Resourcing nonprofit leaders to build a strong social justice movement in the PNW and beyond
Grant Writing
Hands-on support to get your work funded without compromising your mission
- Assess and improve your grant language by developing your unique, dynamic voice as an organization
- Find funders and RFPs that most align with your work and submit competitive, quality applications
- Learn how to navigate the funding landscape and clearly articulate your fundraising values
- Develop a sustainable grant system with accessible tools for prospecting, tracking, calendaring, and building relationship with funders
Organizational Development
Assessment, planning, and training to make your organization more fundable and effective
- Make your organization more fundable through strategic planning and analysis that aligns your unique mission and vision with dependable funding streams
- Increase organizational capacity to run more and better programming
- Gain tools, resources, and support to navigate the contradictions of the nonprofit industrial complex with more ease and values-alignment
- Get support as a new or experienced director to solve organizational problems and build new programs
Develop liberatory fundraising values
Don't let the inherent limitations of the nonprofit industrial complex (NPIC) define your identity or dull your purpose.
Learn how to lead your fundraising efforts with your values rather than funders' expectations.
Let's work together to see what becomes possible when our vision for our communities is governed by our own needs, not the constraints of the NPIC.
Assessments for Funders
Expert evaluation to ensure your grant processes and RFPs are accessible, equitable, and values-aligned
- Ensure your RFPs and grant systems are functional, straightforward, and truly reaching your target communities
- Develop evaluation tools and best practices for running equitable, effective grant programs
- Articulate or hone your values and priorities as a funder and build grant systems that reflect and reinforce them
- Learn to to be a more responsive funder through deeper, more generative relationships with grantees and their communities
Build liberatory giving practices
Work with me to fully articulate your values so they they can inform and inspire your giving.
My experience working within dozens of nonprofits in the PNW and beyond gives me a bird's eye view of the realities, needs, and limitations of the sector.
Utilize that knowledge to become a part of philanthropy that makes space for community-resourced solutions to be as big and complex as the issues they face.
About me
I grew up in the PNW and have been working in nonprofits in Seattle on Duwamish land for 24 years as community organizer, administrator, director, and fundraiser. As a consultant in the last seven years, I have worked with dozens of community organizations and foundations, including Rooted in Vibrant Communities (RVC), the Service Board, Be:Seattle, Washington Bus, Groundswell Fund, SnoValley Tilth, APACE c4 and APACEvotes, and more.
I have done long-term grant program management and organizational development work with UTOPIA Washington, FEEST, Para Los Niños, Puget Sound Sage, and the Tenants Union of Washington State.
I'm committed to racial justice and the liberation of BIPOC and queer communities, and my anti-oppression values fuel and feed all my work.
I am a student of generative somatics, working at the intersection of the personal and political to focus our energy towards the futures we're working to build. I believe in the fundamental power of organizing to transform lives, communities, and systems in service of our collective liberation.
I am deeply attuned to the intricate challenges and contradictions faced by nonprofits and nonprofit leaders, and acutely aware of how impossibly demanding most nonprofit director roles are. I am here to help share the load.
I am in love with my kids, my garden, lake swimming, singing, and writing melodramatic gay songs.
Emil Paddison
they/them
My issue areas
Racial justice & BIPOC community leadership
Trust-based philanthropy & funder evaluation
Civic engagement & policy work
Systems change organizing
Capacity building & technical assistance
Climate & environmental justice
Programs for
children & youth
Ethnic-based community services
Leadership development & popular education
Healing justice
& somatics
LGBTQIA+ liberation
Gender & reproductive justice
Youth organizing
Housing justice &
tenant organizing
My skills
Organizing training & work planning
Organizational assessment
Leadership &
ED coaching
Grant writing & grant program management
Startup support
Funder advocacy
Program development & strategic planning
Board support & training
Fundraising planning
Program evaluation
& reporting
Organizational sustainability planning
Facilitation & training
Budget building
Working with me
My rates
Contact me for information about working with me and my rates. At my discretion I offer sliding scale slots for grassroots organizations with budgets under $500,000 that are led by BIPOC or other marginalized identities.
Hours
I can do short- or long-term consulting with your organization, ranging from one or two focused meetings to long-term coaching or grants program management. Reach out and together we'll determine what's possible. As we begin our work together I provide a detailed scope of work with estimated hours. and our jointly determined goals and deliverables.
Consultations
I offer free 30 minute consultations to discuss your needs, my offerings, and assess if we're a good fit for working together.
Testimonials
Emil's wealth of knowledge, experience, and expertise was crucial to the growth and success of our grants program. She cares deeply about the people and organizations she works with, and is able to craft compelling and thoughtful narratives that truly capture the voice and passion of the organization. Emil brings integrity and a dedication to social justice that strengthens not only your grant applications, but your overall organizational strategy. Any organization would be lucky to have Emil on their team. It has been a joy working with her!
Cilia Jurdy
FEEST Development Director
Emil is a unicorn for the nonprofit sector. Her approach to prioritizing relationships added a much-needed touch to the technical process of grant writing. Emil brings a strong equity lens to this work. She understands the need to resource communities of color by empowering staff and investing in programming, while also taking the time to deeply listen to the needs of the organization. Her acuity in identifying critical gaps and hurdles in organizational development was revelatory. And her skill in writing grants (only hours compared to the days it would take staff) never ceased to astound me. Her combination of emotional intelligence with technical skills provide inspiration for future grant writers everywhere. I cannot recommend her enough. You would be lucky to work with Emil!
SuYoung Yun
Former Program Manager at APACE
Emil has been truly a lifesaver for FEEST! She has increased our fundraising capacity in more ways than I can articulate. Emil is strategic, deeply committed to supporting leaders of color, and understands the unique opportunities for growing grassroots organizations. She is able to easily articulate and translate our organizing work for institutional funders without compromising our vision and values, research and bring forward funding opportunities we otherwise would not have considered, and lead on reporting and capturing our successes for all stakeholders. It also helps that she is very detail-oriented, creative and an expert writer. We couldn't recommend Emil more to other organizations looking for support!
Lisa Chen
Former Executive Director of FEEST
Contact me
Feel free to reach out with any questions or for more information about me and my offerings
epaddison@gmail.com
Or fill out the contact survey at:
© Emil Paddison 2023 © Dean Paddison Photography