The Team

Heather Stevenson, partner

Heather Stevenson has been working in the non-profit sector doing grant writing and fundraising since 1992. She was the development director at Community Environmental Council and Pacific Pride Foundation, and has done grant writing for over 20 organizations. Since 2004 she has been focusing her expertise on health and social services, the arts, and social justice, working for such organizations as Transition House, Pacific Pride Foundation, Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, Boxtales Theatre Company, Lobero Theatre, Museum of Contemporary Art, and Casa Serena. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Fund for Santa and Pacific Pride Foundation. She currently works as the grants manager for Hospice of Santa Barbara.

Michelle Howard, partner

Michelle Howard has been working in non-profit fundraising, organization development and advocacy since 1992,  with a seven year hiatus as an executive in the software industry.  In addition to leading The Write Team with Heather, her major campaigns include the Public Interest Research Groups, the Democratic National Committee and development work with Wilderness Youth Project. Michelle is an optimizer and a systems-thinker, and particularly enjoys working with organizations to build capacity.

Kelsey Maloney, Junior Partner

Kelsey moved to Santa Barbara from Manhattan Beach, CA to study Global and International Studies at UCSB. She discovered her love of grant writing when she interned as a grant writer for a nonprofit in Chile (Un Techo Para Mi Pais). After graduating, Kelsey joined the development department at Vitamin Angels for several years. She was thrilled to join The Write Team in 2014 and enjoys working with local nonprofit organizations. Kelsey is passionate about sustainability and spending time in the ocean.

Rita Kovtun, Grant Writer

Rita has worked in various areas of the nonprofit sector, from communications/marketing, to multimedia, to grant writing, since 2011. Rita is passionate about crafting stories that shift perspectives, foster understanding, and center on our shared human experience. She holds a B.A. in Communications & Journalism and Justice & Peace Studies from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. Rita is grateful to be a part of The Write Team, knowing that her work makes a tangible difference in the lives of others.

Christina Ferguson, Grant Writer

Christina graduated from UCSB in 2018 with a B.A. in linguistics, and a minor in education. She has been working in the nonprofit sector in communications and fundraising ever since. She is grateful for the opportunity to meaningfully contribute to organizations doing important work in the community through grant writing. In her free time, Christina enjoys traveling, spending time in nature, and volunteering to support youth and the environment.