About us:

GRANT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES (GDS)

GDS is North America’s premier grant writing and research service. Your GDS team of expert writers and researchers will:

• Identify the best foundation prospects from across North America most likely to fund your organization
• Create a professionally researched and written Case for Support
• Create a compelling Letter of Inquiry template
• Create a persuasive Proposal template

In addition, your GDS team can provide professional writing services to support your

• annual campaign
• capital campaign
• major gifts program
• special appeal
• direct mail campaign
• sponsorship campaign
• special event

As a division of Metasoft Systems, providers of Big Online ® and Foundation Search ®,   GDS assists hundreds of charities, non-profits, schools and health care facilities across North America to achieve their fundraising goals. GDS provides a low cost ‘virtual’ consulting service that allows charitable organizations to access expertise they otherwise could not afford. Its association with Metasoft Systems ensures that GDS is intimately familiar with the world of foundation funding, and our team are among those establishing the “best practices” in the sector.

For more information about how GDS can help your organization meet or exceed your fundraising goals, contact your team of GDS experts at: gds@foundationsearch.com or call toll free: 1 888 638 2763; or local: 604 683 6711.

Contact Us:

Metasoft Systems
Suite #300-353 Water Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6B 1B8

Toll free: 1 888 638 2763
Local: 604 683 6711
Fax: 604 683 6704
Email: gds@foundationsearch.com

Bill Barratt, Senior Manager GDS: BBarratt@foundationsearch.com

Stephen Muir, Associate Consultant: SMuir@foundationshearch.com

Morgan Trerise, Associate Consultant: MTrerise@foundationsearch.com

Susan Fox, Senior Contract Consultant: Susan-Fox@pacbell.net

Our Team:

Bill Barratt, Senior Manager GDS
With decades of experience in the non-profit industry, Bill Barratt has a significant understanding of the inherent responsibilities and challenges associated with the 'giving' side of the fundraising equation - including considerable expertise in all aspects of fiscal & governance management.

After graduating from the London School of Economics, Bill worked in increasingly senior positions within the financial services industry in Canada, USA and Europe including assignments with the head offices of the Bank of Canada, the Royal Trust Company, Wood Gundy (Canada), and with Kleinwort Benson (London).
 
As a consultant, Bill spent 25 years as Senior Manager and Advisor to a broad range of private, public, aboriginal and non-profit organizations in North America and South East Asia. For six of these years, he was Senior Advisor and Board Member of Nanawa Trust, a private investment trust and international philanthropic foundation with assets in excess of $400 million.  

Stephen Muir, Associate Consultant
Stephen is an experienced, mission-based fund development professional with expertise in annual giving, major gift, legacy gift and capital campaigns. His fundraising skills include group facilitation, strategic planning and capital campaigns. An interest in research and writing led Stephen to an early career in free-lance journalism as writer and editor of a number of regional and national publications. In addition, he is a published author of children’s books.

Stephen received his Master of Divinity degree from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from McGill University.

Morgan Trerise, Associate Consultant
Morgan is one of Metasoft's most experienced and efficient prospect researchers.  Her knowledge of both FoundationSearch and BIGOnline databases and alternative internet sources ensures prospect research tasks are accomplished in a very timely but comprehensive manner.

Her work for many GDS clients has resulted in an acute awareness of the challenges faced by the non-profit sector, and fueled her drive to assist these organizations in reaching their fundraising goals. Prior to Metasoft Systems, Inc, Morgan received a Bachelor of Arts (Anthropology) at the University of Victoria.

Susan Fox (EdD), Senior Contract Consultant
In addition to an undergraduate degree in Vocational Training and an MA in Economic Development from California State University at Long Beach, Dr. Fox has an earned doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University. With over 25 years of leadership experience for California-based organizations, Dr. Fox has been the recipient of numerous national awards for grant-funded strategic plans and operational strategies, and has been the author of successful state, federal, corporate and private foundation funding initiatives totaling over $38 million.

Most recently, Dr. Fox was the dean level Executive Director of Contract Education at East Los Angeles College with grant funding awards of over $5 million annually. Prior to being an educational administrator, Dr. Fox was the Founder and CEO of a successful 118-store chain of retail stores in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

She is currently the President of a well-known Los Angeles consulting corporation which is in contractual collaboration with GDS on behalf of highly specialized West Coast GDS clients.

Tom Balke, Associate Consultant
Tom Balke has more than 20 years experience working with non-profit and charitable organizations as a senior manager, administrator and fundraising professional. He is a former Vice-President of External Relations for Regent College, an affiliate Christian education program at the University of British Columbia.

Prior to his work with GDS, Balke was the Divisional Director (Atlantic Region) for the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, where he authored a landmark White Paper on the future of Christian colleges and universities in Canada. In addition to this work, Balke was Manager of the Central Canada region for Operation Eyesight and an Information Officer for the International Council for Adult Education.

Paula Moloff, Contract Consultant
Highly skilled in preparing grant applications at private and public levels, Paula has monitored all awarded projects to successful completion in her decades within the non-profit sector.  She is an experienced teacher, mentor and workshop presenter that maintains excellent working relationships with donors, prospects and peers.

Prior to joining Metasoft, Moloff was a Senior Partner at an Arizona based consulting firm for 25 years with clients ranging from research corporations to tribal governments, and she spent 15 years as the City of Glendale Grants Administrator with a wide spectrum of projects and a funding success rate of 90-95%.  She was also a Senior Health Care Executive for a significant period, which has resulted in her thorough understanding of the health care industry.  Well educated and greatly respected within the fundraising community, Paula is a dedicated fundraising professional

Kathie Bell, Contract Consultant
With over two decades of experience working with and for boards of charitable organizations, Kathie is an authority of board development and organizational leadership.  Her knowledge of foundation management and philanthropy combined with her extensive experience with the granting process have resulted in a thorough understanding of the importance of presenting a compelling case for support that is grounded in sound research and outlines an effective strategy with achievable objectives and measurable outcomes.

Prior to joining Metasoft, Kathie was the Director of Programs for the Edmonton Community Foundation and Manager of Named Funds for the VanCity Community Foundation.  With a degree in psychology, Kathie brings a passion for social justice and community partnerships that is an asset to every project.

The GDS advantage
The strength of GDS lies in its grant research and writing services. GDS research staff are experts in the use of BigOnline® and FoundationSearch®, and know how to get quality results fast. GDS grant writers create professional fund raising documents that are guaranteed to get results. GDS frees up your program and fund raising staff from time consuming tasks such as research and grant writing to allow you and your staff to focus on program delivery and building relationships with donors.

CLIENTS

GDS serves clients from every sector of the North American philanthropic marketplace, including:

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