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Win More Grant Funding with a Strategic Approach

We help local governments, schools, and nonprofits identify, pursue, and manage grant opportunities with clarity and confidence.

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A National Grant Strategy Firm

Simple Grants is a national grant strategy firm providing strategy, application support, and grant management services.

We operate with a team-based model, supporting clients across multiple sectors and funding types, from federal and state programs to foundation opportunities.

Our work is grounded in helping organizations approach grant funding with structure, alignment, and preparation.

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Simple Grants

What Sets Simple Grants Apart

Strategy First

We begin with planning and alignment, not just applications, so clients pursue the right opportunities.

Team-Based Support

Clients work with a team of consultants, providing consistent expertise and capacity.

Full Grant Lifecycle

Support extends from strategy through application and post-award management.

Ready to take a more strategic approach to grant funding?.
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Our Approach to Grant Funding

Grant funding is not about chasing opportunities. It is about preparation.

Organizations that consistently secure funding treat grants as a strategic function, not a last-minute effort.

At Simple Grants, we help clients build the structure, alignment, and planning required to compete effectively for funding.

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15 years
in business

Clients Across
38 States

$315+ M in secured
and managed

92% client
retention rate

Simple Grants

Simple Grants operates with a team-based model, providing clients with access to experienced professionals across grant strategy, writing, and management.

Business Operations

Jessica Whaley

Founder & CEO

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Amanda LeMay

CFO

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Yona Mahilum

Manager of Operations

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Kath Villaos

Brand Manager

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Noe Gomez

Operations Support Specialist

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Elizabeth Brewer

Client Engagement Director

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Grant Experts

April Shaffner

Lead Consultant

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Andrew Finzen

Lead Consultant

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Aleta Saltzman

Lead Consultant

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Maghan Barber

Grant Consultant

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Mikael Redmond

Grant Consultant

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Brandi Burton

Lead Consultant

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Rene Gonzalez

Grant Consultant

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Eve Mart

Lead Consultant

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Work with an experienced grant consulting team
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Simple Grants

Who We Serve

Simple Grants works with:

Local governments

Schools and educational institutions

Nonprofit organizations

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Start with a Grant Strategy

Many clients begin with a Comprehensive Grant Strategy to identify the most relevant funding opportunities and develop a structured plan for pursuing funding.
Start with a Comprehensive Grant Strategy

Ready to Explore Grant Opportunities

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Jessica Whaley

  • Jacksonville State University, BA
  • Jacksonville State University, MPA
  • Jones School of Law, JD

Community Involvement
  • The Samaritan Counseling Center, Board President (2018 & 2019)
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Alabama, Big Sis (17 years)
  • Kiwanis Club of Montgomery, Board Member
  • First United Methodist Church of Prattville, Member

Jessica is a native of Calhoun County, Alabama. She got her start writing and managing grants while working in the Alabama Governor’s Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives. During her time there, she managed several statewide initiatives including Alabama Communities for Education, a high school dropout prevention program, and the Alabama Strengthening Communities Project, which was recognized nationally for best practices in grant management. Jessica lives in Alabama with her husband, three children, and four fur babies.

Amanda LeMay

  • University of Alabama, BS Corporate Finance
  • University of Alabama, MA Finance
  • University of Alabama, MBA International Business

Amanda has worked in the corporate world for FedEx and First Horizon Bank for a combined 20 years specializing in corporate financial analysis and large initiative forecasting.

Yona Mahilum

  • Holy Trinity University, BS Hotel and Restaurant Management

Yona is the Manager of Operations at Simple Grants and has been with the team since 2018. She oversees day-to-day operations, keeping projects on track and supporting smooth collaboration across the organization.

Before joining Simple Grants, Yona worked with the Provincial Government of Palawan on a community rehabilitation program and later supported teams in marketing and administration.

She lives in Palawan, Philippines, with her family.

Kath Villaos

  • Bookkeeping NCIII, Puerto Princesa School of Arts and Trades
  • Visual Graphic Design NCIII, AMA-CLC

Kath is a full-time graphic designer and digital illustrator who handles several social media platforms for tourism and environmental related accounts in the island of Palawan, Philippines. Contracted by a national government agency to produce print materials for information campaigns on sustainable development and wildlife conservation.

Noe Gomez

Noe is a freelance computer technician and a video creative who edits clips and engaging features for content creators. He has 5 years of experience working in the IT and marketing fields.

Elizabeth Brewer

Client Engagement Director

Elizabeth Brewer serves as Client Engagement Director at Simple Grants, where she helps organizations navigate the early stages of the grant process and ensures prospective clients receive responsive, personalized support. She manages client outreach, meeting coordination, CRM administration, and sales pipeline activities while helping maintain a seamless experience from initial inquiry through onboarding.

With more than a decade of experience in administrative support, recruiting, business development, and client relationship management, Elizabeth is known for her organization, attention to detail, and commitment to exceptional customer service. Her expertise with CRM systems and process management helps Simple Grants deliver a consistent, high-quality client experience.

April Shaffner

  • Ph.D. Theology, Covenant Bible College and Seminary
  • M.A. Education, East TN State University

April is an experienced grant writer, grant manager, workforce development coordinator, human resources training coordinator, and municipal advisory instructor. She has served in advisory and board positions with several nonprofit organizations, including Appalachian Regional Coalition on Homelessness, and Johnson City Chamber of Commerce Leadership Academy. April enjoys spending time with her husband and chocolate lab Lucy on their certified century farm in Mountain City, TN.

Andrew Finzen

  • MPA, University of South Dakota
  • BA Political Science and Philosophy, University of South Dakota

Andrew is an experienced grant writer and grant manager with a professional background working with local, state, federal, and foundation grants. A native of Sioux City, Iowa, Andrew received his undergraduate and graduate education from the University of South Dakota before entering the professional realm as a City Manager for municipalities in rural New Mexico and Kansas. Through his work in local government administration, Andrew secured and managed millions of dollars in grant funding for essential infrastructure and community projects. Andrew’s professional experience also includes serving as Grant Manager for a Tribal government in Kansas, where he was heavily involved in federal grant writing, grant management, and the federal procurement process. Andrew is passionate about working with organizations and partners by identifying, developing, and managing their grants.

Aleta Saltzman

  • B.S. Healthcare Studies & Mental Health, The University of Findlay
  • Indiana University, School of Philanthropy
  • Fundraising Management
  • Planned Giving
  • Major Gift Giving

Aleta is a highly accomplished grant professional with nearly 20 years of extensive experience in securing funding. With a proven track record of success in federal, state, and local government grants, she specializes in infrastructure, hazard mitigation, public safety and EPA brownfield programs, successfully securing over $50 million in funding. Her expertise spans higher education, health systems, social service organizations, non-profits, and private corporations, where she excels in research, grant writing, and post-award administration. Aleta has served on numerous nonprofit boards and previously served as an elected council woman within her community. Residing in Ohio with her husband and young daughter, Aleta is also the proud mother of three adult children. In her free time, she enjoys reading, volunteering in her community, attending concerts, and traveling with her husband and family, truly embracing every opportunity for growth and enrichment.

Maghan Barber

Grant Consultant

Maghan Barber is an experienced grant professional specializing in local government and public infrastructure funding. She has more than 10 years of experience securing and managing over $200 million in federal, state, and local grant funding, with particular expertise supporting water and wastewater utilities and public agencies.

Her experience includes developing competitive applications and managing post-award compliance for programs such as FEMA Hazard Mitigation, CDBG-DR, EPA, DOT, and State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) funding. Maghan combines technical grant expertise with a practical understanding of local government operations, helping clients successfully pursue and administer complex funding opportunities.

Mikael Redmond

Grant Consultant

Mikael Redmond brings extensive experience managing federally funded healthcare programs and helping organizations navigate complex grant and compliance requirements. Before joining Simple Grants, he served with the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), where he managed multimillion-dollar rural health initiatives, supported grant recipients across multiple states, and led projects focused on program performance, compliance, and operational improvement.

His background includes grant management, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and technical assistance for rural hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and other healthcare organizations. Mikael is passionate about helping communities strengthen healthcare access and secure funding that improves long-term health outcomes.

Brandi Burton

  • PhD in Curriculum and Instruction, Mississippi State University
  • Master of Technology Education, Mississippi State University
  • Bachelor in Business Administration, Mississippi State University

Dr. Brandi Burton has spent her entire career in the field of education. She spent eight years teaching multiple subjects in the middle and high school classroom before transitioning into a position as a curriculum writer for the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Dr. Burton continued with MSU-Ext and became Director of Communications and Research for the early childhood education department she was within and spent a great deal of time presenting research and outcomes on educational practices in MS at numerous national conferences. Within her role at MSU, Dr. Burton was on the writing team that secured a funding award for MSU Extension in the amount of nearly $38 million dollars. Since then, she has written and received awards for nearly $50 million in grants for multiple organizations.

After completing her doctorate in middle level curriculum and instruction, Dr. Burton wanted to make the move back to K-12 education. Currently, she serves as the Director of Educational Enhancement and Innovative Research for SOCSD and Director of the SOCSD Discovery Center. Within this role Dr. Burton manages all Grant and Innovative projects within the district as well as libraries, makerspaces, and outside research studies. She also serves as an adjunct professor for the University of West Alabama in which she teaches Master’s Level educational courses.

When not at work, Dr. Burton spend time with her husband and three children. She loves to read and travel whenever possible. Her motto is, “You can learn more from books and experiences than anything else, and I love to learn”.

Rene Gonzalez

Grant Consultant

Rene Gonzalez has more than 20 years of experience helping communities secure funding for infrastructure projects throughout the United States. His expertise spans broadband, water and wastewater systems, transportation, flood mitigation, economic development, and other public infrastructure initiatives.

Throughout his career, Rene has worked with engineering firms, state agencies, municipalities, utilities, and private providers to identify funding opportunities, develop competitive grant applications, and manage complex federal and state grant programs. His extensive knowledge of programs administered by agencies including NTIA, FEMA, EDA, USDA, EPA, and the FCC allows him to help clients develop long-term funding strategies that align with their capital improvement goals.

Eve Mart

  • Master in Health Services Administration, Florida International University
  • BBA Accounting, Florida Atlantic University
  • BS Business Administration, University of Florida

Eve Mart is a seasoned professional with nearly 20 years of progressive experience in research and grant development. Her career has been marked by leadership roles, where she secured program and capacity-building funding from key sources.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, she is a breast cancer survivor and advocate, dedicating her time to raising awareness and supporting fellow survivors. Beyond her work, she is passionate about road cycling. Also, she shares her life at home with two rescue dogs and a set of feisty parrots, cherishing the companionship and chaos they bring to her daily routine.