About Us

Grant It First Consulting Services focuses on helping non-profits, small businesses, community organizations and individuals to receive various types of grant funds for programs, projects, and public services. My years of experience working in the government-industry helped developed this company to provide a list of grant services that consist of Project Development, Comprehensive Funding Research, Professional Grant Proposal Writing Services, Grant Proposal Reviews, Professional Grant Writing, and Grant Writing Training; just to name a few.

What makes Grant It First so unique is the compassion that society is facing with Homelessness, Mental Health, In-home care, Infrastructure, Safe Routes to School, Law Enforcement, and Prevention Programs. Grant It First brings to the table, honesty, interpersonal skills, knowledge of federal policies and procedures, community engagement and real talk. I want the people to believe that I’m fair, trustworthy and consistent.

My philosophy believes in partnering with the community and businesses in funding projects for economic growth; eliminate the frustrations and educate organizations on finding grants. Grant It First believes in giving professional service to provide opportunities to fund a variety of community development projects.

There is a serious need in the marketplace, and certainly a strong demand for granting consulting services like Grant It First. Each year millions of dollars are being awarded to organizations from various types of funding. However, most people don’t know where to start looking and how to apply for grant funds. Grant funds come in many colors and to be used for a specific purpose. Unlike a loan, it does not need to be repaid. The most common types of grants are State, Federal, Local, Private and Corporate funds. Applying for a grant can be intimidating and the research can be time-consuming to someone with little knowledge, experience in seeking grant opportunities. Grant It First can give that peace of mind.

My vision is to work with businesses in their early stages of pursuing a grant to establish a relationship from application to award. My company is design to support organizations by connecting them to available grant funds and minimizing the frustrations from understanding the terms and conditions of the grant. 

I work with startup companies to offer generalize services but my primary focus is non-profit clients, 501 3(c), communities that share same interest and goals, and government entities as a sub-recipient. I offer training workshops to help companies learn about the dos and don’ts. I customize packets that are tailored to fit the need of the client along with a free one hour telephone consultation. Grant It First intends to stay on the pulse in finding grant opportunities within the local areas.

Who’s the person behind Grant It First?
Grant It First Consulting Services is managed by Sabrina Carnell-Williams, sole owner of the company who has extensive knowledge in obtaining federal, state, and local funds. As a retired government employee of 35 years and 3 years of nonprofit, I have an advantage in how one of the largest cities operates and how projects and programs are prioritized.

I decided to step out on faith and use my skillsets by minimizing the challenges that come with seeking grant funds. As a Grant Analyst managing capital improvement projects that were funded by federal, state and local funds, the responsibility consisted of application processing, researching, tracking and monitoring, budgeting, purchasing contracts that were awarded a substantial amount of funds; knowledge of code federal regulations and conducted grant training for entry-level and managerial positions. These projects ranged from transportation-related projects, programs for schools, sub-recipient grants, and Non-profit organizations. Working with the government, as the liaison for Capital Improvement Projects, I worked closely with outside government agencies such as San Diego Governments of Association (SANDAG), Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Federal Highway of Administration (FHWA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Working in Non-profit organizations, I became knowledgeable with the National Institute of Health (NIH) grants, working with Principal Investigators managing research grants and the Department of Justice (DOJ) grants, working with Domestic Violence, Elderly Abuse, and Victims of Crimes programs.

Grant It First values God First, Family Second, and Career Third. My business values take on ideas and turn them into reality, to engage in best practices and innovative ways of seeking grants.