Values-based Consulting

We believe in fundraising that uplifts communities and empowers people. As a values-based consulting firm, we center Empowerment, Equity, Vulnerability, Virtuosity, and Candor in all we do. By embodying these values, our diverse team brings passion and perspective to help you reach your goals.

 

“Melanie and her team were very helpful in helping us recreate our development plan and process. We all knew what we were doing was important and were willing to raise money for it. However, now we have actionable steps to follow to get us there.” Kelton Hays, Executive Director, Cobblestone Farms

 

Our Values

  • We all have the potential to be effective and efficient community changers. The information, training, support, and partnership we provide helps leaders develop their power and proficiency. We are particularly focused on empowering emerging professionals, professionals from marginalized communities, and community-led organizations. We not only complete projects, but we also equip teams for the future.

  • Nonprofits are designed to address inequities, yet our sector has inequities built into it as well. Organizations led by the dominant culture historically have more access to training, support, and funding.

    To support equity, we provide intensive pro bono services each year to organizations led by marginalized communities and we support emerging professionals with a community-centric approach. We also provide training and support in spaces and places that are safe, convenient, and accessible. Finally, we prioritize building our own diverse team whose perspectives are critical in providing excellent service to our clients.

  • We believe in the strength and power of vulnerability. Being willing to be vulnerable with each other is the first step in connecting and growing. Our role as consultants gives us a unique opportunity to lend an unbiased perspective. We always approach our work with a primary goal of understanding where our clients want to go, who they want to be, and what is holding them back. In many nonprofit spaces, there is tremendous pressure to project an image that may not feel authentic to everyone. We strive to disrupt this dynamic and encourage a work environment in which we can all be ourselves.

  • We are highly skilled performers committed to our craft. Our work is a combination of creativity, relationship-building, and technical ability, and we are constantly refining our skills. We pursue certifications that require excellence and our team logs a combined 80+ hours per year in professional development in fundraising strategy, nonprofit leadership, equity and inclusion, and more. We serve in leadership roles within industry associations. Our team caters to each other’s strengths and we use this intentionally balanced expertise to help our clients become fundraising virtuosos, too.

  • We are direct, open, and friendly and we believe strongly in telling it like it is. And we want our clients to tell it like it is, too. This means that we have the courage to tell our clients what they don’t want to hear, and are committed to building a safe space for our clients to be honest with us. We love cheering on our clients and we also embrace difficult conversations. We believe that fundraising can elevate the community and discourage power imbalances and barriers between people. We are genuine, authentic people who love working with genuine, authentic nonprofit leaders.

Our Values

Hear from the MPC Team on our thoughts regarding our MPC values of candor, empowerment, and equity.

Meet Our Team

 

Melanie Palmer (she/her), GPC, CFRE
Owner/Principal
Melanie@MelaniePalmerConsulting.com

Strengths: Strategic, Responsibility, Learner, Ideation, Intellection

I am a passionate fundraising professional who loves the big picture, executes the small details, and wants everybody at the table. I love helping my clients raise money through grants and other fundraising avenues because more money is more mission.

In more than a decade as a fundraiser, I have helped raise millions of dollars for my employer organizations and my clients. I have secured and managed private (foundation), state, and federal grants, as well as directed annual funds, special events, and major gifts programs. I have served as a fundraising Board Member, Executive Director, and Development Director – giving me the background to understand common organizational challenges related to fundraising and the experience to help our clients overcome them.

In 2012, I was the first Grant Professional Certified (GPC) in Arkansas. I am a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) as well, and my broad experience in all areas of fundraising enables me to help my clients develop strategic fundraising strategies. I am one of only two GPC/CFRE dual-certified fundraisers in Arkansas.

I currently serve as the Catalysts for Community Chair of the Arkansas Chapter of the Grant Professionals Association. I am also a Past President of the GPA Arkansas Chapter and of the Northwest Arkansas Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. An experienced trainer at the local, regional, and national level, I love helping organizations move resources to empower our community.

When I am not pondering evaluation objectives or chasing after my two daughters, I enjoy digging in my garden, doing genealogical research, reading, y aprender español.

Alexander Battaglia (he/him), MPP
Associate
Alexander@MelaniePalmerConsulting.com

Strengths: Input, Woo, Communication, Learner, Arranger

I am a seasoned non-profit and public policy professional dedicated to helping community-based organizations thrive through equitable fundraising. Whether submitting a grant proposal, crafting a case for support, or reimagining goals for the coming year, I approach this work with deep respect for our neighbors' voices and collaboration. My experience with the U.S. Peace Corps, various roles in food banking, and consulting with Chicago nonprofits of all sizes informs my fundraising strategies and storytelling with grantors. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Political Science from the University of Central Arkansas and a Master of Public Policy from The University of Chicago. When not analyzing policy proposals or consulting a thesaurus, I enjoy running along Lake Michigan and exploring the city's 300+ food trucks.

Hannah Lastra (she/her), GPC
Project Manager
Hannah@MelaniePalmerConsulting.com

Strengths: Achiever, Harmony, Learner, Responsibility, Discipline

I am passionate about helping nonprofits use grant funding to transform our communities. I have three years of grants experience helping nonprofit social services and arts nonprofit organizations. I am a proud Arkansas Razorback, receiving both a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a Master of Music in Musicology from the University of Arkansas. I currently serve as the President of the Grant Professionals Association Arkansas Chapter and Treasurer and Fundraising Chair of the Grant Professional Foundation. I have served as a federal grant reviewer and have a strong understanding of the grant process from pre-award to post-award. When I am not brainstorming outcomes for grant applications, I enjoy singing, teaching piano lessons, and playing with my son and daughter.

Addison Mahaffey (she/her), CFRE
Project Manager
Addison@MelaniePalmerConsulting.com

Strengths: Intellection, Input, Individualization, Learner, Futuristic

I am an impact-driven grants professional, dedicated to elevating nonprofits through the power of grants and creating effective, equitable community change one proposal at a time. My passion lies in helping nonprofits tell their stories with data and numbers to secure funding for their mission and our communities. In addition to my role as a project manager at M. Palmer Consulting, I currently work as a Grants Manager for Kelley Nonprofit Consulting and have helped raise several million dollars for nonprofits in Arkansas and Oregon. I also serve as the Board Secretary for the Arkansas Chapter of the Grant Professionals Association and am a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Beyond my professional work, I volunteer as a pro bono grant writer for a cat sanctuary, evaluate proposals for Unfunded List, and serve on the grants committee for the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder. When I am not internally screaming about character limits, I love creative writing, walking or biking on the trails, and spending quality time with my cat.

Leilani Ocasio (she/her)
Project Manager
Leilani@MelaniePalmerConsulting.com

Strengths: Input, Achiever, Intellection, Ideation, Futuristic

I am a community-oriented fundraising professional passionate about supporting nonprofit organizations and nonprofit professionals in equitable work. Whether brainstorming ways to connect people with the right resources, gathering critical information needed for a strong case for support, or creating fabulous formatting for attachments - I love the ways that grants tell stories and connect people. I have held leadership roles in both nonprofit programming and development work, so I understand the need for all parts of an organization to work together in service of the community. I have served on the Arkansas Chapter of the Grant Professionals Association, and I currently serve on the national Grant Professionals Association Board of Directors. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Lyon College and have led a team in raising more than a million dollars annually for community-based nonprofit services. When I am not being a fundraising rockstar, I like to take my dog for long walks, practice yoga, and attend concerts.

Our Team