Rebecca Brodka has over 30 years of experience writing and managing grants in the nonprofit and small business sectors and has been a Certified Grants Specialist (CGS) since 2000. But as a life-long learner, she has also earned credentials in a number of fields that contribute to her career as a fundraiser. After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology, she completed two graduate programs: (1) Urban Studies with a concentration in Law and Public Policy and (2) English/Literature.

While doing her graduate work in English, Beck honed her writing and learned more in-depth research skills that have been very helpful to her as a grant writer. But it was while she was in her Urban Studies program that her career in fundraising began:

“I was in graduate school and I was applying for internships. I received a grant writing internship at the housing authority in Cleveland, which is one of the largest housing authorities in the country. As an intern, I wrote a state grant and it was fully awarded. The housing authority hired me on to administer the grant and write other state and federal grants. And that was the beginning of my grant writing career!”

Since that time, Beck’s career successes have continued in diverse areas such as drug elimination, health, low-income housing, disability housing, K-12 education improvement, and a plethora of social service programs. She has written over 100 proposals in these various sectors that have been awarded a combined $20,510,000.

Working as a freelance grant writer is a great career for someone who loves learning and Beck appreciates how her work with each client teaches her about different sectors. She is inspired by the many ways that people approach and solve problems to improve their communities, and thinks of her clients as heroes.