Hello, I’m Bess, creator of the Collaborating with Strangers (CoLAB) Workshops and Collaborative Grantseeking Strategies with decades of experience in nonprofits, academic libraries, and higher education.
Our associates offer insider guidance to pioneering grantseekers and research/project development professionals through authored books, workshops, consulting, and mentoring. We invite you to explore our site, check out our expanding resources, and contact us about services and costs.
Collaborative Grantseeking
What strategies contribute to submitting fundable and competitive grant proposals?
CoLAB Workshops
How do CoLAB Workshops quickly expose hidden assets for initializing creative partnerships?
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MENTORING
COLLABORATING WITH STRANGERS WORKSHOPS
CoLAB IDEA TABLES
Collaborative Grantseeking Clients
Books by Bess
Collaboration Development Workshop Clients
Blog Articles
The Elephant in the Room: Adapting to Reductions in Federal Grant Funding
In March 2025, we worked with a client to submit a grant proposal to a federal funding agency. This proposal was over a year in the making. It began with submission of a two-page proposal summary in July 2024, which was approved for submission of a full proposal. The...
NC State Uses CoLAB Workshops to Inspire Interdisciplinary Research Grants
Caption for feature image (above) Idea Table Café participants and their specific ideas.In October 2023, North Carolina State University’s College of Education faculty and administrators engaged in a series of Collaborating with Strangers (CoLAB) Workshops. Their goal...
The Harmful Misplaced Concerns Over Sharing Grant Proposals—Especially for Libraries and Museums
While working at the University of Florida (UF) Libraries from 2009 to 2022, I authored and co-authored hundreds of grant applications for submission to local, regional, national, and international sponsors. During that time, all these proposals were shared in, the UF...