Go behind-the-scenes of the Grant Professional Mentorship with Dr. Cheri Westmoreland of Spirit Excel.

Doors to the Grant Professional Mentorship Close on Friday, April 4th, 2025 at 11:59 pm EST.

https://grantwritingandfunding.com/grant-professional-mentorship

In this episode, Holly Rustick interviews Dr. Cheri Westmoreland, CEO of Spirit Excel, who shares her extensive experience in grant writing and management. Dr. Westmoreland discusses her journey from federal grants to foundation grants, the importance of compliance, and how mentorship has helped her build confidence and business acumen.

She emphasizes the need for nonprofits to adapt to changing funding landscapes and the value of investing in oneself through mentorship programs. The conversation highlights the challenges and successes of managing a grant writing business while working full-time, and the evolution from being a grant writer to becoming a business owner.

Takeaways

- Dr. Westmoreland has 30 years of grant management experience.

- She initially resisted grant writing but found success through mentorship.

- The transition from federal to foundation grants opened new opportunities.

- Compliance is crucial in grant management, especially with federal grants.

- Building confidence through mentorship has been transformative for Dr. Westmoreland.

- Managing clients while working full-time requires strategic planning.

- Investing in oneself is essential for growth in the nonprofit sector.

- The mentorship program provides valuable resources and support.

- Evolving from a grant writer to a business owner is a significant shift.

- Networking and marketing are key to finding clients in grant writing.

About Dr. Cheri Westmoreland

Dr. Cheri Westmoreland, founder of Spirit Excel, exists to energize, empower, and elevate faith- and community-based organizations through tools to enhance professional excellence. Cheri has worked for over 30 years in higher education and in non-profit community-based agencies. She currently works at the University of Cincinnati as the Executive Director for Academic Enrichment and Outreach.

Cheri has successfully received federal grants totaling over 1.2 million per grant for 3-5 years of funding. Offering services to write foundation and state agency grants, strategic planning for nonprofit and business/ministry, program development and program evaluation, grant review and grants management services.

Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, from Wittenberg University, Master of Science in Higher Education Administration from Miami University, and Doctor of Education in Educational Foundations from the University Cincinnati. She is also a member of the Grant Professional Association. Dr. Westmoreland is married to Kim Westmoreland and has an adult married son and two beautiful granddaughters.

Contact with Dr. Cheri Westmoreland

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://spiritexcel.org

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Warmly,

Holly Rustick

Coaches new and experienced grant writers to earn high 5-6 figure incomes writing grants from home!

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