EMILY GREENWALD JOHNSON

Ms. Greenwald Johnson is a skilled independent consultant specializing in strategic grant services. With a proven track record of securing foundation and government grants, her expertise extends beyond grant writing to include exceptional analytical and organizational skills. Ms. Greenwald Johnson is known for her ability to develop strong funding strategies and analyze outcomes data for trends and information that lead to robust and compelling proposals. Her extensive experience covers various health and human services, particularly early childhood development/education, mental health/illness, K-12 achievement gaps, youth development, and workforce growth. As founder and principal of Tikkun Grant Advancement, Ms. Greenwald Johnson seeks to advise clients on all aspects of grant-seeking through a strategic lens that addresses the complexities and uniqueness of each agency’s work and goals.

Tikkun Grants Advancement

Initially founded as a freelance business in 2016, Ms. Greenwald Johnson changed the focus of Tikkun Grant Advancement in 2021 to a specialized consultancy and social enterprise. Tikkun Grant Advancement now works to increase diversity in the grantwriting field while raising funds for like-minded agencies. Her firm mentors up-and-coming writers from BIPOC communities, writers who speak from lived experience as they channel their passions to increase funding for Tikkun’s clients.

Freelance Contributions

In addition to working with numerous clients, Ms. Greenwald Johnson held two primary roles as a freelancer: Grants Manager at Cookie Cart for three and a half years and Interim Grants Manager at the Northside Achievement Zone for two years.

Ms. Greenwald Johnson’s responsibilities at Cookie Cart included crafting proposals, managing the grant writing and reporting schedules, supporting budgeting and planning, and internal financial reporting. During the pandemic, she worked closely with leadership and program staff to adapt grant narrative to continuously evolving program dynamics. She secured $315,000 in CARES Act funds, mitigating revenue loss due to a plunge in cookies sales during social distancing mandates, and was instrumental in steering the agency to a PPP loan before it was a widely known option within the nonprofit sector.

Ms. Greenwald Johnson raised over $2 million annually at the Northside Achievement Zone through her strength in writing about complex issues such as racial equity, multigenerational poverty, place-based disparities, data-driven improvement, collective impact, and the two-generation approach. She developed comprehensive annual grant plans, offering insights into strategy, cultivation, and stewardship, and worked with staff to support implementation and the achievement of grant goals and requirements.

Staff Contributions

Ms. Greenwald Johnon worked at the multi-purpose human services agency, Lifetrack, as a Grants and Reporting Manager from January 2015 to December 2016, and a Grant Writer from 2012 to 2015. Managing a $4.4 million portfolio of grants and government contracts, she increased revenue giving by 17% in her first year in the manager role. Ms. Greenwald Johnson coordinated staff and contractors, overseeing a schedule of over 100 proposals. Beyond grant management, she participated in program development, collaborating with senior staff to devise innovative logic models. Her role included aggregating and analyzing agency outcomes and demographics.

Education

Ms. Greenwald Johnson earned a Bachelor of Science in Urban Studies from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, providing insights into urban challenges that shape her professional pursuits. She focused on metropolitan issues with an eye toward the racial and economic impacts of public policy and investment.