, international, social work, library science, and others. Under Renee’s supervision, her grant writing students raised millions of dollars every quarter on behalf of their non-profit project organizations with a 68% funding rate. Renee also taught through the University of Idaho.

Renee is recognized as a Subject Matter Expert by the University of South Florida and the Institute for Grant Writing Certification. She was one of the writers of the national certification exam for the Grant Professional Certification.