My Journey to Grant Writing
Hey! My name is Justina Appel and I am the founder, CEO, and principal grant writer of Rippling A South Consulting, LLC. I have worked with nonprofit organizations for over 25 years in various situations, both in paid and volunteer positions.
I started my grant writing journey when I completed my PhD in Nonprofit Management in 2016. That put me in the perfect spot to be more effective in my position not only for my past employment but also for the various organizations that I have had the privilege to serve as a volunteer. During this growing education, I completed my doctoral research on the recruitment and retention of volunteers. This helped me shift my focus to writing grants for small nonprofit organizations and assisting them in a grant readiness process.
How a career in the medical field led to becoming a freelance grant writer
In my career in the medical industry as a clinician, I have published several articles about treatment protocols for individuals who wear orthotic or prosthetic devices. Service on the advisory board as well as the executive board for organizations such as Families Helping Families and the Regional Developmental Disabilities Advisory Council has assisted me in staying current with state issues, laws, and protocols concerning those organizations.
While working as a national director of education for the popular medical supply company, Allard U.S.A., my responsibilities included curriculum development and educational course implementation of both virtual and live platforms within the medical community and the mentally/physically challenged population. You could say that networking and education are my niches that put me in the shoes I wear today, a freelance grant writer.
That isn’t the end of the road for my inspiration. I also became involved in the community outreach program as well as Allard’s nonprofit, the Dralla Foundation. In my leadership, I was responsible for the grant application process. My involvement and service assisted the development of my administrative knowledge, grant writing skills, and the ability to help develop programs and projects that will lend to the success of the mission of the organization.
My biggest inspiration for helping others through grant writing
I am the parent and caregiver of an adult child with significant disabilities. He is a nonverbal autistic who requires 24/7 supervision and care. You could see where that would take a lot of time and yep, money. This experience with a loved one that starts and never ends gave me a lot of experience navigating through the system to gain access to services. I am fluent in IEP, IDEA, and ADA terminology. After my journey, I am more than ready to help you and many others receive the support they need to make a difference.
Don’t be like me when I was young, reach out, ask for help, and apply for that grant.
Going through what I went through to gain this knowledge isn’t something you have to do. I am here to provide everything I have to offer to ensure your projects going forward. The next step to getting that grant is contacting a freelance grant writer like me.
Justina Appel, CO, BOCP, CAS, PhD, LPO
