about me
biography
For over three decades, I have been creating highly effective materials for educational institutions and the nonprofit sector that are light years away from the ordinary: attention-grabbing brochures, persuasive grant proposals, feature articles, newsletters, direct mail solicitations, ads, speeches, scripts, annual reports, case statements and books.
I’m able to shift gears at warp speed, readily addressing topics from math/science education, health care, public education, engineering and technology to development, the social sciences, humanities and arts.
Along the way I’ve pleased a galaxy of demanding clients that includes nearly every major university in Southern California, innovative and accomplished K-12 schools, community colleges and many leading healthcare and nonprofit organizations.
my clients
Partial Client List
University of Southern California
UCLA
UC San Diego
CSU Fullerton
CSU Long Beach
CSU Dominguez Hills
Cal State Los Angeles
CSU San Marcos
California Academy of Mathematics and Science
Long Beach Unified School District
Riverside Community College District
Scripps Health Foundation
Sharp HealthCare
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute
La Jolla Institute for Immunology
Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Ranch and Gardens
Friends of Balboa Park
Clearity Foundation
San Diego Natural History Museum
Alpha Project for the Homeless
Westminster School District
Southern California Association for Philanthropy
Villa Musica
Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation
SETI Institute
Sunset
American Photographer
Los Angeles Times
Angeles
testimonials
Client Reviews
Mark S. Filowitz, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President, Academic Programs and Enrollment
California State University, Fullerton
“I am delighted to write a testimonial for Sarah Lifton, who as a grant writer has successfully helped me write grants and receive awards for those grants of almost $15 million. Working with Sarah is a pleasure and she pulls out all the stops to get the grants written on time and in the required formats. She understands the work and asks probing questions in concert with the PIs to make sure that the grant has best opportunity for funding. We have been delighted with her services and highly recommend Sarah as a grant writer with no reservation.”
Martha Harris
Senior Vice President, University Relations (ret.)
University of Southern California
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Sarah for close to 20 years. During that time, I’ve consistently been impressed with her ability to master materials ranging from advertising and marketing copy to development materials and book-length institutional histories. I especially value her conceptual and collaborative abilities, which have led to some of our best-received and most successful publications. I recommend her without hesitation to any organization seeking a thoughtful writer who understands the requirements of different audiences and gets things right from the very beginning.”
Kathy Clark, Ed.D.
Principal Emeritus
California Academy of Mathematics and Science
“Sarah is the consummate professional. Having had the advantage of her diverse writing services for nearly 20 years, I continue to be amazed by the excellence of her creative, intuitive style. She really makes things happen.”
Rachel Weiss, Ph.D.
Dean of Grant Development & Administration
Riverside City College
“Our college employed Sarah to support the writing and editing of four TRIO SSS proposals that were submitted to one competition. She was truly a lifesaver for me, being very new to the college and not realizing that I was expected to be fully responsible for preparation of proposal narratives. Long story short, I contacted Sarah only weeks before the due date and not only did she agree to support me under those less-than-ideal circumstances, she committed herself to near-round the clock back-and-forth editing with me on those four painfully long proposals right to the final hours before submission deadline! Only with her expertise and tireless support could we have secured three out of the four awards we were seeking. Her work was exceptional, and without having any prior relationship I truly felt like I was working with a dedicated collaborator. “
Judy Piercy
Senior Director, Strategic Marketing Communications (ret.)
University of California, San Diego
“When I joined UC San Diego to direct the Development Communications Department, I found that the name Sarah Lifton consistently came up in discussions as a great resource. And now I know why—she ‘gets’ higher education development and fundraising. Whether it’s about sports or sponsors, individual donors or corporate philanthropy, Sarah is always professional, experienced … and good.”
S. K. Ramesh, Ph.D.
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Director AIMS2 Program
California State University, Northridge
“I have worked with Sarah for almost 15 years and she is a consummate professional in the ways in which she brings words to life. I first connected with Sarah when I joined CSUN as dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at CSUN in 2006 and served in that role until transitioning to the faculty in 2017. During this time Sarah wrote and edited Spectra, our college newsletter, with insightful articles highlighting the work and accomplishments of our students and faculty. Typically we would begin with a theme for every issue, and Sarah would take it from there and develop the stories to make it all flow seamlessly. She is creative, meticulous, and organized. Sarah carefully researches her work to ensure that it is accurate and brings out the human element in her writing that made Spectra so readable! Sarah has also written several grant proposals, working closely with our faculty to ensure that the final product effectively addressed the competitive priorities in the RFP. Above all, Sarah is an incredible person with an exemplary work ethic and I consider myself truly blessed to have the opportunity to work with her.”
Zuhey Espinoza, Ed.D.
Director of Policy and Government Relations
California State University, Los Angeles
“Sarah is the epitome of a consummate professional. She has helped the university with nearly half a dozen writing projects and always delivers high caliber work on time. Not only is she extremely skilled and accomplished, but also very personable, warm and funny. I consider Sarah an expert in her field and she is my number one choice for high-priority writing projects with fast turnarounds. I most emphatically recommend Sarah to anyone who is looking for a grantwriter with the tenacity to produce quality work in an efficient and persuasive manner. She is truly a gem.”
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