Hanna Portillo

Hanna Portillo serves as Grant Director at AbilityFirst, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving people with disabilities. She has spent seven years in the nonprofit sector, with the past three years overseeing more than one million dollars in grant revenue as a department of one. Her educational background is in teaching, though she ultimately pursued work that allowed her to connect directly with people after initially stepping into the for-profit space writing educational content. Portillo began her tenure at AbilityFirst as a case manager, gaining a ground-level understanding of the organization's programs and the families it serves. This experience positioned her well when a former supervisor recommended her for the grant writer role upon the incumbent's retirement. With no prior experience in grants, she pursued every available free course and successfully transitioned into the position. In her role, Portillo focuses on raising funds from corporations, foundations, and government sources while building relationships and fostering collaboration across departments. She takes pride in having tripled grant revenue within her first two years while working from home and raising young children. Outside of her professional responsibilities, Portillo directs children's programs at her church, where she oversees programming for over 100 youth and leads a volunteer team of more than 30. She is committed to bridging the gap between organizational leadership and frontline staff to ensure shared understanding and stronger outcomes across the nonprofit.