Your work matters. funding is abundant.
Hiawatha Associates is a women-owned consulting firm providing organizational development services
to nonprofits in Minnesota and beyond.
Minnesota services
We specialize in securing funding for Black and Immigrant-led nonprofit organizations throughout Minnesota by offering grant readiness assessments, prospect research, and grant writing services.
Prospect Research
Grant Readiness Assessments
Not every organization is prepared for grant funding, and that's perfectly fine! With a depth of knowledge in both organizational structures and funder priorities, we ensure your organization has the required experience, personnel, and documentation in place to pursue grant funding. For organizations lacking in any of these areas, we make recommendations to reach necessary milestones and become "grant ready."
Grant Writing
We are process experts and have capabilities across many different community development sectors including: healthcare, education, workforce development, youth, social justice, and the arts. We have extensive experience in government grant writing at all levels, specializing in funding opportunities offered by the Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Department of Human Services, and Hennepin County.
International work
We specialize in providing professional assistance to international organizations in proposal capture, design, facilitation, management, and technical writing in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
Program Design & Facilitation
Hiawatha Associates' CEO, Sara, has extensive experience in facilitation and program design. She excels in virtual design processes and enjoys leading international teams through on-site workshops developing theories of change, results frameworks, work plans, and evaluation plans to form the backbone of winning proposals. Sara employs a participatory approach to facilitation for program design and has a knack for engaging East and West African participants. Her experience and expertise spans the issue areas of HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Economic Development, Livelihoods, and Nutrition.
Proposal Management & Technical Writing
We have vast experience in managing the proposal process, and our proposal management tools have been adopted by clients worldwide for use in their work. We use a combination of RFP abstraction tools, aggressive yet adaptable timelines, and industry-standard Shipley Method to streamline the proposal process efficiently. Our goal is to ease the burden on client teams by seamlessly guiding the process and addressing any unexpected challenges, such as donor-adjusted requirements, with ease. We also offer technical writing capacity assistance for existing teams.
International Resumé
Hiawatha Associates has experience serving people groups worldwide: Bangladesh, Cote d’Ivoire*, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Haiti*, Kenya*, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali*, Mozambique, Nigeria*, Rwanda, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda*, the United States, and Zimbabwe.
*Denotes projects with in-country, on-site facilitation.
Meet Our Team
Our team combines experience with passion, creativity, and dedication. From rural back roads to corporate boardrooms,
we are committed to supporting our clients and those they serve. We are proud to be women-owned and operated.
Sara Thompson
Sara is a strategic thinker with 18 years of experience in business development, small business growth, and human-centered program design. Her niche is in economic development and health both domestically and internationally. Sara turns visionaries’ dreams into reality by listening with empathy and curiosity, designing responsive programming and proposals, and attracting donors and funding from a wide variety of sources. Sara holds a Master's Degree in Public Policy with an emphasis in Development Economics.
Katy Skarlatos
Katy has a vast background serving the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. For the past decade, Katy owned and operated a women’s health and midwifery practice. She also has extensive experience in business development consulting, strategic planning, data analysis, technical writing, and research and data analysis. Her portfolio reflects her knowledge of a wide variety of organizational structures and practices. Katy holds a Master's Degree in International Public Policy with an emphasis in policy analysis.
Senator Bluto
Head of Wellness
Lead Napper
