Get the funding your
mission deserves.
Grant writing is time-consuming, technical, and increasingly competitive. Araya Advisory helps New Orleans nonprofits find the right opportunities, build stronger applications, and manage their funding pipeline — so your team can focus on the work.
Grant writing is harder than it looks — and the stakes are real.
Grant funding keeps New Orleans nonprofits running. It pays for staff, programs, facilities, and the day-to-day work that communities depend on. But the process of actually winning a grant — finding the right opportunities, building a competitive application, managing funder relationships — is a full-time job in itself. Most of the organizations we talk to are already stretched thin. They know the funding is out there. What they need is someone who already knows how to win it.
Finding the right grants takes time most orgs don't have
Federal, state, foundation, and corporate funding shifts constantly. Knowing where to look — and which opportunities are actually worth pursuing — requires ongoing research and funder awareness.
A strong narrative isn't optional
Funders read dozens of applications for every award. A technically complete application that doesn't tell a compelling story about mission, outcomes, and community impact rarely makes it through the first review.
Budgets and compliance requirements are their own discipline
Grant budgets, matching requirements, indirect cost rates, allowable expenses — these financial details directly affect whether your application is competitive and whether you stay in good standing if awarded.
Missed deadlines and wasted effort compound quickly
Without a managed pipeline, opportunities fall through the cracks, duplicate effort builds up, and the pressure to "just get something in" leads to weaker applications.
The NOLA nonprofit funding landscape at a glance
Greater New Orleans has a deep and active nonprofit sector — and a competitive grant environment to match. Here's what organizations are up against.
Simple, transparent services.
Whether you're preparing for your first grant or managing an active funding pipeline, we have a service level that fits where you are.
Grant Readiness Assessment
A structured review of your organization's capacity to pursue grant funding — where you're strong, where there are gaps, and what to prioritize first.
- Mission clarity & program outcomes review
- Financial infrastructure assessment
- Grant history & capacity evaluation
- Scorecard across 8 readiness categories
- Written report with recommended next steps
Grant Application Writing
End-to-end support on a grant application — from funder research and narrative development to budget alignment and submission. You focus on the mission. We handle the application.
- Funder research & opportunity vetting
- Full narrative development
- Budget preparation & alignment
- Compliance & eligibility review
- Submission & confirmation
Pipeline Management Retainer
Ongoing support to identify, track, and pursue grant opportunities on a rolling basis — so no deadlines are missed and your funding pipeline keeps moving.
- Monthly opportunity research & reporting
- Deadline tracking & calendar management
- Funder relationship notes & follow-up
- Reporting support for active grants
- Priority access for new application requests
A different kind of grant writing partner.
We're not a national grant consulting firm. We're a New Orleans-based practice built around the specific funders, foundations, and community organizations that make up this city's nonprofit sector.
Genuinely local knowledge
We know the local foundations, the city and parish grant programs, and the community landscape that funders care about. That context shapes every application we write — and it isn't something a national firm can replicate.
Accounting discipline, applied to grant writing
Financial narratives, budget justifications, indirect cost calculations, allowable expense categories — these are the parts most nonprofits struggle with. Our accounting background means we get them right.
We track the funding landscape so you don't have to
New RFPs, shifting foundation priorities, federal program updates — we monitor the landscape continuously and surface the opportunities that are actually worth your organization's time.
Priced for real organizations, not large institutions
Our pricing reflects the reality that most NOLA nonprofits operate lean. We're here to be genuinely useful — not to run up a consulting bill that outpaces the grant itself.
What to expect when you reach out.
No commitments, no pressure. Here's how a typical engagement starts.
Tell us about your organization
Use the form below — or just email us. Let us know your mission, your current funding situation, and what you're trying to accomplish. Any amount of context helps.
We'll have a conversation
James will respond personally, usually within one business day. The first conversation is free and carries no obligation — it's a chance to understand your needs and assess whether there's a good fit.
We get to work
If it makes sense to move forward, we'll agree on a clear scope with no surprises. From there, we handle the research, writing, and logistics — and keep you informed throughout.
A neighbor who happens to know how to win grants.
James Araya is based in New Orleans and has spent his career in accounting and financial advisory. Over time, he watched local nonprofits — community organizations, arts groups, social service providers — leave funding on the table not because their missions weren't strong, but because they didn't have the bandwidth or expertise to compete in the grant process.
Araya Advisory started from a simple idea: what if local nonprofits had access to a grant writing partner who combined genuine financial acumen with the kind of careful, methodical approach that accounting demands?
James works with organizations across New Orleans. He's not a national grant writing firm — he's someone you can actually talk to, who understands how this city works and which funders are paying attention to it.
We're here when you're ready.
Whether you have a specific grant opportunity in mind, need help understanding your options, or just aren't sure where to start — send us a note. The first conversation is always free, and there's no obligation to go further.
Serving nonprofits across Louisiana