Build a stronger grant program — not just a stronger proposal.  

Good grant work starts with organization.

Opportunities should be tracked in one place. Deadlines should be visible well in advance. Past proposals, organizational language, budgets, and supporting materials should be easy to find and reuse. And leadership shouldn’t have to hold the entire process together.

Modern Melon helps put those systems in place, from prospect research and grant calendars to organized proposal materials, tracking tools, and strategic support throughout the grant process.

How I can help

  • Find the opportunities worth pursuing. Modern Melon researches prospective funders, assesses alignment and eligibility, and helps organizations build a focused funding pipeline based on their programs, priorities, and capacity.

    Services can include prospect research, funder profiles, opportunity assessment, grant calendars, and funding strategy.

  • Create a grant process your organization can actually use. Modern Melon builds practical systems for tracking opportunities, deadlines, applications, reporting requirements, and reusable grant materials — so important information is organized, accessible, and easy to maintain.

    Services can include grant trackers, annual calendars, proposal libraries, organizational boilerplate, asset inventories, and reporting systems.

  • Approach each application with a clear plan. Modern Melon helps organizations interpret funding guidelines, determine the strongest program and narrative fit, organize application requirements, and develop clear, persuasive proposal materials.

    Support can range from application strategy and editing to collaborative development of proposals, LOIs, and other funder communications.

I’m Evelyn Belasco, a grant writer who helps growing nonprofits build focused, well-organized grant programs.

Alongside my consulting work, I manage institutional grants for a nonprofit, where I oversee the day-to-day work behind a successful grant program: researching and evaluating opportunities, managing deadlines and application materials, coordinating across teams, and developing proposals that clearly reflect an organization’s work and priorities.

Before entering the nonprofit sector, I spent 25 years in the entertainment industry as a script supervisor and director, with Emmy-nominated directing work. I managed complex productions and creative teams at a high level, balancing competing priorities, coordinating across departments, and maintaining a clear view of both the larger objective and the details required to execute it well. I bring that same discipline to grant work: strong writing, rigorous organization, sound judgment, and a highly collaborative approach.