Your grantees are getting money. Are they getting a plan?
You worked hard to get funding into the hands of creatives, small business owners, and community members who’ve never had access to it before. That’s a win!
But a grant isn’t just money — it’s a set of decisions many people have never had to make. Taxes on a 1099 nobody explained. A lump sum with no framework for what’s urgent versus what can wait. No model for saving, investing, or thinking past the next few months, because some folks have never had the chance to. No vision for how to create sustainability beyond the funding cycle into the future.
Without support, well-intentioned money can disappear fast — to debt, to taxes unplanned for, to sharing or spending that feels right today but leaves nothing for tomorrow. That’s not a grantee failure: it’s a gap in what most people are taught.
A training built for people who’ve never had extra money before
I design and lead cohort-based financial literacy trainings for foundations, fiscal sponsors, and social impact accelerators — specifically for grantees who are managing real money, often for the first time, and who may be wary of money or avoidant of “financial literacy” as a topic because of how it’s usually taught: jargon-heavy, judgmental, and built for people who already have money.
I teach differently. No jargon, no judgment, no assumptions about what people already know or don’t know. Just practical frameworks people can actually use — delivered by someone who’s been a working-class, self-employed artist herself, and who’s spent 15 years making money make sense for people who resist the system and business as usual.
“It’s been so difficult to find someone who speaks the language of finance and holds the values we have here. We’re thrilled to bring you in.” – Annenberg Social Impact Lab, USC
What the training covers
Grounding the money in the person, not just the numbers We start with reflection, not spreadsheets — what does this money make possible, for you and your community, over the next five years? Grounding decisions in real goals (not just rules) is what makes the tools stick.
The Gaps / Needs / Goals framework A simple way to sort what this money is actually for: gaps from the past (debt, deferred costs), needs in the present, and goals for the future — so grantees aren’t just reacting to the money, they’re directing it.
A 4-number monthly money system A practical model for understanding personal finances month to month, what’s coming in, what must be spent, what should go toward goals and savings, and what’s really left over to spend freely — so a grant disbursement doesn’t just evaporate into undifferentiated spending.
How to charge for your work – the artists and small businesses you fund may struggle to create sustainable practices; we dig into what sustainability means for them, and how to create revenue models that will sustain them into the future, beyond the grant.
Taxes and awareness, before it’s a crisis What grant or self-employment income means for taxes — what to set aside, and why “I’ll deal with it later” is the single most common way this money causes stress instead of stability.
Where to actually put money Concrete, accessible tools for thinking beyond the month to month — high-yield savings for money needed soon, brokerage and retirement accounts for money that can grow. Real recommendations and account names, not just theory.
Debt and credit basics How credit scores work, how to deal with existing debt without panic, and how to build credit.
A closing action framework Every session ends with grantees identifying real, specific next steps — for themselves, for their community, and for today and the future — so the training produces insights and action, not just an information dump.
How it works
- Format: Live, cohort-based sessions (remote or in-person), typically 1.5-2 hours, with a workbook and take-home planning tools – one off or in a short series
- Group size: Designed for cohorts, with optional 1:1 or small-group coaching add-ons for grantees who want deeper support
- Customization: Built around your specific cohort — grant size, disbursement structure, and the population you fund all shape the training
- Follow-up: Can be paired with office hours or ongoing coaching for grantees who want it
- Pricing: sliding scale according to your organization’s size and budget
Who I’ve done this for
I’ve built financial literacy and money-management programs for foundations and grantmaking, arts, and accelerator organizations including:
New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) · Elias Foundation · Allied Media Projects · Kresge Arts Foundation · Mass MoCA Assets for Artists · Artists of Radical Imagination · Baltimore Creatives Acceleration Network · Sundance Institute · Theatre of the Oppressed NY · Annenberg Innovation Lab, USC · RiseBoro
…and many more private cohorts and mission-driven organizations.
Let’s talk about your cohort
Every funder’s grantees are different — different grant sizes, different populations, different levels of prior financial literacy or interest. Tell me about your program and I’ll build a training that fits.
Schedule a 20 minute exploratory chat , or email me with questions.
