MISSION AND VALUES
​The Grant Advantage provides a stress-free, expert-driven process of identifying and preparing grant funding proposals for nonprofit organizations, education institutions, and government entities. Specializing in critical areas such as poverty, housing, mental health, substance use, education, and workforce development, we empower nonprofit organizations to enhance their impact and foster healthier communities. Our streamlined grant-writing and training services enable organizations to focus on their missions while we develop high-quality proposals that drive meaningful change and promote sustainable community growth.
The mission of The Grant Advantage is to help organizations unleash their strengths to embrace tomorrow's opportunities.​
We value...
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Strength-Based Approaches
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Engaging and Persuasive Storytelling
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Collaborative Relationships
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Dependability and Trustworthiness
Beverly “Nicki” Bentley-Colthart, MSW, Consultant and Owner of The Grant Advantage, is an experienced grant writer with nearly 30 years of researching, drafting, and submitting winning proposals to local, state, and Federal sources. Nicki has guided nonprofits, higher education institutions, and state and local governments in securing $50 million dollars in grant funding since 2020.
Ms. Bentley-Colthart holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in social work from West Virginia University. She has honed her grant writing skills over the years as a social worker employed in various West Virginia social/human services agencies and as a grant administrator for two institutions of higher education (West Virginia State University and West Virginia Wesleyan College). She has developed and delivered training workshops on grant writing basics, partnership development, budget planning, program evaluation, as well as served as an adjunct instructor at West Virginia Wesleyan College – teaching courses on grant writing and nonprofit management at the undergraduate and graduate level.
Nicki has practical experience as a grant writer and program director managing grant awarded projects which allows her to prepare proposals and training with a sensitivity to the needs of an organization’s staff to manage, implement, assess and report on grant activities after the award is made.
Jaime Chaffin has been working with nonprofits to develop programs, build capacity, and raise funding since 2014. She specializes in developing winning grant proposals in the areas of substance abuse disorder treatment, recovery, and prevention; education; public health; recreation; youth services; and other social services. Jaime helps nonprofits find the best aligned funders for their project and maps out fundraising calendars with the fine detail required for foundation and corporate grant proposals. In her eight years at The Grant Advantage, she has developed many federal and state proposals to support our clients’ high-impact programs.
Jaime has a deep affinity for research. She is also experienced in grant award management, board engagement, assessment and evaluation, and communications and public relations.