Argentum Consulting is a nonprofit management consulting firm founded in Louisiana and headquartered in Texas.
Our mission is to provide first-class grant development and strategic fundraising services to mid-size and large nonprofits at a reasonable price point. Our clients are nonprofit organizations, entrepreneurial ventures, and educational institutions from multiple states.
We specialize in grant development, fundraising strategy, grant management, strategic planning, research, and project management services. Our comfort zone is educational grants, health care technology grants, and human services grants, but we have been known to successfully take on other specialized areas.
OUR VALUES
Client Value Creation
We are focused on improving our clients' business performance, and creating long-term, win-win relationships.
Integrity
We inspire trust by taking responsibility, acting ethically, and encouraging honest and open dialogue.
Ownership
We work with your organization as though we are a part of it, and we "own" any project we take on. We meet commitments without exception.
Diversity
We foster an inclusive environment, and treat people as we would like to be treated ourselves.
OUR SERVICES
Grant Development
We provide grant writing and proposal editing services for nonprofit organizations, schools and districts, entrepreneurial ventures, and institutions of higher education. Our expertise lies in pursuing large federal and state grants, and we are well-versed in Grants.gov, Fastlane, and other grant portals. We also successfully pursue private foundation and corporate grants.
Our winning grant proposals have resulted in millions of dollars of funding for our clients. Our latest award (2020) garnered $17 million for our client. On behalf of our clients, we have successfully applied to:
Corporation for National & Community Service (AmeriCorps)
National Science Foundation
U.S. Department of Education
U.S. Small Business Development Association
U.S. Department of Energy
In Louisiana: Baton Rouge Area Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, Committee of 100, Capital One Investing in Good, Community Foundation of Northwest Louisiana, GNO Foundation, Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation, JPMorganChase, International Paper, Louisiana Department of Education, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Louisiana Public Facilities Authority, P&G, Pennington Family Foundation, United Way, Weyerhaueser, Wal Mart, and more.
Project Management
Whether you need experts to design and execute a plan or a role player to provide interim support to keep your projects on schedule and within budget, we deploy highly-prepared professionals to fit your project needs. We can help with project planning and scheduling and provide you with a detailed plan to help you complete projects within your timeline and budget.
We can provide:
Design and/or implementation of project plans;
Management of large or complex projects; and
Training for your team on project management best practices
Selected successes include:
Design and implementation of a project plan for a charter school to host its first community panel discussion. 85+ parents, policymakers, educators, and community groups attended.
Develop a project plan for local start-up to design, prototype, and manufacture a sports novelty product in China.
Coordinated the development of a strategic and operational plan for a large-scale healthcare information exchange.
Writing, Reporting, and Research
We offer other writing and editing services to our clients, including academic papers, funder reports, training materials, technical reference materials, policy and procedures, and more.
Our research services include policy research, foundation prospect research, and literature reviews.
OUR TEAM
"Argentum" is Latin for "silver." Of all the metals, silver has the highest conductivity known for any material. It is strong, yet flexible, and can endure extreme temperature swings. We named our company Argentum because we bring unstoppable energy, flexibility, and steadfast excellence to every project project.
We help companies unlock extraordinary potential by turning their vision into reality. With more than twenty years of combined experience in serving clients, business process expertise, and a proven track record, Argentum mobilizes the right people and skills to help clients improve their performance. We have managed several multimillion dollar projects, and helped clients obtain over $40 million in grant funding.
Carrie B. Peña
CEO, Co-Founder
Carrie B. Peña, MBA, is responsible for Argentum's business strategy, financial stability, and marketing. Her areas of expertise include grant writing and management, strategic planning, marketing, and budget development and management.
Carrie has served as a revenue and economic development policy advisor at the Office of Governor Bobby Jindal, and served in the same role at the Louisiana Department of Revenue. Prior to her work in state government, she served as Chief Operating Officer for Advance Innovative Education, a non-profit organization, where she was instrumental in fundraising and leading a one of Louisiana's first alternative principal certification programs. As a Grant Manager and Assistant Director of Grants & Contracts at Louisiana State University, she garnered $20 million in grant funding from the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Energy, and other grant making organizations. Prior to that, she served as the first Executive Director of a community non-profit in Brownsville, Texas, where she was the chief fundraiser and architect of the organization's first strategic plan and website.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from The University of Texas at Austin, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Brownsville.
HOW WE WORK
The Argentum fee structure offers several options to help our clients meet their grant seeking needs.
Fee Options
Hourly Basis:
If you wish to consult with us on a short-term basis, we will charge based on an hourly rate. Note that a higher hourly rate will apply for jobs with a turnaround of less than 2 weeks.
Retainer:
Longer-term projects (or a group of projects) may require assistance that extends over several months. We work with you to set a fixed monthly rate at a lower hourly rate for a set period of time (3, 6, or 12 months).
Fixed Price:
This type of contract is ideal for a project with a fixed start and end date. We will evaluate the level of effort it will take for us to complete your project, and provide you with a fixed price. If we need to spend more time on the project, you don’t pay more. Note that a higher fixed price will apply for jobs with a turnaround of less than 2 weeks.
Fees for Other Services
Grantseeking Research and Funder Profiles:
We charge a flat fee per month for tailored grant searches and funder profiles.
Training and Workshops:
Our workshops and training events are tailored to the needs of your organization or target audience, and can be delivered at a location convenient to you. We do not charge for preparation time, only time spent delivering the content. We will work with you ahead of time to ensure that the resulting event meets your needs, and incorporates relevant and up-to-date content tailored to your industry.
Editing and Feedback:
We will charge a lower hourly rate for editing a written grant proposal and providing feedback. Our feedback provides an evaluation of the grantmaker’s requirements against your proposal. We will provide suggestions on how your proposal could be improved to be more competitive.
We will provide you with a quote for services, tailored to your needs. Once you approve the quote, we will send you a contract. For hourly work, we will track our time and invoice you on a monthly basis. For fixed price, retainer, or other work, we will invoice you upon completion of the work. A deposit of 10% may be required before work begins.
Call (225) 341.2161 or email us to set up an initial consultation.