Nonprofit writing is as diverse as the sector. Grants. Annual reports. Government reports and proposals. Social media. Email newsletters. Donor letters. Impact stories. The list goes on.
Many nonprofits operate with minimal staff and volunteers and do not have the time or resources to devote to content marketing and communications.
Why hire me?
As a former newspaper reporter, I spent more than a decade focused on nonprofit writing. I wrote feature stories that highlighted nonprofit organizations in the community. The days of free publicity and splashy feature stories are over. I have experience writing about arts, education, health, social services, human services, and community action organizations.
Now more than ever, nonprofit organizations need to find creative and effective ways to share their story and impact, promote programs and events, and communicate with donors and supporters.
Whether it’s writing an annual report, grant application, or social media captions, I’m eager to work with nonprofits to fulfill their content needs. Staff can focus on fundraising, programming, and handling day-to-day operations.
Having studied public and nonprofit administration, I understand the political and funding challenges many nonprofits face. I feel uniquely qualified to offer my writing and project management expertise in any capacity you might need, or just help tell a stellar story that brings your organization’s work to light.
Nonprofit Writing Services
- Newsletters, brochures, annual reports
- Social media captions and content calendar
- Grant writing
- Press releases, program books
- Donor solicitation and Thank You letters
- Marketing and promotional materials
- Public and media relations
- Nonprofit consulting services including environmental audits for fundraising and department and program assessments (annual campaign, yearly fundraiser) as well as organizational capacity for policy and advocacy initiatives
Education
Graduated cum laude with a Master’s Degree in Public and Nonprofit Administration, August 2012, Grand Valley State University.
Highlights
- Studied urban planning, multicultural London and British Culture, Society and Government in London, summer 2011; completed an independent field research project and analytical paper on museum funding models
- Examined organizational capacity for policy and advocacy initiatives for Muskegon-Oceana Community Action Partnership with recommendations
- Wrote several grants and secured more than $15,000 in funding for two local nonprofit organizations as a nonpaid intern
- Semester-long, 30-page written case analysis on Muskegon Museum of Art and its funding struggles while becoming an independent nonprofit
- Master’s capstone paper explored 20-year decline of private support for arts and debates for and against public funding
- Environmental audit for fundraising and assessment of West Michigan Symphony’s annual fund campaign with recommendations
- Understand unique operational aspects, resource dependence and governance after covering all nonprofit subsectors as a beat reporter, interviewing executive directors and volunteering in a variety of capacities
- Insider’s perspective on leveraging media coverage for events and securing free publicity
- Ability to handle internal and external communications; manage inquiries from media and public
Nonprofit courses:
- The Nonprofit Sector: History and Ethics
- Nonprofit Management Practices
- Nonprofit Advocacy and Public Policy
- Nonprofit Resource and Financial Management
- Nonprofit Boards, Trustees, Governance
- Grant Writing
- Grant Writing Internship
Other courses:
- Foundations of Public Management
- Research Methods
- Human Resources in Organizations
- Organizational Theory
- Public Management Seminar
Nonprofit Writing Samples
Grants Written and Awarded
(Please contact me for copies of the grant proposals)
Every Woman’s Place/Webster House Youth Services:
- $3000 grant for Girls on the Run from City of Muskegon
- $5000 grant for Girls on the Run from Muskegon County Community Foundation
- $2500 grant for kitchen equipment for shelter from Walmart Foundation
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lakeshore:
- $5000 Grant for community-based mentoring program from The Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area
Nonprofit Writing Research Papers
- The Fickle Nature of Arts Funding: Recasting the Conversation on Public Support, Philanthropy and Advocacy Efforts into the Future
- Exploring England’s Public Financing and Scope of the Arts, Culture Sector
- Nonpartisan Voter Engagement: A Right and Responsibility of Nonprofit Organizations
- Nonprofits for Hire: The pitfalls of Contracting with Government for Service Delivery
- Muskegon-Oceana Community Action Partnership, Inc.’s Capacity for Policy and Advocacy with Recommendations
- Strategic Governance: Guiding a Board’s Ability to Shape Institutional Direction
- West Michigan Symphony: Environmental Audit for Fundraising and Assessment of Annual Fund Campaign with Recommendations
- Fiscal Woes for the Nonprofit Arts Sector: What it Takes to Sustain a Small, Public Art Museum in the 21st Century
To learn more about my skills and background, visit my Writing Services, Why Hire Me, or Get to Know Marla. Contact me at 231-286-4946 or marlarmillerwrites@gmail.com.
