Meet the Mavens
Abbie Yamamoto, Ph.D.
Principal Consultant
Abbie transforms struggling nonprofits into thriving organizations—like the volunteer-run group she grew from a $0 budget to $750,000 in annual revenue.
With 20+ years of grant writing experience and 10+ years as a nonprofit leader and entrepreneur, she specializes in helping small and mid-sized nonprofits align their mission with the financial and operational infrastructure needed for sustainable growth.
Abbie’s approach goes beyond budgets and strategic plans. She integrates financial strategy with organizational culture and development, ensuring growth is both intentional and lasting. Most recently, she led an organization with a $5.3 million budget, building systems that connected mission, resources, and daily operations into a cohesive whole.
Abbie’s understanding of resilience and community is personal as well as professional. She comes from families that moved extensively across Europe, East Asia, and North America—both in pursuit of opportunity and under duress—and has made 19 moves herself, including 7 international ones. That experience of building home and belonging under uncertain conditions shapes how she thinks about organizational sustainability and the communities nonprofits serve. A classically trained singer, she brings the same attention to voice and craft to her clients’ stories: the right message, delivered with precision and purpose. When she’s not doing any of that, she’s painting cats or playing with them.
Ready to build the infrastructure your mission deserves? Let’s talk about what’s next for your organization.
Learn more about Abbie
- 10+ years of experience as a nonprofit leader and entrepreneur
- 20+ years of grant writing experience
- Grew a volunteer-run organization with $0 annual budget to a nine-staff organization with a $750,000 budget in two years
- Brokered a merger between a small non-profit with a grassroots volunteer organization
- Oversaw a 180-year-old organization with a $5.3 million budget with 90 employees and 300 volunteers
Marsha Morman, GPC
Grant Specialist
Marsha has secured over $8 million for nonprofit clients, turning their stories into funding by crafting grant proposals that connect mission with the right funders.
With 20 years of professional writing experience—including 5 years specializing in grant writing—she works with small and mid-sized nonprofits to secure the resources they need to grow. Her approach goes beyond filling out applications: she finds the narrative thread that shows why your organization is unique, why your services matter, and why you’re the perfect match for each funder’s priorities.
Marsha’s commitment to community runs deep. As an ordained rabbi and chaplain at Northwestern Medical Center in Chicago, she brings the same care and attentiveness to her grantwork that she brings to her pastoral work—particularly in healthcare and human services, where she has focused much of her nonprofit funding efforts. Those quiet overnight shifts have also nurtured her creative side: she writes and paints, skills that translate directly into the vivid, compelling narratives she crafts for clients.
In 2025, Marsha earned her Grant Professional Certification (GPC)—the only independent credential in the field. This certification demonstrates her commitment to ethical practice, strategic thinking, and excellence in grant development, giving funders confidence in every proposal she touches.
Ready to strengthen your funding pipeline? Let’s discuss how Marsha can help you tell your story. (She also owns a suit of armor and a sizable medieval weapons collection, but that’s never come up in a grant review — yet.)
Learn more about Marsha
- Raised $8,104,000 for clients
- 5 years of experience in grant writing
- 8 years of experience in ghostwriting
- 10 years of experience in the publishing industry
