Grant writing

Deb catches on quickly, works fast and efficiently, and is always responsive. She has top-notch writing and editing skills. I appreciate how important it is to her to understand what programs and services her clients offer and to write in the right tone for her clients. She’s understanding and kind, while firmly moving you along in the grant writing and submission process. Deb is a delight to work with.

–Executive leadership consultant

Sound Outreach is fortunate to work with a grant writer like Debbie McLaughlin. She is professional, organized, and energized to support the work of our non-profit. She provides useful insights and helps enhance our grant applications with her writing skills. She has a great ability to take complex issues and make them easier to understand. Debbie is a pleasure to work with and I would highly recommend her services!

–Development director

Business writing

Our staff handbook is a critical document, and Debbie really helped us clean it up. Her communication from the beginning was extremely organized and simple. Debbie also didn’t hesitate to gently nudge us when she needed to, keeping us on track so our document would be ready on time. In terms of her editing, it is simply fabulous. We know what we want to convey to our staff, but we didn’t have a great way of putting that in print. Our handbook is now something we can be proud of, and we know it will clearly communicate our expectations to our current and future staff.

–Owner of a youth sports organization

Debbie helped us re-vamp and refine our “About Us” page. In starting a new business, we have thousands of details to manage; in the midst of all that, I appreciated Debbie’s quick response and efficient edits. She cut and re-arranged our text while staying true to our voice and vision and helping make our personalities and passions shine through on the “page.”

–Owner of a landmark establishment in Pioneer Square, Seattle, expanding their service line

Research–distilling complex ideas into actionable strategies

Deb’s summaries and commentaries make the latest research bite-sized and enjoyable to absorb. I can read or listen to a short video from Deb (an audio recording of her newsletter) and learn the essence of many pages of material that go beyond the standard advice for educators. Her work saves me time and moves me forward as a teacher.

–Teacher