Results
A historic church denied the same grant several years in a row won the full $135,000 it requested.
Funding for cemetery stabilization and reconstruction of its fellowship hall.
Grant writing · Funding strategy · Nonprofit training
Grant funding you can point to.
I help community nonprofits and churches stop getting turned down for grants, with an expert who knows how applications are actually scored.
$15M+in grant funding secured
8+ yearsof professional grant writing
Grant reviewerfor federal, foundation and local funders
Sound familiar?
- Your work is strong, but applications keep coming back denied.
- Proposals get written at the last minute with generic language.
- No one is sure what the funder actually scores, or why you lost.
- You are paying for fundraising help without a finished application to show for it.
What changes
- A complete, funder-aligned application, ready to submit
- The funder's scoring criteria, decoded
- A budget, evaluation plan and a clear strategy for gathering strong letters of support
- A repeatable process your team keeps for every grant after this one
The Grant Readiness Program
Build one strong application. Keep the process for good.
A guided program for established nonprofits that keep getting denied. Learn from step-by-step lessons, meet with Marc on live calls, and finish with a submission-ready application and an expert review against the funder's own scoring.
Step 1
Story and funder fit
Sharpen your pitch, research the funder and open a real relationship.
Step 2
Scoring and the plan
Decode the rubric and build your theory of change.
Step 3
Budget and narrative
Budget, evaluation and a full draft written to the score.
Step 4
Review and submit
Organize your support letters, then a one-on-one capstone review.
Founding cohort
$3,000 per organization
- Starts as early as mid-November, with Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks off
- Monthly cohorts begin January 2027
- For foundation, corporate, state and local grants
Enrollment is by application, so every organization in the room is ready to do the work.
Prefer hands-on support?
Custom engagements for organizations that want an expert at the table.
Grant writing
Full proposals from research through submission, including narratives, budgets and attachments for one funder or several.
Funding strategy
Multi-year funding plans, funder matching and bank and CRA partnerships, drawing on two decades in banking.
Nonprofit launch
For founders getting started: formation, board setup, the 501(c)(3) application and a fundable first program.
Meet Marc
Marcus Jones founded Make Your Marc Consulting in 2018 to help community organizations get funded. He combines more than eight years of grant writing with nearly two decades in banking, and he reviews grant proposals for federal agencies, foundations and local governments.
That reviewer's-eye view is the difference. Marc knows how applications are scored and why good organizations get turned down, and he teaches nonprofits to write to the score.
- $15M+ in grant funding secured for community organizations
- Grant reviewer for federal agencies, foundations and local governments
- Field expert recognized by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
- Master of Public Policy, UMBC · BA, University of Baltimore
- Commercial banker and branch manager, Wells Fargo, 2002–2021
- Board President, New Village Academy, Annapolis
Let's talk
Ready to stop guessing what funders want?
Tell Marc a little about your organization and the funding you're working toward. He'll follow up to set a short call.
makeyourmarcconsulting@gmail.com · Baltimore, Maryland