Our Story
Here’s how this all started: Meredith launched an online grant writing course in January 2020 thinking it’d be a side thing.
Two months later, you know what hit and suddenly every nonprofit needed grants. Some folks wanted training for themselves and others hired us to write grants for them.
We hired from our community and spun up a full-blown consulting agency overnight. We had six writers, $30K months, and $2 million in grants won.
That’s when Alex was brought in to systematize Meredith’s know-how. Little did the two realize they would quickly become business besties/soul sisters, on a mission to help others build flexible and fulfilling careers.
They were constantly getting asked: How did you find clients so fast and charge what you’re worth? How do you make grant writing income predictable and sustainable?
That’s when it clicked that our students didn’t need another grant writing course! They were looking for a career accelerator that also showed them the ropes in business. And from that, the Grant Writers Collective was born.
Déjà vu, Meredith and Alex are back at it consulting again to put the final editorial touches on their system. Case in point: Meredith booked $200k of grant consulting work in her first 10 weeks.
What we teach you is current because we’re living it. AI, political volatility, changes in the industry – we’re here for all of it. If you want to learn from the absolute best, these are your gals.
Our core values are…
Expand With Ease
Knowing it's not easy, we choose ease over fear.
Deliver 7-Stars
We create an exceptional experience for growth.
Celebrate Wins
Large and small, we pause to celebrate milestones
Scale Simply
We resist the temptation to over complicate.
Engage in Equity
We commit to being an antiracist business.
Prioritize Soul Care
We believe in self-care to be our best selves
Meet The Team
Meredith Noble
Co-Founder & CEO
Meredith is on a mission to inspire other women to try their hand at entrepreneurship, because she wants every woman to know how to make money, with maximum flexibility. She secured over $45 million in grants before beginning to teach others how to build a flexible career in grant writing. Her book, How to Write a Grant: Become a Grant Writing Unicorn, is a #1 bestseller for nonprofit fundraising and grants. Her expertise has been featured in NASDAQ, Forbes, Business Insider, Fast Company, and other top publications. The three words that best describe Meredith are inspiring, ambitious, and adventurous.
When not thinking about grants, Meredith is adventuring in Alaska with her family and building her dream cabin next to Wrangell St. Elias National Park. Her favorite morning ritual is espresso with a homemade pumpkin muffin by the fireplace. On deck adventures include learning to fly her husband’s bush-plane and world-schooling in Japan. Final fun fact: Meredith’s obsessed with hot springs, candles, and raclette dinner parties!
Alex Lustig
Co-Founder & COO
Alexandra (Alex) Lustig has been Meredith's integrator and right hand at Grant Writers Collective since 2020, turning bold visions into reality with equal parts strategy and heart. She shines in building company culture, designing smooth operational workflows, and keeping mission-driven work at the center of everything she does.
For the past two years, Alex has also served as Board President of Central Oregon Locavore, supporting local farmers and ranchers while getting a front-row seat to the joys and challenges of nonprofit life. Before that, she managed the University of Denver's strategic plan implementation—all while earning her MA in International Human Rights.
Outside of work, Alex can usually be found on her yoga mat, wandering her local farmers market, or lost in a book. At home, her messy kitchen is her happy place, where she experiments with local-food creations alongside her rescue pup Anna and sassy cat Lola.
Rose Hedberg
Writing Coach + Sales Guru
Rose is a bookworm collecting passport stamps every chance she gets. Based in Barrichara, Colombia, she lives for the mountain hikes when out of the office. Rose is a writer by trade (Ideas Write Now), but used the Grant Writers Collective method to close $70k in revenue as grant writing consulting. She runs an online writing circle and published a workbook to help busy creatives find more time to get into the flow state of writing. If she's not marking up the pages of a book or curating a story, she's geeking out at building systems. Rose is a writing coach for the Collective, the creator of From Pen To Polished, and our Sales Coordinator.
Erika Edwards
Unicorn Experience Coordinator
Erika by trade is a professional dancer who thrives on creating meaningful relationships and supporting others reaching their goals. Her career in dance started in Dallas, Texas and continued to grow as she traveled and performed worldwide for audiences all over the globe. As a dance captain, rehearsal director, and show manager she grew a love for leadership and for supporting her teammates to crush their goals. She loves to create, explore and especially support unicorns from all walks of life. Originally from Colorado, she has traded in the sunshine for the rain, having recently moved to Seattle, Washington. In Erika’s spare moments you will find her in a dance or pilates studio, shopping, or enjoying a cappuccino at her favorite cafe.
Annika Johnson
Operations Assistant
After years working in the outdoor industry, Annika has transferred her organizational, systematic, and management skills from guiding rivers, leading staff, and managing a first aid department, to the system-building and operational needs at the Collective, including planning the Grant Writers Gathering in 2026. Whether her support is directly for Alex or across the various teams, Annika is the go-to-gal to tag in and a reminder that no work, no matter how small or behind the scenes, is purposeless. Outside of work, you'll likely find her next to (or swimming in) a body of water, on top of a mountain, plotting fantasy novels, or enjoying a good book and a sweet treat.
Joshua Johnson
“Marketing Guy”
Josh swore he'd never work in marketing again. After running a marketing agency, he was done with it. Then he started working with Meredith and Alex, and something weird happened: he got excited about marketing again. Turns out it’s true that when your skills and abilities align with your values and lifestyle, work becomes really good. And that’s what has him passionate about working with the Grant Writers Collective.
Outside of marketing, he's a trained individuation coach with a sneaky talent for facilitating a room toward interior growth and helping people get out of their own way — something he discovered in a previous profession as an adventure guide. In his northwest Montana home, Josh feels most alive chasing flow through gravity sports like mountain biking and skiing. He runs a local community group, preaches at his church, writes songs, and is usually reading at least seven books at the same time. His bucket list includes rowing a raft down the Grand Canyon, backcountry skiing in Japan, and heli-skiing in Alaska (maybe alongside Meredith someday!).
Keith Lynn Pascual
Unicorn Support Representative
Keith (pronounced “Kate”) has spent the last 8+ years in customer support and operational leadership, managing teams and workflows for companies like T-Mobile. Backed by a degree in Business Administration and Marketing, she specializes in human-centric support and smooth operations.
Based near the mountains in the Philippines, Keith loves staying active whether she’s at the gym, exploring the outdoors, or spending time with her five cats and dog. She’s a passionate advocate for local strays, and a firm believer that October is never too early to start celebrating Christmas!
Aarom Matheus
“Sales Gentleman”
Aarom holds a Master's in Business Administration and brings more than a decade of experience to the sales and retention team. He believes the best deals are built the old-fashioned way: through long-term relationships, mutual respect, and genuine professionalism, rather than quick wins. For Aarom, it's about earning trust that lasts.
Meet The Coaches
Meredith and Alex
We're often asked how we can keep the personalized touch as we grow with new members every week. Meredith and Alex are still your head coaches! Meredith leads coaching calls every month. Alex leads the mindful activity at the beginning to help us get grounded and is your #1 cheerleader when you have an exciting win to share. We welcome every new member when you introduce yourself in the community group. We weigh in on the sticky situation questions posted in the community group. You can rest assured that we are very much involved (and obsessed) with your success! To bring you the best support possible, we employ several of our star members in the Collective to answer your questions!
Joy Dinkelman
Grant Writers Collective Coach
Joy is a seasoned grant consultant with over ten (10) years of experience in the non-profit sector. Driven by her passion for creating lasting impact, Joy launched her full-time grant consulting business, Joyful Grant Consulting, Corp., in 2022 after earning her Master’s degree in International Humanitarian Action. A cause-driven professional with a talent for streamlining complex grant processes, she has helped countless organizations transform their visions into funded realities.
Armed with certifications in grant writing from Grant Writers Collective and Technical Writer's HQ, Joy leverages her professional skills and non-profit background to support social justice organizations in achieving their funding goals. When she’s not collaborating with clients or coaching in the Collective, you can find Joy baking, knitting, listening to a podcast, or travelling.
Loretta Skiff
Grant Writers Collective Coach
I'm Loretta, founder of Planet Grants, who refuses to pick a niche lane and has turned that into my grant superpower, securing over $22 million in funding across several service niches. I can confidently say that my "anti-niche" approach is where the magic happens.
What drives me? I'm a sucker for underdogs and big dreamers. Give me a nonprofit fighting for coastal conservation, or a community organization teaching kids to read, and I'm all in. I write grants because I believe every world-changing idea deserves the funding to make it happen. Whether it's grants supporting poverty alleviation in Africa, autonomous technology education, or my passion projects like childhood literacy—every win feels personal because I know the lives being changed.
When I'm not crafting proposals, you'll find me exploring the Pacific Northwest with my husband and adorable corgi sidekick, conquering hiking trails, paddleboarding on pristine lakes, or hunting down the best West Coast foodie spots from Corvallis to Portland to Seattle. As a veteran's wife who calls the PNW home, I'm living proof that you can turn your passion for making the world better into a career that funds everyone else's world-changing dreams too!
Courtney Oliphant
Grant Writers Collective Coach
Courtney Oliphant, GPC (CliftonStrengths: Strategic, Futuristic, Achiever, Relator, Self-Assurance) is a nonprofit grant strategist and founder of Coastal Nonprofit Consulting. With over 12 years of experience in grant writing and management, she has helped mission-driven organizations secure more than $8 million in funding—focusing on under-resourced communities and highly aligned, strategic growth.
Courtney began her career in nonprofit bookkeeping and niched into grants after spending over five years as a nonprofit Managing Director, where she oversaw fundraising, programming, and operations. She previously served as a coach for The Prep Institute, supporting 15 grassroots, BIPOC- and minority-led nonprofits in raising over $1.5 million in FY25 through institutional fundraising strategy and grant development.
When she's not mapping out cultivation plans or fine-tuning budgets, you'll find Courtney serving as Treasurer for the Grant Professionals Association San Diego County Chapter, sitting on the Board for the Growth Incubator for Social Solutions, or collecting certifications like some people collect houseplants (nonprofit finance, grant writing with AI, and grant management—just to name a few).
Storytelling runs through all of Courtney's work—from grant strategy to creative expression. Outside of client work, she co-produces and co-writes the Lagralane Spirits podcast, creates social justice-themed short films, and writes romantasy and speculative YA fiction. She lives in San Diego with her partner, two young kids, and three very sandy, dog-beach-loving dogs.
Kari Rasmussen
Grant Writers Collective Coach
Kari Rasmussen is a full-time grant development leader working within a national nonprofit context to design new initiatives and secure resources for large-scale education and workforce programs. She collaborates across executive leadership and program teams to scope projects, cultivate partners, and deliver competitive proposals to foundation, corporate, and federal funders including NSF, NIH, DOE, HRSA, and major national philanthropies. Over her career she has contributed to more than 19 million dollars in awarded funding across STEM education, Tribal and Indigenous-serving programs, PK–12 systems, workforce pipelines, and rural health. In addition to her in-house role, Kari runs a private consulting practice (ECO Grant Solutions, LLC) where she supports mission-driven organizations with funding strategy, proposal development, and readiness.
Kari’s professional life has been shaped by a long curiosity about people, science, and place. Across two decades, her work has ranged from teaching marine science aboard a sailing vessel in the Pacific to building culturally responsive educator training in Alaska Native communities to advancing national STEM and Indigenous education initiatives through competitive grant portfolios.
Kari earned a Bachelor of Science from Brigham Young University. She was raised in the desert Southwest of Arizona and Utah, where she now lives in Utah close to her eleven nieces and nephews and enjoys outdoor time, cooking, and listening to podcasts and audiobooks.
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721 Depot Drive
Anchorage, AK 99501
