Third Sector Consulting

Find More Funders
Win More Grants
Raise More Money

Founder & Principal

Laura Rhodes, CFRE
Nonprofit Consultant | Speaker & Trainer
"HI, I'M LAURA! And I want to help you find more funders, win more grants and raise more money for your nonprofit. Are you ready?"

Laura Rhodes is a Certified Fund Raising Executive and fundraising trainer who has 20+ years of experience working with – and for – nonprofits.

Laura started her nonprofit career in development and communications. She later served as an interim executive director. As a volunteer, Laura has been a board member, board chair, marketing committee chair and resource development committee chair. And prior to starting her consulting business, Laura was a regional program officer with the American Express Foundation, which awarded $30 million to nonprofits each year.

Having been both a grantmaker and a fundraiser, Laura uses her unique perspective to help nonprofits find more funders, win more grants and raise more money for their cause.

Laura has helped nonprofits raise millions of dollars from grants, events, direct mail and workplace giving campaigns. She also provides prospect research and grant writing support for organizations that want to write their own grants.

She is a popular nonprofit conference speaker and leads workshops and trainings for nonprofit staff and boards across the U.S.

Certifications & Professional Affiliations

 

What nonprofits say about Laura...

Laura's prospect report was not merely a matter of her handing us a list. Because Laura cares and is conscientious, her services went above and beyond what was expected. She attended several board meetings and was professional and generous, often giving us specific suggestions that might help us with fundraising.

Chuck Peck, Board Member, Bozeman Sculpture Park

There is no way we would be able to navigate the nuances of a federal grant under such a short timeframe without Laura! Her dedication and attention to detail are second to none!

Kent Doughty, CEO, oneHealth

Laura is savvy at research, editing and final production. She is an excellent collaborator, bringing deep knowledge and keen insights to each project we have engaged her in. Add to these skills that she is fun to work with and you have the ideal partner for any consulting situation.

Christy Collum, Director of Development, Reading Connections

All I can say is, 'WOW!' You've got this grant writing thing down.

Erica Yaeger, Executive Director, Sci-Tech Discovery Center

Featured Blog Post

"Let's Talk Nonprofit" is a blog by Third Sector Consulting that addresses common questions that nonprofits have. Ready? Great! Let's Talk Nonprofit.

Is Your Writing Too Long, Too Short, or Just Right
Twitter recently increased the number of characters per tweet from 140 to 280. Just because you can say more, should you? The same question holds true for grants. If you're writing an online application and the response allows 300 words, do you need to use all 300 words? If it's a paper application, and you're allowed 5 pages, do you need to fill every page? And what about your donor appeals? What's the right length of the fundraising materials you write for your nonprofit? (read more)