About Giant Squid Group
Welcome to Giant Squid Group. We’re doing things a little differently around here. And we’re glad to have you.
Giant Squid Group is a social impact consulting agency that works with start-up and small nonprofits to help them build their fundraising and leadership capacity. We do this through an intersectional feminist and antiracist lens. We’re moms and millennials who believe the nonprofit sector can change the world - but might need some help along the way.
All of our work is rooted in our core values of integrity, inclusivity, and creativity. We unequivocally believe DEI must be more than a buzzword in our sector, and that we must be part of creating transformational change that affirms, celebrates, supports, and includes all identities.
Everything we do - from the projects we take on, to how we work as a team - is grounded in social justice and equity, and as a company we are committed to antiracist and community-centered learning. We use our privilege to promote equity. We must be part of acknowledging and dismantling harmful systems, and recognize this is a challenging, ongoing, and iterative journey, and that while we will make errors, that failure is part of learning.
One way we bring equity into our work is through our Pay What You Want pricing model. Not all nonprofits have the same resources, so we don’t want everyone to pay the same price. We want all nonprofits to have access to fundraising practices that help them build stronger communities; center marginalized voices, and work towards transformative change. Our Pay What You Want fee structure ensures we can offer quality programs and invest in our team, while also committing to economic justice.
We often hear “I don’t know what I don’t know” and we’re here to learn with you. Most of our nonprofit partners come to us with an immediate fundraising need, and end up staying for years. We can’t wait for you to join us.
Our History(in the words of our founder)
I'm Catherine, the founder of Giant Squid Group, and I love asking people for money.
Stay with me - I've been fundraising since right out of college when I started working at a private school helping with alumni relations. I wrote an appeal letter and I was hooked - I caught the fundraising bug , finding joy in telling the story of a dynamic school with a great mission!
Since I started fundraising I've raised millions of dollars through writing grants, creating corporate sponsorship programs, planning events, writing solicitation letters, and making face-to-face major donor asks. I still love fundraising but over the last 5 years I also learned that I love helping other people learn about fundraising, too.
While I was fundraising by day, I started freelancing by night, helping small organizations raise money through grant writing, crowdfunding, and more. I saw a common theme: many start-up organizations needed a fundraising road map, and they didn't know where to find it. After dozens of conversations with great organizations who were hitting a rock when it came to raising the funds they need, I launched Giant Squid Group to help folks in the nonprofit world find the fundraising help they needed.
Today, Giant Squid Group serves nonprofits of all sizes, offering no-nonsense management training on fundraising best practices, resources, and more. And, if you're wondering where the name Giant Squid Group came from, that's what happens when you get three writers together at a dive bar and start brainstorming.
Happy Fundraising!
Catherine
P.S. Questions? Get in touch and we’ll find some time to chat!
The Giant Squid Group Team
Catherine Ashton, Founder & CEO
Catherine Ashton (she/her) is on a mission to change the way nonprofits fundraise, lead, and work. As the founder of Giant Squid Group LLC, Catherine works with nonprofits through an intersectional feminist and anti-racist lens to help them move grassroots organizing toward systems level change. With Catherine’s support, her clients build strong, resilient, and effective fundraising programs, secure millions of dollars in funding, and are able to work more effectively towards their mission.
Catherine is dedicated to promoting inclusivity and equity in the nonprofit sector and has been a raging feminist from a young age. In her “outside of work” she co-runs a queer community makerspace, rides her rescue horse, and spends time with her kids, spouse, and dogs. You can find Catherine at linkedin.com/in/catherinebashton and learn about her nonprofit work at giantsquidgroup.com.
Rachel Lurie, Grant Writing Consultant
Rachel Lurie is a versatile fundraising professional with over a decade of experience developing effective strategies, crafting persuasive proposals, and building meaningful relationships that drive organizational impact. Her passion is to help cutting-edge nonprofits, scholars, and artists put forth their strongest case for support to corporate and foundation audiences. Rachel has worked in a variety of nonprofit settings, from community-based and citywide organizations to an R1 public university. She has secured millions of dollars in grant funding for youth development programs, arts and cultural projects, and workforce development initiatives. She has also supported scientists and scholars in developing winning proposals for their research. Rachel holds an M.A. in Humanities from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in English and Philosophy from Kalamazoo College
Devon Spencer, Grant Writing Consultant
Devon Spencer is a professional grant writer and non-profit program manager with 15 years experience in leadership and development roles. She enjoys working closely with inspiring individuals who have a mission-driven commitment to making the world a better place. Having worked in both program services and resource development, Devon brings a love of data-driven decision making, honest communication, and hard-core accountability to her role at Giant Squid Group. She lives in ATX with her family.
Cristina Garza, Grant Writing Consultant
Cristina Garza (she/her) helps progressive nonprofits raise the funds necessary to support and grow their missions. Prior to becoming a consultant, she was the Executive Director at AVANCE-Austin, leading the organization to double in size and achieve financial sustainability. Prior to that, she served as Director of Social Impact for the Mission Economic Development Corporation where she curated and led all education, arts, and entrepreneurship initiatives for this EDC. Before her career in economic development, Cristina worked in museum education and outreach in New York City working in institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Historical Society, and the Brooklyn Museum. She holds a BA from New York University, an MA from Syracuse University. She is originally from Mexico and now lives in Austin with her two cats.
Lillian Ma, Grant Writing Consultant
Lillian is a dynamic fundraising leader with 10 years of experience in grant writing, fostering strategic relationships, and streamlining development operations and systems. She has most recently served as Development Manager at GRID Alternatives Greater Los Angeles, a national nonprofit organization that connects marginalized communities to renewable energy through no-cost solar installations and workforce development. Lillian has managed and supported development operations and grant writing for several organizations spanning community and youth development, social justice, equity and access in education, workforce development, tech, sustainability, and arts and culture. She also has spent time in Fiji as a Peace Corps volunteer on a community health empowerment project where she worked closely with local youth and nurses to develop and implement culturally sensitive reproductive and sexual health education. Lillian holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from New York University.
Lindsy Carter, Grant Writing Consultant
Lindsy Carter brings over twenty years of non-profit development, communications and operations experience to her consulting partners. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Lindsy has a soft spot for grassroots, neighbor-led movements and her organizing background includes tenant rights, state violence, and decarceration. Through an abolitionist framework, she works towards a world where everyone has what they need to thrive, and has a keen awareness of centering those with lived experience. Lindsy loves wandering the streets of new cities, paddle boarding, and good tattoos and is probably outside right now.
Kristina Watson, Grant Writing Consultant
Kristina Watson (she/they) is a seasoned nonprofit fundraiser with nearly two decades of experience advancing social impact through philanthropy. She’s spent her career helping mission-driven organizations turn visionary ideas into impactful partnerships, especially in the areas of environmental conservation, social justice, and human rights. With deep expertise in fundraising strategy, foundation and corporate relations, grants management, and donor stewardship, Kristina has helped organizations from the Bay Area to Washington DC secure millions of dollars in transformational funding.
Her approach is grounded in the belief that fundraising is both a discipline and a human connection—one that requires persistence, grace, creativity, and the occasional deep breath while fixing tea in the kitchen and staring into the middle distance. She lives in Durham, NC, and when she’s not working, she’s on the move: chasing her kids, being pulled by her extremely strong 20 pound dog, and attempting mindfulness (with mixed results).
Natalie Menke, Grant Writing Consultant
Natalie, a corporate ladder-climbing survivor turned freelance grant writer, spent over a decade weaving technical jargon into compelling narratives as a proposal writer for engineering firms. She excelled in the demanding, fast-paced world of multi-million dollar project deadlines, but – it turns out – infrastructure engineering did not light her up. (It’s hard to believe, right?) Despite her success, Natalie craved something more fulfilling.
Now, Natalie uses her storytelling skills to help human services nonprofits make a difference in the lives of children and families. She writes to fund preschool programs for at-risk and neurodivergent kids and secures grants for families facing food insecurity. For Natalie, grant writing isn't just a job; it's a calling, and she's proud to show her kids that everyone has the power to make a difference.