Reaching new heights, together

Our Vision

Since our founding in 2007, we’ve been more than just a business. We are a mission-focused firm that aims to do good, for our clients, their constituents, and our communities, by:

• Raising over $350 million in partnership with our nonprofit clients, so they can fulfill their missions.
• Growing a charitable fund at The Cleveland Foundation so our team members can recommend grants to good causes.
• Strengthening and expanding our partnerships with other firms in The Giving Institute, a network of national consulting groups that embrace ethics, excellence, and leadership in advancing philanthropy.

And we are a values-driven workplace that supports the individual and collective well-being of our team by:

• Offering flexible schedules so our employees can do their best work when they work best, while still being available for meetings with clients and colleagues.
• Embracing fully-unplugged PTO, paid sabbaticals, and an agile remote work culture that supports a healthier work-life balance for our team.
• Investing in each staff member’s continuous growth and professional development.

Our Values

We are committed to activating our core company values in our partnerships with clients and our work within our team:

• Accountability: Own your actions. We own our actions as we collectively work towards excellence.
• Bravery: Courage over comfort. We seek opportunities to grow and build trust by not shying away from unfamiliar experiences.
• Adaptability: Learn and evolve. We adjust to emerging information, finding new ways to navigate change.
• Partnership: Earn it, grow it. We invest in relationships by building genuine connections through open, honest communication and mutual respect.

Our Founding Story

In 2007, Lauren Steiner founded Grants Plus to help nonprofits raise the grant funding they need to fulfill their missions and change the world. As her vision began coming true, Lauren knew her individual impact as a grants consultant could be exponentially greater. Year after year, she gathered professionals to join her team—mentoring, challenging, and empowering each of them to make a difference by bringing their grant seeking knowledge and expertise to the nonprofit leaders Grants Plus serves. Today, the impact of Lauren’s vision is felt by many hundreds of nonprofits, and countless communities, who have been strengthened by the funding our team has endeavored to secure.

Since founding Grants Plus, Lauren has been recognized with the Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Cleveland Chapter, and was featured as a Notable Women in Entrepreneurship by Crain’s Cleveland Business. Lauren leads a graduate-level course in philanthropy at the Mandel School of Applied Social Science at Case Western Reserve University.