Client Impact

• As a collaborator, researcher, writer and marketer, Ms Boyes has worked with clients to win more than $30 million in federal, provincial and community grants, at typically less than 2% of the value of awards, with a close to 70% success rate in grant acquisition.
• Through research and positioning directed to private-sector funders, she has helped clients articulate more than $280 million worth of vision, objectives and programs.
• As a core member of UofT’s “Great Minds” campaign team, she developed more than 50% of the customized, major-gift funding proposals ($1 million+) in this successful
  $1-billion campaign for research operating funds, student aid and access, and capital projects.
• As a trainer, she has provided workshops (postsecondary, healthcare and North American publishing) to scholarly, business and popular audiences on clear, persuasive writing.

Relevance of professional client services

Ms. Boyes’ experience, skills and interests address the following areas:

• The future of professional services is in rendering knowledge more productive in order to bring added value to clients. (Ross Dawson, Developing Knowledge-Based Client Relationships, 2000).
• Poor grant writing often turns very good science into unfundable grant proposals
  (Dr. Jacob Kraicer, The Art of Grantsmanship, 1997: U of T Faculty of Medicine, former Director of the International Human Frontier Science Program, and reviewer of thousands of grants over 30 years).
• While noting increased college/university enrollment, the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO Research Plan 2013–14) also notes the need for all learners and the public to make better/more informed choices in “accessing and navigating an increasingly complex higher education environment to obtain an affordable and timely education.”

Experience Success

Clients note that the strategic evaluation, targeting and structuring of projects are often missing, in whole or part, from their funding requests and other marketing. Ms. Boyes brings timely, clear assessment; communications; training/advice; and project positioning to her clients.

Ms. Boyes is also developing a practical curriculum/public workshop to help students and their families navigate access and applications to postsecondary institutions, as admissions/recruitment processes become more demanding and education more costly.