Translate
Technical Assistance
Best Starts for Kids strives to partner with organizations that serve, and are led by, their own communities. We recognize that many community-based organizations historically and continue to experience linguistic, cultural, and procedural barriers to accessing funding opportunities from government agencies such as King County. To address this and create a stronger system of community-based organizations in King County, Best Starts for Kids partners with skilled technical assistance providers to help organizations apply to funding opportunities.
Interested in Best Starts for Kids capacity building? Learn more here.
Who are the Technical Assistance consultants?
Best Starts Technical Assistance consultants can offer all interested applicants culturally responsive assistance on proposal development and responses to RFP opportunities. Best Starts partners with TA consultants who reflect the communities we support and collectively bring a range of skills, areas of expertise, and language abilities.
How can they provide support?
TA consultants can help applicants determine whether programs are an appropriate fit for Best Starts RFPs, support organizations as they navigate the proposal process, review drafts, refine budgets, and support applicants to authentically share their stories of success and impact.
I’m interested! How can I partner with a TA consultant?
- Please contact one of the consultants listed below – we ask that you only contact one consultant and provide them 24 hours to respond before contacting any other consultants.
- Include the RFP name you’re seeking assistance for in the subject line of your email.
- Please note, we encourage you to reach out to a TA Consultant as early as possible. We cannot guarantee TA provider availability within 5 business days of when the funding opportunity closes.
Meet the Best Starts Technical Assistance Consultants
Big Beard Media (BBM)’s strategists and problem-solvers can support with grant proposal development and technical writing. Rooted in cultural humility, lived experiences and inclusivity, we honor the unique practices and voices of the communities we serve. Our multilingual team speaks English, Somali, Arabic, and French, ensuring that our communication is accessible and equitable. We listen intentionally, collaborate closely, and co-create strategies that align with your mission and vision. We are committed to fostering innovation, adaptability, and community empowerment, equipping CBOs to grow, lead, and drive sustainable, lasting change.
Contact: mustafa@bigbeardstudio.com
Collaborative Partners Initiative (CPIN) is a woman-led, veteran-owned organization committed to turning ideas into action. Our team brings over 50 years of combined experience providing technical assistance and capacity-building support to diverse organizations. We specialize in grant writing support, grant management and grant accounting, strategic planning, & community outreach, always tailoring our services to meet each organization’s unique needs. With team members fluent in Somali, Swahili, Urdu, Spanish, and English, and support potentially available in other languages, CPIN works with organizations to strengthen their capacity and tell their stories in ways that resonate with funders and communities alike. CPIN values accessibility, cultural humility, and authentic relationship-building. We have partnered with 40+ organizations—many led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color—helping them secure resources, overcome barriers, and achieve sustainability in areas including homelessness, community health, workforce development, the arts, immigrant rights, and more.
Communities Rise fosters movements to build power in communities in Washington impacted by systemic oppression. Communities Rise provides technical assistance on grant applications for BSK funding opportunities. We can work directly with you to give feedback and editing advice on your draft proposal. Please note that we can assist at many stages in the process of brainstorming, development, editing, and polishing, but TA does not include writing your proposal. By valuing community voices, prioritizing racial equity, and sharing knowledge, we aim to build thriving communities. Communities Rise prioritizes providing TA to organizations that:
- Meet all eligibility requirements for the relevant RFP;
- Have an operating budget of $500,000 or less; some exceptions for those under $1M;
- Serve communities impacted by systemic oppression, which includes communities of color, immigrant and refugee communities, LGBTQ communities, persons with disabilities;
- Whose leadership (Leadership Staff and Board of Directors) reflect the communities they serve.
Contact: cbclinics@communities-rise.org
Crux is a multidisciplinary consulting group that supports the development of strong leaders and leadership. At the heart of all that we do is a deep commitment to principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. At Crux we use our skills in grant and technical writing to elevate your expertise and your organization to develop a winning proposal. We listen deeply to understand your organization's needs and values, and work with you to craft the clearest expression of that for each proposal. Crux is 20+ members, partners, and staff with rich experiences working with non-profits, grassroots organizations, and public institutions. Crux has decades of leadership experience in multiple sectors including health and human services, community action networks, early childhood education, among others. We work with communities of color in the areas of youth development, education, workforce development, community health, homelessness, food security and immigrant/refugee issues.
Contact: douglas@cruxnw.com
Dicentra Consulting’s team — Swee May Cripe, Ashenafi Cherkos, Carol Chin, and Jennifer Fricas — is delighted to support community-based organizations (CBOs), small businesses, and other organizations in applying for funding. Our team speaks Amharic, Cantonese, Korean, Malay, Spanish, and Tigrina. We have many years of experience writing proposals that get funded, designing projects, analyzing data, visualizing data, and conducting evaluations. We focus on building transformational relationships that are based on trust and respect. To promote social justice, we orient our work around community knowledge, experience, and values. We understand that every person has value, and we want to help you promote voices from your community. We will first listen to understand the vision and mission of your CBO or small business and what you hope to do with the funding received. Then we will agree together on how we can best support you to tell your story. We are excited to help you craft strong proposals that will be funded and lead to successful programs!
Inclusive Data is a consulting team of grant winners and tech wizards who support clients in creating community-led solutions. We’ve honed our grant skills into a $30+ million playbook for non-profits and small businesses in our community. We’re proud to mirror the communities we serve. For Best Starts, we provide both Technical Assistance and Capacity-Building in English, Spanish, Hiligaynon, and Tagalog. If you want help creating your own irresistible grant proposals, building the capacity of your team to create their own solutions, we are here to support you. Contact us today to start your winning proposal.
reimagine collectiveprovides tailored technical assistance to help organizations successfully apply for funding opportunities, leveraging over 20 years of experience working with community-based organizations across the county. We help demystify the funding process by helping organizations identify opportunities, align their goals with funding priorities, and craft compelling applications. We have supported organizations applying for Best Starts for Kids funding opportunities, as well as county, state and federal grants. Our approach is to help nonprofit leaders become more confident in the art and science of grant writing.
RHL Consulting provides free technical assistance to organizations applying for Best Starts for Kids (BSK). We understand that grant writing can be challenging and time-intensive, often requiring resources that may be limited or unavailable within your organization—yet it's crucial for organizational sustainability. Our technical assistance services include:
- Application Assessment - We help evaluate your organization's eligibility and ensure proposal alignment with funding requirements.
- Grant Navigation Support - Our team guides you through grant requirements and serves as a liaison between your organization and BSK project coordinators as needed.
- Comprehensive Review - We provide detailed feedback and editing support for all application components, including narrative question responses and budgets.
Our commitment is to help you tell your story authentically, in your own voice. our clients report feeling genuinely supported throughout the process while gaining valuable grant-writing skills that benefit them long-term.
Contact: rhlconsultingteam@gmail.com