Rona Walton

I started my career in accounting as an accounting specialist within hospitality, then moved on to procurement where I worked as a State of Texas purchaser for 10 years. After that decade, I transitioned into development and fundraising, which is where I've been for the last 10 years, with my current role since 2020. Now, as an entrepreneur launching out on my own, I focus on identifying nonprofit or for-profit organizations that are lacking in funding and whose sustainability is shaking. I research and prospect these organizations through platforms like LinkedIn, Candid, and Google searches, making sure nonprofits have their 501(c)(3) status and that businesses are willing to participate in accelerators or pitch competitions. My biggest responsibility is to close the deal and build trust with companies and nonprofits. I integrate their storytelling and watch the numbers, knowing it takes anywhere from 3 to 6 months to get a response from a grant. During that holding space, I work to create recurring donor activity for nonprofits and help businesses learn how to retain new customers. I'm not finding grants for Blue Cross Blue Shield yet, but I'm building relationships so people will say, 'Rona found me a grant' and trust me with their funding needs. I believe in cultivating relationships and finding the right words to get attention from foundations and grant makers who have never heard of these organizations before.