Meet The Team

Kim Joyce, GPC

President and CEO
Scottsdale, AZ

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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 $117 million.

Two distinctions set Kim apart from her peers in the industry: she is one of only 20 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.

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.

Allison Boyd, GPC

Senior Consultant
Cleveland, TX

Allison Boyd, GPC, brings to Kim Joyce & Associates 15 years of experience in grant writing and project management. She is an active member of the Grant Professionals Association, and one of 23 Grants Professionals Certified in Texas. Allison has experience on all sides of development, from co-chairing a fundraising campaign to proposal development and implementation. Over the last 15 years, she has successfully procured over $58 million in federal, state, local, and foundation funds. Allison earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

Audra Davis, GPC

Senior Consultant
Nashville, TN

Audra Davis provides grant writing, strategy, and research expertise, successfully securing funding from diverse federal sources (Departments of Labor, Education, Health & Human Services, CDFI and others) and from corporate and foundation sources. Since 2011, she has helped clients raise more than $31 million for programs, operations, and capital projects such as affordable housing, foster care, healthcare, higher education, mental health, and research. Audra earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from Texas Tech University. Her community involvement includes serving as an expert consultant for the Center for Nonprofit Management, past-president of the Middle Tennessee Chapter of Grant Professionals Association, and board member for the Nashville Adult Literacy Council.

Lori Dennehy

Grants Associate
Phoenix, AZ

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Born and raised in Arizona, Lori Dennehy earned both her Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees at Arizona State University, graduating from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law in 2008.

She became passionate about community building, leadership, and social justice issues through volunteering with Anytown programs for over a decade, and carried that experience into her career.

After a few unfulfilling years in law, Lori made an early career change into nonprofit work to pursue those passions. She has since spent the last decade building, managing, and fundraising for community-serving organizations. Dedicated to improving communities throughout Arizona,

Lori has a love of learning, language, and logic, making professional writing a natural talent and pleasure.

Cindy Dewitt, GPC

Senior Consultant
Fayetteville, AR

Cindy DeWitt 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.

Sophie Fullen

Marketing Coordinator
Scottsdale, AZ

Sophie Fullen is a recent graduate of Azusa Pacific University where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing. She has varied skillsets including content creation, digital marketing, creative planning, customer relations management, and public relations. She has always had a love for working with non-profits and has been a part of numerous volunteer activities both in the Valley, throughout the United States, and internationally. She brings hands-on experience to Kim Joyce and Associates through her personal experience and involvement in the business sector.

Meredith Burke Hammons

Grants Associate
Smyrna, GA

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.

Peggy Irwin

Senior Consultant
Cleveland Heights, OH

Peggy Irwin brings to Kim Joyce and Associates over 25 years of experience in higher education, informal science, and healthcare, with a particular focus on coordinating complex grants in STEM. Peggy teaches grant writing at Cleveland State University (CSU) Monte Ahuja College of Business and served as manager, Strategic Initiatives for the CSU-Northeast Ohio Medical School Partnership for Urban Health. Previously, she worked for CSU’s College of Sciences and Health Professions with a focus on securing and stewarding grants and gifts to advance research, education, and service. Peggy holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in biological anthropology from Western Washington University. She also earned a certificate in fundraising from the Mandel Center and Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University.

Chloe Juriansz

Junior Grant Writer
Gilbert, AZ

Chloe Juriansz is a recent graduate of Haverford College where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology and a minor in Spanish and Latin American Studies. She has experience working in a variety of different roles in the nonprofit sector, including working in an afterschool program for migrant youth in Philadelphia, to running social media and fundraising efforts for a Head Start agency in Utah. She is excited to combine this experience and her strong background in research and writing to her work at Kim Joyce & Associates.

Terri Leon

Client Engagement Strategist
Phoenix, AZ

Terri has over 30 years experience working in the education, human services, and social profit sectors and is currently providing consulting services that support the non-profit sector. Prior to venturing out on her own, Terri was a Senior Program Officer at Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust where she served as the primary contact for nonprofits wishing to submit grant proposals. She also served as the chief operating officer of Friendly House, overseeing all program operations and served as a liaison with other community based organizations on issues that impact the Latinx community. Terri completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Social Work from Arizona State University. A respected leader in the community, Terri was the recipient of the 2012 Profiles of Success Raul Yzaguirre Community Leadership Award, 2010 Cox Communications Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award, and a Piper Fellowship in 2007.

Keri McDonald, GPC

Senior Consultant
Round Rock, TX

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.

Lynn McRae

Senior Grants Consultant
Charlotte, NC

Lynn McRae is a consultant providing expertise in proposal development, strategic planning, program evaluation, and project management. Her grants experiences have primarily focused on health and human services, public education, higher education, and STEM initiatives. Ms. McRae began her career in the healthcare industry as Special Projects Manager for the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania. Residing in Charlotte, NC since that time, she has served in various grant-related roles including: Human Services Planner for the county of Mecklenburg; Research Analyst in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System; and as Program Manager and Program Director at Johnson C. Smith University, securing millions in funding for the STEM College. She currently serves as Development Director at Lake Norman Community Health Clinic in Huntersville, NC. Ms. McRae received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Delaware and Master of Arts in Public Administration from The Pennsylvania State University. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Laurie Pierce

Senior Grants Associate
Scottsdale, AZ

After working in the for-profit world of hospitality, banking, and architecture, Laurie Pierce began her nonprofit career at Valle del Sol in Arizona. Now she has 20 years of experience developing proposals for integrated health care, behavioral health, IT health care, health and wellness related family/youth programs, and housing for a variety of federal, state, corporate, and foundation funders. She is passionate about innovative community-based integrated health approaches that show promise. Laurie earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. She has been involved with the Grant Professionals Association for more than a decade and served locally as Vice President of the Arizona Founding Chapter.

Tomi Simmons

Junior Grant Writer
Phoenix, AZ

Tomi Simmons was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. After graduating high school, she went to McPherson College in McPherson, Kansas, and earned her Bachelor of Science in Political Science. There Tomi was involved in sports, journalism, creative writing, and theatre on campus. She did a full year of AmeriCorps VISTA with a nonprofit that helps families overcome poverty in McPherson County. Tomi became passionate about community and the development of nonprofits through her experience of serving as a VISTA.

Kimberly Rogers, GPC

Senior Grants Specialist
Crossville, AL

Kimberly Rogers, GPC, has a diverse background and over 20 years of grant writing experience at the local, county, state, and federal level. With a passion for public health, she has held numerous positions in the public health, behavioral health, and social service fields, giving her the opportunity to improve her programmatic and grants management skills in the governmental and nonprofit sectors. She received her GPC grant credential in 2017, was a presenter at the 2018 Grant Professional Association Annual Conference, and currently serves on the Grant Professional Certification Institute Board of Directors. As a former Vice President of Grants for a national behavioral health organization, Kimberly is well rounded in her understanding of grant management and fiscal accountability at the federal, state, and local levels. Her grant portfolio includes primary and behavioral health care proposals, as well as innovative grants focusing on special populations or issues, including veterans' services, youth development, LGBTQ+ programs, as well as social justice, corrections, and the southern border crisis. Kimberly graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from American Military University.

Amanda Widup, MSW

Grants Specialist
Phoenix, AZ

Amanda Widup, MSW, has over 20 years of experience in social services. She has worked in the nonprofit, higher education, government, and private sectors in roles that ranged from direct client services to policy analysis to program management. Amanda has significant experience in the areas of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, child welfare, juvenile justice, poverty, and food insecurity. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Weber State University and her Master of Social Work from Florida State University.

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