Grants and Grit
How capital moves determines what survives.
You already know this. You see it in your portfolio, in your grantee conversations, in the gap between what your institution says it believes and where the dollars actually go. You are not the problem. But you are in the room where the decisions get made, and that matters.
Grants and Grit works with funders who are ready to move resources differently. We help you make the case internally, design the strategy, and build the relationships that get capital closer to the work that actually needs it.
Start the conversation.
COMMUNITY COMMITMENT
We stay grounded in the work.
A portion of our revenue goes directly back to community organizations through direct support and aligned partnerships.
This is not charity. This is accountability. It keeps us honest about who the work is ultimately for and makes sure our strategy never drifts too far from the ground.
VALUES
Clarity before urgency
Resourcing that reflects the full cost of the work
Partnerships grounded in trust and shared responsibility
If this is resonating, let's talk.
Not a sales call. A real conversation about what you are trying to do and whether we are the right people to help you do it.
Meet our team
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Celeste Smith
Founder and CEO
Celeste has spent more than twenty years working at every layer of this field. She has led a $34 million grantmaking portfolio, supported a $2 million MacKenzie Scott grant, co-founded and stewarded a nationally recognized cultural organizing institution for over a decade, and held senior leadership across foundations, nonprofits, and federal service. She has been in rooms with donors, with boards, and with frontline workers, bringing them into the same room. That range is not a biography detail. It is how Grants and Grit works.
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Courtenay A. Barton
Senior Advisor | Grantmaking and Racial Equity Strategy
Courtenay has distributed $49 million in philanthropic grants since 2018 and most recently led a $60 million environmental justice fund serving 14 states, nearly 300 Native nations, and US Pacific territories. A former Program Director at the Cleveland Foundation, she created the Cleveland Black Futures Fund in 2020, a first-of-its-kind initiative for Black-led nonprofits that attracted investment from Facebook and continues to operate today. She brings rare depth in racially equitable grantmaking practice to the firm's advisory work.
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Gina A. S. Robinson, PhD
Faith, Justice, and Grants Strategy
Dr. Gina is a scholar-practitioner working at the intersection of faith, racial justice, and philanthropy. With a PhD in Religious Education and experience as a program officer at a multi-million dollar foundation, she brings theological depth and grantmaking fluency to the work.
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Laura Rock
Donor Strategy and Relational Philanthropy
Laura is a former funder and foundation founder who bridges transformational relationships between wealth holders and community-rooted organizations, helping move resources with meaning and accountability. She brings deep experience in relational philanthropy, fund development, and helping donors unlearn harmful giving behaviors.
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Sherylynn Sealy
Learning Design and Convening Strategy
Sherylynn brings policy, pedagogy, and presence to every space she holds. A former senior program manager at Grantmakers in the Arts, she leads the firm's curriculum design, facilitation, and convening work with structure, soul, and joy.
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Sadia Gul Nawab
Cultural Strategy and Community Organizing
Sadia is a cultural organizer and MBA whose work spans violence intervention, decolonization, narrative reclamation, and the arts. She brings anthropological training, grant management experience, and deep Chicago roots to the firm's community-facing work.
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Jannah Smith
Digital Strategy and Content
Jannah leads the firm's digital presence and content strategy. She translates the firm's thinking into content that moves people, not just audiences, with clarity, cultural grounding, and a sharp eye for what actually lands.
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Iara Muhammad
Operations and Administrative Coordinator
Iara keeps the firm running behind the scenes. She manages systems, scheduling, and logistics so leadership can stay focused on strategy, relationships, and the work that matters.
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Aaryn Smith
Creative Strategy and Visual Narrative
Aaryn shapes how the firm and its clients show up visually and in language. She brings a designer's eye and a strategist's mind to the work of making ideas visible and stories land.
Trusted Partners
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Minito HR Solutions - Organizational Effectiveness and Leadership Development A seasoned corporate trainer and equity-centered strategist specializing in team culture transformation, performance management, and leadership development for nonprofits and institutions.
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Radical Imaginaries helps nonprofits, civic organizations, and foundations build more equitable systems by reshaping decision-making, strengthening organizational culture, and deepening community partnership. With a care-centered approach and a commitment to imagination as a tool for justice, Radical Imaginaries supports teams in moving from intention to action—co-creating solutions rooted in community priorities and measurable change.
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Graphic and Visual Design Creative and visual strategy partners supporting the firm's design, digital, and visual narrative work.