Bereavement Grant Prospect Research and Funding Opportunities for Junie’s Place

Junie’s Place is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting individuals and families experiencing pregnancy, infant, and child death. We reduce barriers to compassionate, grief-informed support through direct family assistance, education and resources, and training for clinicians and other professionals.

As our programs grow, we are seeking to expand grant funding to sustain our services and increase access to care, particularly for families facing financial barriers. Our programs include financial assistance for mental health care, educational resources, community support, and professional training in grief- and trauma-informed care.

Founded in 2023, Junie’s Place is an entirely volunteer-led organization headquartered in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, with the infrastructure to serve families statewide. While we have identified several potential funders, we need expertise in determining which opportunities are appropriate and competitive for an emerging nonprofit of our size.

Our leadership currently manages family support, program development, fundraising, and organizational operations. We are seeking an experienced grant professional who can take the lead in identifying and evaluating funding opportunities, allowing us to focus our limited capacity on pursuing grants with the greatest potential for success.

This project can be completed entirely virtually.

The primary deliverable will be a researched and prioritized portfolio of grant opportunities appropriate for Junie’s Place, with an emphasis on funders supporting smaller, emerging nonprofits.

We envision the consultant:

1. Reviewing Organizational Readiness

Review our mission, programs, financial information, and organizational structure to understand our funding needs and identify any eligibility considerations.

2. Identifying and Evaluating Grant Opportunities

Research approximately 10–15 potential funders supporting bereavement services, mental health access, maternal and family health, community support, and professional education.

Evaluate opportunities based on mission alignment, geographic eligibility, organizational requirements, funding amounts, application timelines, and potential competitiveness.

Prioritize opportunities appropriate for an entirely volunteer-led nonprofit established in 2023 that currently files Form 990-N.

3. Developing a Prioritized Funding Portfolio

Provide a concise, organized list of promising opportunities, including eligibility requirements, typical award amounts, deadlines, application links, and recommendations regarding which grants to pursue first.

Identify the three to five strongest prospects and provide guidance on positioning Junie’s Place for competitive applications.

The final deliverable should include a recommended sequence for pursuing funding opportunities over the following 6–12 months.

We anticipate a 12-week virtual engagement at approximately 2–5 hours per week and welcome the consultant’s expertise in determining the appropriate project timeline.

Desired Outcome: A vetted portfolio of realistic funding opportunities that allows Junie’s Place to pursue grant funding strategically and confidently, without spending limited organizational resources on applications for which we are unlikely to qualify.

Organization Mission

Junie's Place is a compassionate nonprofit organization dedicated to providing comprehensive, no-cost grief support services to families enduring the profound loss of a child, infant, pregnancy, or experiencing a stillbirth. Our mission is to create a nurturing and supportive environment in which grieving families can find solace, support, and the embrace of a community that intimately understands their sorrow. We strive to offer a safe place for families navigating the overwhelming depths of grief, providing no-cost counseling, support, educational resources, and programs tailored to their unique needs. Our commitment is to walk alongside these families through every agonizing step of their journey, offering unwavering empathy, guidance, and hope as they learn to honor their child's memory while gradually rebuilding their lives. Beyond direct support, we are committed to advancing grief-informed healthcare, education, and advocacy. We train professionals and organizations to better recognize and respond to the needs of grieving families, promote grief-informed policies such as bereavement leave, and work to shift cultural attitudes around loss. At Junie's Place, we believe that no family should grieve alone. Through care, education, and advocacy, Junie’s Place honors the memory of every child gone too soon and helps transform personal and collective grief into lasting legacies of love. Junie’s Place was founded following the sudden loss of my daughter, Junie. As a clinical psychologist, I realized that even with my professional background, the resources available were often without access to true, trauma-informed grief support. We exist to bridge that gap.