Lynn Calder (Principal) has 28 years of experience in development and communications working with a variety of nonprofits. She became a consultant after serving as Assistant Director, Foundation Relations at Winterthur Museum and Country Estate. Prior to moving to Delaware, she held positions as Director of Communications, North America at the American University of Beirut’s New York Office and Assistant Director of Communications at the American University in Cairo. Her focus areas include grant writing, grants research, foundation cultivation, and development writing. Lynn is passionate about helping nonprofits convey their institutional mission and achieve their goals through strong development grant writing.

Since co-founding Shoestring in 2013, Lynn has aided over 50 nonprofits with development planning, grants strategy and execution. Lynn and Ellisha were also consulted and quoted extensively as development planning experts in the Winter 2017 issue of Successful Fundraising. An active volunteer, she is on the Board of Directors of St. Mary Magdalen School in Wilmington, DE and serves on the Executive Committee as Secretary and is on its Development Committee. She is also a member of the St. Mary Magdalen Parish Council and chairs the Finance Committee. Lynn earned an MA in Middle Eastern and North African Studies from the University of Michigan and graduated from Drexel University with a BS in History-Politics.

Ellisha Caplan (Principal) gained her grounding in development writing, strategy and foundation cultivation from many years of experience working in nonprofits. Before co-founding Shoestring Solutions in 2013, she held the positions of Director of Young Leadership, Annual Campaign Director, Associate Director for Planning and Community Outreach, and Director of Young Adult and Women’s Divisions at Jewish Federations in Wilmington, Delaware, Durham, North Carolina and Ann Arbor, Michigan.

In her capacity as a consultant, Ellisha has worked with scores of local and regional nonprofit organizations to meet their goals. In 2020, Ellisha and Lynn were among a select team of grant writers chosen to work on the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement’s Technical Assistance team for the Delaware Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Grants.

Ellisha is a founding board member of Friends of the Sommerschule Wust, and a Delaware Community Foundation Fund for Women Founder. She has served on the Boards of Directors of several local nonprofits, including the Delmarva Chapter of the Grant Professionals Association. She currently sits on the editorial committee of Jewish Living Delaware magazine, and the Board of Directors of the Cab Calloway School Fund. Ellisha holds an MA in Jewish Communal Service from Gratz College, with certificates in Non-Profit Management and Jewish Education, and earned a BS in Family and Child Development at Virginia Tech.

Kate Burris (Grants Manager) comes to nonprofit consulting after a career in corporate recruiting and in college admissions, advising, and fundraising. Each of her roles has allowed her to get a full picture and understanding of how to market yourself to organizations and companies. She has worked for Capital One, Tufts University, Union College, University of Richmond, Middlesex School, and Teach for America. Throughout Kate’s career there is a common thread, which is that she loves connecting people and organizations with their passions. She brings this same passion to grant writing, seeking the best strategy to match our clients’ needs and passions with available grant funding opportunities. Among successful requests authored by Kate are proposals to the Delaware Division of the Arts, The Foundation for Enhancing Communities, Stabler Foundation, Crystal Trust, Welfare Foundation and many others. She is a member of the Board of Trustees at Christ Church Episcopal Pre-school. Kate holds a BA in Government from St. Lawrence University and MA in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

Corinne Belch (Grants Manager) has fifteen years’ experience in the nonprofit industry and has spent the last decade in positions focusing specifically on fundraising and grant writing. In her previous work at both arts and environmental nonprofits, Corinne has seen firsthand how critical grant funding is to continuing and growing programs. She has written successful requests to foundations of various sizes, as well as federal and state agencies, including the National Endowment for the Arts. Corinne creates persuasive grant proposals by bringing together her passion for writing with her dedication to helping nonprofits achieve their goals. She holds a B.A. in Art History from Hollins University in Virginia, and currently resides in coastal North Carolina.

Dana Stein (Grant writer) has been exclusively grant writing since 2005, following the completion of a Master’s in Public Administration from George Washington University. Based in Baltimore, MD, after working for nonprofits for many years, Dana understands the importance of consistent funding to support critical programs. She has a broad range of grant writing experience and particularly specializes in finding and securing funding for social services, environmental education, health care, domestic violence response, and Jewish organizations. She has been successful in writing grants for both state and federal agencies as well as private foundations.

Lukas Schroeder (Grant writer) has spent over a decade mobilizing resources for nonprofits with missions in the arts, education, social services, and community development. Since 2020 and the normalization of remote work, he has been proud to support the development and capacity-building of nonprofits across the nation.

Lukas earned a Leadership Certificate in Arts Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in addition to a Bachelor of Arts in Public and Nonprofit Administration and a Bachelor of Music from Grand Valley State University. Raised in Iowa and Michigan, Lukas is a staunch advocate for the Midwest and its cultural offerings. Outside of work, you can find him gigging with his polka quartet or traveling with his family.

Niko Schroeder ‘s (Grant writer) collaborative spirit is reflected in his work as an arts administrator, educator, bandleader, music engraver, audio engineer, and creative artist. He has previously held positions with several public and nonprofit organizations including the Mizzou New Music Initiative, the Columbia Civic Orchestra, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia. He studied nonprofit administration, music composition, and music performance at Grand Valley State University, the University of Missouri, Columbia, and the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. Niko is a composer and performer of experimental music, and when he’s not crafting extraordinarily persuasive grant applications, he’s probably playing the euphonium or making peculiar art videos.

Mitch Sherven (Grant writer) has several years of experience conducting in-depth research, editing, and writing digital media. Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Canada, Mitch first honed his skills at the University of Regina, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in History. He then worked as a Teaching Assistant, helping undergraduate students improve their academic research and writing skills. 

After university, Mitch began grant writing for local charities, non-profits, and artists alongside his brother Dan. Since then, he has expanded his work across Canada and into the United States. In addition to his grant writing work, Mitch is a freelance writer and editor. He has published several essays on Canadian history and religion, which will be a part of his upcoming book. Mitch is passionate about helping others find their voice through writing, and contributing to organizations which drive positive change.

Melly Morris (Grant Writer) is a strategic communicator and passionate advocate for impact-driven innovation. At MIMOSA Diagnostics, a Canadian medtech startup, she wove together her expertise in storytelling and operations to craft grant proposals that not only unlocked funding but captured the heart of the company’s mission. Her work helped propel medtech advancements aimed at improving health outcomes, especially in communities that often get left behind. With a deep belief in equitable access and real-world solutions, Melly thrives at the intersection of people, purpose, and possibility. 

Vera Martinoska (Project Manager) is a certified Nonprofit Virtual Assistant for The More Than Giving Co. For over 15 years, she has worked in the nonprofit sector, primarily on defending refugees’ and children’s rights and BIPOC rights in different capacities. Vera holds an LLB in Law, and her professional interests include international law, human rights, and organizational development. Several years ago, she started working remotely as a grant writer and data evaluation associate for a nonprofit in Massachusetts. Since then, she has been serving as a grant researcher and writer for several organizations from different states, in addition to working with The More Than Giving Co. Vera lives in Natick, Massachusetts with her husband and two sons. She enjoys spending time with my family, playing board games, cooking, doing yoga, and reading.