Vanessa Burns
- Grant Writing & Management
- Prospect Research
My goal is to help socially focused organizations take a more strategic, sustainable, and stress-free approach to grants. This ensures you understand the bigger picture and actually learn how to make grants work for you, not against you. I am a Certified Diverse Supplier with the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC), a proud member of the Grant Professionals Association (GPA) and Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian GPA Chapter.
I love helping mission-driven teams move from reactive grant writing to strategic, long-term planning. I support nonprofits in understanding how to make grants work for them, ensuring they build alignment, readiness, and sustainability into every funding opportunity.
Services:
- Grant writing and management
- Grant strategy and planning
- Grant readiness assessments
- Prospect research
- Workshop facilitation (focused on grants and funding readiness)
Nonprofits I’ve worked with:
- Youth, education, and literacy programs
- Health, mental health, and social service providers
- Organizations supporting equity-deserving communities (including Indigenous, Black, newcomer, and racialized groups)
- Arts, culture, and food security initiatives
Clients I work best with:
- Small-medium not for profits
- Teams looking to demystify the grant process and feel confident in their approach
- Values-aligned organizations seeking sustainable growth
- Mission-driven leaders who want real talk—not just templates
Vanessa’s’ deep expertise and passion for empowering nonprofits is valuable for organizations seeking sustainable funding. She breaks down complex grant processes into simple, actionable steps, making it easier for grassroots organizations to develop winning proposals. Vanessa’s dedication to helping nonprofits succeed is truly inspiring, and I highly recommend her expertise to anyone looking to strengthen their grant-writing skills.