About Our Leadership

Alexarae Deer (she/her), President

Alexarae Deer is an energetic grant consultant and nonprofit funding strategist with a passion for fueling community well-being. She holds a Bachelor’s in Health Science from the University of Florida and has gained years of professional and leadership experience from hands-on healthcare volunteering, administrative internships, and targeted grant-writing training courses.

As a grant consultant, she helps grant-seeking nonprofits research and apply for grants to fund their project goals and increase their impact. She founded her own grant consulting business, The Grant Pixie, where she specializes in helping nonprofits that aspire to support and uplift the underprivileged and underserved by creating new opportunities and reducing the barriers that deter access to vital resources and services (such as physical and mental healthcare, education, and food assistance). She believes in the inalienable right of all people, regardless of origin, income, or circumstance, to have access to economic advancement, stability, hope, peace, and the pursuit of happiness.

Alexarae is a proud member of the Grant Professionals Association and the Global Grant Writers Collective (a network of more than 600 professional grant writers with an unparalleled range of expertise and a combined $675 M+ in secured funding). She currently serves as the President of the Grant Professionals Association’s Colorado Chapter. She likes to spend her free time reading (...and re-reading) classic novels, such as her favorites ‘Les Misérables’ and ‘Pride and Prejudice’, and searching for the best local 'hole-in-the-wall restaurants' Colorado Springs has to offer.

With boundless energy and unwavering commitment, Alexarae empowers nonprofits to secure the funding needed to uplift communities and address pressing social issues—transforming vision into lasting impact.

Julie Paynotta (she/her), Vice President

Julie Paynotta is a Virginia native, born in Roanoke and educated at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Spending time on her great Aunt and Uncle’s farm in Craig County was a favorite pastime of childhood, with many hours spent trying to befriend wild Appaloosas and watching her aunt prepare food from what they grew and raised on site.

Summers spent walking dirt roads, swimming, fishing in SW Virginia creeks and rivers, and hiking in the Blue Ridge were foundational experiences that led to earning a degree in Environmental Science (UVA, 1988). Julie is a published author in environmental science research, working on atmospheric transport of pollutants and precipitation chemistry.

Fast-forward to today. Julie seeks grants for nonprofit organizations through her consulting practice, Piñon Grant Solutions, as they pursue their missions for social impact. She has completed graduate coursework toward the Master of Public Administration with a nonprofit focus at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs College of Public Service. In 2017, she earned a Grant Writing, Management, and Program Evaluation Certificate from the program.

Outside of her professional life, Julie finds joy in life's simple pleasures. Julie lives in Monument, Colorado, with her husband and two cats, quickly losing teenagers to adulthood. She enjoys live music, hiking the Rockies, pickleball, and spending time on dirt roads.

Holly Loff (she/her), Treasurer

Holly Loff launched her business, Sage Grant Writing & Consulting, in 2022 after over two decades of working in the nonprofit sector (most recently as the executive director of Eagle River Watershed Council). Holly earned her Bachelor of Science in resource conservation from the University of Montana, complemented by a professional grant writing certificate from the Grant Institute, a nonprofit management certificate from Duke University, and a Nonprofit Executive Leadership Program certificate from the El Pomar Foundation. She is also a graduate of the prestigious Colorado Water Leaders program. Holly works primarily within the environmental sector, namely with water quality/quantity and watershed/river health organizations and agencies, but she enjoys working with a diverse client base from other focus areas as well. Holly spends her time hiking, trail running, skiing, cycling, paddleboarding, and reading when she isn't working. She lives in Eagle County, Colorado, with her husband and two teenage kids.

Natalie Romano (she/her), Secretary

Natalie Romano (she/her) is the Grant Administrator for the Denver Public Library, where she secures funding to support a wide range of library services. She brings over 15 years of experience in libraries, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies. She began her career at DPL in 2010 and has served in multiple roles, including librarian and grant and resource development coordinator. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Denver and a certificate in nonprofit management from the University of Colorado Denver.

Outside of her role at the library, Natalie is actively involved in the professional community. She chaired the Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (CLEL) Conference and led national efforts to strengthen school-public library partnerships. She currently serves as board secretary and programs committee member for the Colorado Chapter of the Grant Professionals Association (COGPA). She lives in Wheat Ridge with her husband and dog, Penny, and enjoys trail running, reading, cooking, baking, and spending time in the mountains with her family.

Janet Axline (she/her), Immediate Past President

I earned a bachelor's degree in English with a Minor in Political Science from Colorado State University while working as an auditor and legal assistant and thinking about pursuing law. In the midst of this, I stumbled into a job as a foundation employee at a local hospital, where I learned the intricacies of a nonprofit organization, fundraising, and program/project management. This is where my passion for nonprofit began. Through the years I've worked in just about every nonprofit position there is, from database coordinator, program manager, volunteer coordinator, development officer, and executive director, to board president, and everything in between. In 2014, I decided to work independently and dedicated myself to the grants profession, allowing me to contribute to communities by helping nonprofits realize their goals.

All together I have over 30 years' experience in the nonprofit sector. I hold the Grant Professional Certified credential, the Certified Fund Raising Executive credential, I’m an American Grant Writers' Association Certified Grant Writer®, a member of the Grant Professionals Association, a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), a committee member of the AFP Colorado Chapter, and Immediate Past President of the Grant Professionals Association Colorado Chapter Board.

In my off-work life, I love to hang out with my family, play with our three dogs, watch anything Marvel, spend time in the sun, I love music and impromptu dance parties, and I commune with the Pacific Ocean as often as possible.

Morgan Carpenter (she/her), Marketing Committee Chair

Morgan Carpenter (she/her) is a nonprofit consultant, grant writer, and Grant Professionals Association-approved trainer. She is also the author of Prepare for Impact: Everything You Need to Know to Win Grants and Super-Charge Your Nonprofit. Morgan works with a variety of nonprofits in the human services sector to improve their grant readiness, engage in strategic planning and program development, and create tools and resources that support their ability to achieve their goals and create a positive impact in our community. Her strategic approach to this work is rooted in her experience with proposal writing and grants management, which enables her to help local organizations solve challenges and achieve long-term success through alignment with nonprofit best practices.

Morgan serves on the board of the Grant Professionals Association's Colorado Chapter, where she furthers her commitment to the nonprofit sector as the Marketing Committee Chair. Previously, she served as president of the Junior League of Fort Collins and vice president of the Zeta Tau Alpha Fort Collins Alumnae Chapter. In 2021, she was named one of BizWest’s Northern Colorado 40 Under Forty young professionals and was also recognized by the Junior League with the Elena Lawrence Inspiration Award for her work to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. When she’s not working with social impact organizations to make the world a better place, Morgan enjoys cooking, reading, and watching true crime documentaries with her husband and their beloved pets. Learn more and get in touch at www.carpenternonprofitconsulting.com.

Kierra Goosby (she/her), Programs Committee Chair

Ms. Kierra Goosby is the Chief Executive Officer of Golden Rod Consultants, LLC., an organization specializing in service to nonprofit organizations as they scale strategically with grant funding. In service to foundations and local municipalities she helps ensure an equitable grantmaking process through pre-application technical assistance and capacity building accelerators. She is a trained project management professional specializing in the pre-application phase of grant management. Ms. Goosby secured grant funding to support economic development, community development, in-school programming, out-of-school programming and K-12 Education, to name a few examples. As a current Board Director for the Colorado chapter of the Grant Professional Association, she maintains optimal integrity throughout the grant application process and enjoys celebrating her clients’ successes.

Liz Henry (she/her), Director

Liz Henry began her professional career as a classroom teacher before transitioning to a small but national nonprofit, where she served in many roles, including development. She later moved to Puerto Rico for a year, where she gained her first experience managing a federal grant as the director of a local farmers market. Upon returning to Denver, she began consulting with nonprofits, with a focus that quickly shifted to grants consulting—something she likes to think of as grants coaching. Since 2014, she has been building her business in this space and has developed long-term relationships with many of her clients. Liz works with clients of all sizes and in various locations, mostly in Colorado. Her portfolio includes one of the largest national nonprofit healthcare systems and a hyperlocal neighborhood food assistance organization. She offers sliding scale rates to small organizations founded and led by people of color and is developing a series of no-cost webinars as an introduction to grants during this difficult time in the nonprofit world. Making grants accessible to all organizations, even those that can’t afford to hire consultants or in-house grant positions, is deeply important to her.

Jennifer Pierceall Herman (she/her), Director

Jennifer has more than 25 years of experience working for non-profits, higher education, workforce development, youth development, communications, and healthcare in the Pikes Peak Region. Jennifer has served in many diverse roles including grants director, grant writer, non-profit CEO, college administrator, workforce business relations manager, career counselor, journalist, and as a non-profit consultant. Additionally, Jennifer has served on several boards of directors in the region, including the Fremont County Economic Development Council, St. Thomas More Hospital Board of Trustees, and the Upper Arkansas Workforce Development Board.

Jennifer has expertise and doctoral training in strategic planning, program planning, program evaluation, impact measurement, grant writing, operations alignment, and grant management. As part of her various roles, Jennifer has participated in and facilitated dozens of strategic planning processes and focus groups. Her expertise is in connecting diverse groups of people and organizations to achieve common goals.

Tara Hunter (she/her), Director

Tara Hunter began her grant writing journey in 2015 when she started a local chapter (Jackson, MS) of Girls on the Run. To build on these skills, she completed a Master of Nonprofit Management and began applying her knowledge professionally in 2023 at Homeward Alliance, where she wrote or co-wrote successful grants totaling over $300,000. During this time, she also served as the lead grant writer for Loveland's Community Kitchen and worked as the grants coordinator. Tara is now the Development Director of Loveland Habitat for Humanity, where she oversees the grant writing team and continues to write grants herself.

She currently serves on the board of Alternatives to Violence in Loveland and has volunteered as Ticket Chair for the performing arts booster club at her daughter's middle and high school for six years. Additionally, she has held various leadership roles within the Junior League over the years.

Jeani McAleer (she/her), Director

Jeani McAleer is the founder and CEO of Next Chapter Grants & Funding Strategies, a Denver-based grant consulting firm. Over the past 20+ years, Jeani has worn many hats working with nonprofits – first as a dedicated employee and “Jane of all trades” in program management, volunteer recruitment & retention, and fundraising, then as a volunteer, and now as a consultant. She came to the nonprofit world from publishing, where she was a project manager and copy editor. Jeani works with nonprofits to identify and pursue their “best fit” grant prospects, and she finds that her editorial expertise comes in handy, too! She enjoys the challenge of unearthing grant opportunities that are new to her clients and loves supporting them in pursuing the funds necessary to carry out the important work that they do.

Maggie Dennis, GPC Ambassador

Maggie Dennis has decades of professional experience leading and managing projects in the nonprofit and government sectors. Drawing on skills developed as a museum historian at the Smithsonian Institution, she specializes in helping nonprofit leaders identify and clarify their organization's unique impact and use storytelling as a powerful tool to open doors to funding and build community awareness and support. Since moving to Fort Collins in 2010, she has helped local nonprofits raise more than $6.1 million to address critical needs in the community.

Certified by the Grant Professionals Certification Institute since 2014, she is an accomplished historian with exceptional writing, research, interviewing, and communication skills. As an insightful grant consultant, she brings expertise in strategic planning, aligning nonprofits with potential funders, and crafting compelling grant proposals. She is also an effective project manager who excels at helping organizations build capacity and manage strategic partnerships. Widely sought after as a consultant, she is known for her ability to quickly assimilate information and optimize available resources to maximize impact.

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