"Brenda has been a grantwriter for transcenDANCE Youth Arts Project for the past 8 months. In that time, she has learned about our organization and about the arts and humanities & creative youth development funders. She has significantly increased the number of applications we submitted and the number of awards we won. She has uncovered new funding opportunities that had not been on our radar screen. She has maintained a tracking system that has given us the information we need to do accurate budget-making and forecasting. She has done this with minimal supervision because she is a self-starter, an accomplished grantwriter, and a strong collaborator. Both the Founder of transcenDANCE and I would unequivocally endorse Brenda’s grantwriting skills, initiative, reliability and dedication to excellence."
- Patricia Zigarmi, Board Chair and Acting Executive Director of transcenDANCE (tdarts.org).
“Brenda makes the process of applying for grants very accessible. Her knowledge and experience in grant research and writing provide a great foundation from which we are able to learn and grow. She is incredibly easy to work with and her dedication to and enthusiasm for justice related work make her an invaluable part of our agency’s future.”
“I have known Brenda for nine years as she has served in various leadership capacities, including heading our Strategic Planning Committee and as President for three years. Brenda brings great wisdom and skill to all she does. She has the unique ability to hold both the big picture and great attention to detail. She advances the goals of any project she works on and is an asset to any organization that she works with.”
“Brenda Balmer is one of the best grant writers in the region, and I know first-hand as I worked alongside her for more than three years at the Vista Community Clinic. I learned best practices from Brenda, which have strengthened success in my own career. I am always confident referring clients in need of grant writing services to Brenda and have often wished I could clone her to fulfill all the grant writing needs out there!”
“Quality grant writing is a professional skill which is invaluable to any organization, agency, or institution. Grant writing can be the difference in an agency remaining in existence or going out of existence. Most Executive Directors ask, “how do I find a good grant writer”, my answer would be contact Brenda Balmer. Brenda understands the technique of grant writing and is expressive in her writing to convey the true essence of an agency. For each project, she brings an understanding of the work of agencies and understanding of what funders are looking for. She is an excellent writer and is affordable in her cost. I would recommend her highly and we will continue to utilize her skills and services as a grant writer for Mental Health America of San Diego County.”
“Bringing Brenda on board as a contracted Grant Writer was a great decision for New Haven. Her knowledge and experience, and her focused attention on grant development are helping us to consistently get high quality proposals out to funders.”
“Brenda led the grant writing department for Vista Community Clinic for 11 years. During her employment, she successfully garnered millions of dollars for the organization. She is adept at program planning, coordination and developed a structure which ultimately led to VCC’s success. VCC was often chosen as one of only a few grantees, and Brenda’s coordination, grant writing skills, and leadership contributed greatly to this success.”