Lauren Steiner’s Grants Plus has helped secure more than $120 million in funding for nonprofit organizations since its launch in 2007. She earned Outstanding Fundraising Professional honors in 2017 from the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Greater Cleveland, among other awards.
“When Lauren first started, she was a trailblazer who used innovative approaches to match a scientific solution to a relationship-driven business. Not content to build a business providing a new type of service, Lauren also has been driven to create a company that provides others with the same opportunities to reach far beyond the crowd. I’ve been amazed by the way Grants Plus has constantly been at the forefront with new tools and techniques that continue to keep it in the leadership position within the community,” said Frances Post, principal at the OgdenPost Consulting Group LLC.
Steiner didn’t create Grants Plus just to help nonprofits. Having witnessed the way women colleagues struggled against gender imbalances, she determined to develop better career options for herself and other women. Most of her staff of more than 20 are women. She also prioritized workplace practices to support staff members and help them reach their potential while maintaining priorities in their personal lives.
As a result, Grants Plus, a member of the Giving Institute, earned the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award from the American Psychological Association in 2016. The company offers work-from-home options, flexible scheduling, wellness initiatives and an ability to give back through the Grants Plus giving fund at the Cleveland Foundation.