Kim Joyce, GPC
Kim Joyce, GPC (Grant Professional Certified), a native of Phoenix, began her career in education and has been involved with the nonprofit sector as a grant professional, fundraising professional, and volunteer for over 20 years. In 2010, Kim founded her grant writing firm, Kim Joyce & Associates, that provides services in the areas of grant writing, prospect research, grant writing training, grant office assessments, donor cultivation coaching, and nonprofit capacity building.
Kim’s clients have included nonprofits providing services in the areas of health and human services, education, at-risk youth, homelessness, healthcare, the arts, charter schools, and faith-based organizations, as well as institutes of higher education, school districts, tribes, and units of local government. Her firm, one of the largest in Arizona, is comprised of highly skilled employees and subcontractors from across the nation and has assisted clients in receiving grant awards of more than $164 million.
Two distinctions set Kim apart from her peers in the industry: she is one of only 21 GPCs in the state of Arizona, and she is one of only 32 GPA Grant Professionals Association (GPA) Approved Trainers in the world. Kim earned her GPC certification through the Grant Professionals Certification Institute (GPCI) and is also a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) Continuing Education Approved Provider.
Kim is a proud member of GPA – Arizona Founding Chapter, the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the National Grants Management Association (NGMA), and also serves as a Board Member of the GPCI. She enjoys giving back to the community, both personally, and professionally. Kim previously served as the Board Secretary of the GPA – Arizona Founding Chapter and on various local foundation and government review panels, such as Valley of the Sun United Way, the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, and the City of Phoenix CDBG grant review panel.
Kimberly Rogers, GPC
Allison Boyd, GPC
Audra Davis, GPC
Amanda Ripstra, GPC
Cindy Dewitt, GPC
Cindy DeWitt, GPC brings over 20 years of experience in community assessment, diverse partnership development, capacity building, strategic planning, grant management, evaluation, and sustainability. She has successfully written, administered, and reported on grant funding in the federal, state, and private foundation sectors. Her work focuses on health equity, food insecurity, substance abuse prevention and treatment, mental health, parent education, foster care, city infrastructure, outdoor recreation, and more. Cindy received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from Arkansas Tech University and her Master of Science Degree in Community and Economic Development from the University of Central Arkansas. A Grant Professional Certified (GPC) and a member of the Grant Professionals Association, Arkansas Chapter, she is committed to ethical practices and staying current on trends in the world of nonprofit funding.
Dale Braden, GPC
Dale Braden, GPC, is a Colorado native and moved to Portland, Oregon after graduating from Colorado State University. Dale worked as a post-award grant administrator at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) for 8.5 years before leaving to work with an international nonprofit organization, Youth With A Mission. He returned to OHSU in March 2006 as research grant administrator, ensuring grant applications were complete, as well as assisting with budget preparation and application assembly. Dale worked with investigators on internal compliance, provided monthly spending projections, approved expendit
Jeanne M. Johnston, MPA, GPC
Jeanne M. Johnston, MPA, GPC joins Kim Joyce & Associates as a Senior Grants Specialist. She brings 11+ years of nonprofit experience beginning her career in a local municipality with grant experience at the federal level, ranging from Brownfield Development, neighborhood revitalization, parks, and greenways to veterans’ housing projects.
Jeanne has a diversified background working in capital campaign fundraising and management and working in development for nonprofits. Her most recent years as a grants consultant included grants and strategic planning for various human services organizations: at-risk and homeless youth, faith-based youth leadership, community health care for free and charitable clinics, and many others. Jeanne has enabled nonprofits to grow substantially in their programs and operating revenue through the submittal of federal-funded, state pass-through grants. Jeanne has served as a proposal reviewer for the Administration for Children and Families.
Jeanne is active in the North Carolina Grants Professional Association with Program development and received her Certification as a Grant Professional in 2020. Jeanne has a Bachelor of Science from James Madison University, a Master’s in Public Affairs from the University of North Carolina Greensboro, and received the Economic Development and Community Development Academy certificates from the Kenan-Flagler School of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Keri McDonald, GPC
Keri McDonald brings over 20 years of experience in health and human services and education policy to Kim Joyce and Associates. Since 2008, Keri has raised over $98 million in private and public sector grants. She attributes this success to her Jane-of-All-Trades work experience on both the administrative and programmatic sides of non-profits as a caseworker, communications manager, project manager, grants manager, and board member. Keri has a Master of Public Affairs and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin. She lives in Round Rock, TX, and is a proud Board Member of the Lone Star Justice Alliance.
Michelle Youso, GPC & CGMS
Michelle "Shelly" Youso, GPC & CGMS, is a grant professional with more than a decade of experience. Her professional career path niche was determined when she found her passion in grants management. She has successfully written and managed federal, state, and private grants and awarded grant funds exceeding $30 million. Her specialization is grants management, application lifecycle from pre-award to post-award, federal and state compliance reporting, and fiscal accountability. She finds the challenge of researching new grant opportunities and seeing grants through from start to finish personally rewarding.
Dedicated to life-long learning, Shelly earned her Grant Professional Certified (GPC) and Certified Grants Management Specialist (CGMS) in 2021. She served as the Vice-President of the Northern Arizona GPA chapter and a member of the Arizona Department of Education Committee of Practitioners. As a member of the Arizona Association for School Business Officials (AASBO) and Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association (ASPAA), Sheely remains up-to-date on current law and best grant practices.
Shelly achieved her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University and graduated with distinction. Working in the field of education for more than 25 years provided the opportunity for her to hold diverse positions including Grants Specialist, Principal, Instructional Technologist, and Professional Development Coordinator. She teaches college coursework in business and computer information systems in an online platform. Shelly enjoys the challenge of researching new and innovative grant projects in order to provide funding to support the needs of clients.
Meredith Burke Hammons, Ph.D.
Client Engagement Specialist
Smyrna, GA
Dr. Meredith Burke Hammons has a varied career in education. She taught at the high school, college, and graduate levels, worked as a librarian in public and academic libraries, and served as the assistant director of the local office of a national, education-based nonprofit. Through her library work and love for research, she began grant writing, primarily focusing on youth development, education, human services, and faith-based organizations. She is active in the Georgia Grant Professionals Association, currently serving as treasurer, and is a long-time volunteer in a local mentoring program for elementary school children. Meredith holds a Ph.D. in Religion from Vanderbilt University, a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Religion from Davidson College.
Harmony Nelson
Senior Quality Assurance Manager
Mesa, Arizona
Harmony is an experienced nonprofit executive, having worked with the Boys and Girls Clubs, United Way, and multiple government and collegiate organizations in Arizona, California, and Missouri. She brings expertise in program development and management, grant writing, and management information systems. Harmony has bachelor's degrees in Business Administration and English Literature. Her non-profit experience has focused on foster care, workforce development, veterans, children’s literacy, and homelessness.
Kristen Krey
Senior Training and Community Engagement Manager
Avondale, AZ
Kristen Krey serves KJA as the Senior Training and Community Engagement Manager. As a lifelong public servant, Kristen has over 30 years of experience in the public sector, with a continuous thread of managing a variety of grants and training best practices in leadership, communication, diversity, and grants management throughout her career as an executive. She has over 15 years of public safety, corrections, and law enforcement experience, followed by 8 years in intergovernmental relations, managing the business of a city council, then 8 years directly managing an annual grant portfolio of over $50 million dollars for the city, including management of local community grants.
She excels at empowering people to create innovative and collaborative projects to provide sustainable growth for communities and businesses. Kristen has been actively involved with the Grant Professionals Association (GPA) since 2016 and has served the AZ Founding Chapter Board as Marketing Officer and Secretary, in addition to serving on the GPA Professional Development Core Committee, Diversity and Learning Styles Committees, and presenting annually at the National GPA Conference, National GPA Chapter Leader Training, and the GPA-AZ Founding Chapter monthly sessions. Kristen is a GPA Certified Trainer.
She has a Master of Arts in Organization Management from University of Phoenix and Bachelor of Science in both Criminal Justice and Political Science from SUNY College at Brockport. Kristen is also one of the first Certified Public Managers through Arizona State University. She was previously employed by the City of New York, NY; Coconino County, AZ; and the City of Glendale, AZ. She regularly volunteers and serves on the board of two local non-profits, Living the Dream Rescue, as a foster parent to puppies and kittens, and social media guru, plus T.E.A.M.4 Travis, fundraising to provide research for ending childhood asplenia mortality.
Becca Buster
Human Resource Specialist
Phoenix, Arizona
Becca is originally from Morrison Colorado and after graduating high school went out to Phoenix to attend Grand Canyon University. While there she gained experience in leadership, volunteer work, time management, and organizational skills. After graduation, she worked for a small company where she utilized her skills to help rapidly grow the team from 1 employee to 45. She specializes in hiring and onboarding new employees, training and implementation, and organizational management. Becca is excited to bring her experience to the Administration Division at Kim Joyce and Associates as the Human Resource Specialist.
Liz Gould
Project Managment Specialist
Erie, Pennsylvania
Liz brings 17 years of experience in the non-profit and education fields. She has worked with several non-profit organizations in various management, fundraising, and event planning roles. Liz also has a background in higher education having served as a financial aid counselor for many years. Liz is a 2005 graduate of Baldwin Wallace College with a BA in Communications.
Angie Bardsley
Prospect Research & Grants Associate
Moline, IL
An Illinois native, Angie Bardsley has 14 years’ experience in the nonprofit sector, working in higher education, the arts, and healthcare. Her roles have involved writing grants, conducting research, raising annual funds, leading fundraising events, and creating donor relations strategies. She has a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Organizational Leadership from St. Ambrose University, as well as a copyediting certificate from UC San Diego Extension. She has served on the board of a local animal shelter, been the Chapter Administrator for her area’s Association of Fundraising Professionals chapter, and volunteers for a nonprofit that offers art opportunities to people impacted by cancer.
Jenna Joyce
Data Entry Specialist
Scottsdale, AZ
Jenna Joyce is a senior at Grand Canyon University where she is majoring in Psychology with a minor in Behavioral Health Sciences. She has varied skillsets including data entry, writing, customer relations management, and more. She has volunteered with nonprofits and youth serving organizations both nationally and internationally. She is excited to bring her love of serving others, strong academic background and attention to detail to Kim Joyce & Associates.
Laurie Pierce
Senior Grants Associate
Scottsdale, AZ
Terry Driscoll, MPA
Senior Grants Specialist
Phoenix, Arizona
Terry Driscoll, MPA has experience securing funding from a wide spectrum of sources, including corporate and private foundations, state and local governments, and federal grant programs. Successful federal grants he has secured include HOME and CDBG grant programs, SAMHSA, the Economic Development Association, and the Department of Labor. Throughout his career, he has obtained support for a diverse array of programs, such as workforce development, youth education, low-income housing construction, HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, immigration, substance abuse treatment, parenting education, homelessness prevention/transitional housing, financial literacy, and small business technical assistance and funding. Terry is highly motivated by, and indeed thrives on, diving into new subject matter and fields.
Terry's past work history also includes nearly a decade of compliance and quality work in the private sector, as well as nonprofit program evaluation and strategic planning experience. Terry's work history has provided him a rich knowledge of the Arizona nonprofit, business, and funding landscape, as well as a skillset that enables him to envision social service programs holistically: from securing funding, through implementation, evaluation, compliance, and reporting.
Terry is a two-time Arizona State Sun Devil, earning a Bachelor of Science in Political Science with an International Relations certificate, and a Master's in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Administration.
Gena Ford
Senior Grants Specialist
Norman, Oklahoma
Gena has been writing and receiving grants for programs she is passionate about since the early 2000's when she was a high school English teacher. In 2016, her enthusiasm for grant writing led her to work in Higher Education as a full-time grant writer. In this capacity, she worked with faculty and staff to develop grant proposals ranging from one thousand to multi-million dollar applications. Gena’s calling is helping people; and although she is not on the front lines, her mission is to assist those who are out in the world doing good things get the funding they need.
Gena received a BA in English at the University of Oklahoma and an MEd in Adult and Higher Education with an Emphasis in English at the University of Central Oklahoma.
Barbara Polston
Senior Grants Specialist
Tucson, Arizona
Barbara Polston brings 24 years of proposal writing experience and joins Kim Joyce & Associates as a Senior Grants Specialist. Despite achieving success with her first grant proposal, Barbara Polston never set out to be a grant professional. A talent for writing and a passion to improve the world led her to a successful career in proposal and contract writing. She has won millions of dollars through foundation, corporation, and government grants and contracts for human services agencies. Now, semi-retired, Barbara is happy to be part of the Kim Joyce & Associates team and contribute to client success. She earned a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from San Francisco Theological Seminary and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management through the Nonprofit Management Institute of Arizona State University. When not writing proposals, Barbara can be found in her quilt studio or working on a series of children's books.
Tomi Simmons
Grants Specialist
Phoenix, AZ
Andrea Forsmo
Junior Grant Writer
Groton, Massachusetts
Andrea brings expertise in the education field, programs that benefit children and adolescents, and making the heart connection between organizations and funders. After several years of volunteering, teaching, and grant writing for a local school system, she made a career change from retail bank management to following her passion. Andrea is experienced in persuasive and effective writing across the grant proposal process, assessing educational impacts and metrics, and prospect research. Andrea is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Lowell (BA, English, Writing Concentration) and earned two fundraising certificates at Arizona State University Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation, Grant Development: State and Foundation Proposals and Advanced Grant Development: Federal Proposals. She is also a member of the Grant Professionals Association.
Noreen Skelton
Junior Grant Writer
Salmon, ID
Noreen is a Montana native but now resides in Salmon, ID and is a proud military veteran. Noreen served in the Air Force for 24 years and specialized in the Human Resource realm of leadership and organizational development. After retirement, she spent five years working as a government consultant where her expertise in organizational development and change management helped many of the Department of Defense intelligence agencies located in Washington D.C. implement vital processes and procedures needed to accomplish organizational mission objectives.
In the spirit of serving her country, Noreen decided on a career change into grant writing where her desire is to help organizations obtain vital funding that allows them to serve and strengthen the fabric of their communities. To prepare for this new career, Noreen achieved a Masters’ Degree in Grants Management & Evaluation through Concordia University Chicago. She is also a member of the Grant Professionals Association Idaho Founding Chapter.
Noreen also holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Leadership and Organizational Management. She is very active in her community and volunteers at numerous nonprofits and serves on the financial board of the local hospital.