We’re proud to work with incredible for-purpose organisations across Australia and New Zealand.

But what makes us different?

We only work with you if we believe we can add value to your organisation and help you achieve your mission.

The Strategic Grants team is not just a group of consultants. We are a team of professionals, all of whom have a heart for the charitable sector and the multitude of causes that our charity partners exist to support. As such, all of our services are customised to ensure that a relevant and strategic approach is applied to your grant-seeking activity. 

Our people

We’re passionate about helping others fulfil their mission. Read more about how we came to be Team SG.

Alison Black

Grants Strategist

Alison has over 17 years of experience working across the for-purpose sector and education sectors.

Andrew Callaghan

Data & Evaluation Strategist

Andrew has over 10 years of experience in management and design of evaluations. He holds a BSc in Social Policy.

Andrew Thompson

GEMS & IT Manager

Andrew has over 25 years of experience working in management and IT roles. He holds a Bachelor of Mathematics (Computer Science).

Bianca Williams

Head of Client Services

Bianca has over 13 years of experience working in the for-purpose sector. She holds a Bachelor of Business (Marketing).

Chris Mills

Grants Strategist

Chris has over a decade's experience in the for-purpose sector and is a Certified Fundraising Executive. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Social Work and a Master of Public Policy.

Donna Smith

Finance & Administration Manager

Donna has over 30 years of experience working across many different sectors.

Emma Redgrove

Grants Strategist

Emma has over seven years of experience working in the public and for-purpose space across the UK and NZ, including consulting, government, charities and start-ups.

Erica Blaney

Grants Strategist

Erica has over 18 years of experience working in the for-purpose sector. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Health Promotion).

Gayle Richardson

Research Coordinator

Gayle has extensive experience working with local, state and national for-purpose organisations.

Geoff McRoberts

Business & Systems Analyst

Geoff has 20 years of experience in the web development and management roles. He holds a Bachelor of Multimedia Design.

Heather Monk

Grants Strategist

Heather has over 10 years of experience across philanthropy, partnerships and client service. She helps purpose-led teams strengthen funding strategy, capability and long-term sustainability.

Jayne Wasmuth

Customer Success & Business Development Manager

Jayne has over a decade of experience in successfully bridging the gap between for-purpose organisations and funding partners and is a seasoned development specialist.

Jean Dimanarig

Customer Relations Coordinator

Jean has over 10 years experience in account management and customer service in the hospitality and events industry.

Jo Garner

CEO/Founder

Jo is a professional fundraiser with more than 25 years of experience. She holds a BComm (Marketing & IT), and is a Fellow of the Fundraising Institute of Australia.

Karen Lawrie

GEMS Training & User Experience Manager

Karen has over 25 years of experience in the for-purpose sector.

Lauren Vertigan

Grants Strategist

Lauren has over 15 years of experience working across the for-purpose and education sectors. She holds a Graduate Certificate Business (Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies) and a Bachelor of Communications (Public Relations).

Lizzie Smith

Research Coordinator

Lizzie brings more than eight years' research experience working in the investment consulting industry with institutional, individual and for-purpose investors.

Michaela Chilcott

Grants Strategist

Michaela has over 10 years of experience in the for-purpose sector, working across multiple fundraising disciplines.

Mona McDonnell

Research Analyst and GEMS User Experience Coordinator

Mona has over a decade of experience in legal, regulatory and investigative roles, alongside grassroots community and pro bono work. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and International Relations.

Natalie Edwards

Head of Customer Success & Business Development NZ

Natalie has extensive experience across all fundraising streams and a strong understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand’s funding landscape.

Natalie Griffin

Operations and HR Manager

Natalie has over 20 years of experience in business development, process optimisation, and building high-performing teams across the financial services and for-purpose sectors.

Nathan Heinrich

Software Application Developer

Nathan has over 7 years of experience in the tech industry.

Ruth Button

Grants Strategist

Ruth has over 20 years of experience working with charities across New Zealand and the UK.

Zac Thompson

GEMS User Experience Coordinator

Zac has been part of the GEMS team for several years, working across research and now focusing on enhancing the user experience for our GEMS clients.

Our research team

The people power behind our Grants Expertise Management System (GEMS). Team Research put in over 90 hours of research a week, ensuring that our clients’ grants calendar remains customised, up to date and showing just the grants relevant to their organisation’s funding needs. Utilising numerous resources, the dedicated team monitor and update thousands of funder and grant records across our database, for Australian, New Zealand and international opportunities. In addition, our relationships and reputation with many funders sees Funders providing information direct to us, which we then provide to our clients through our grant records. The team monitors the full range of opportunities from philanthropic to government (local, regional, state, national) to tenders, private philanthropy and corporates.