Our Team

Stacey Abate
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Since becoming a grants professional in 1997, Stacey E. Abate has raised over $100 million from all types of foundations and government agencies. Stacey has been a grants consultant since 2000 and was the founding President of the Grant Professionals Association, NJ Chapter.

Stacey joined Rutgers University in 2016 to teach grant writing and share her expertise with the next generation of non-profit professionals. Prior to grant writing, she was an interpreter and teacher of the deaf.

Joan Butcher-Farkas, MSW
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Joan Farkas has had a 25+ year career in the social services, predominantly in the affordable housing, wellness and recovery, and environmental justice sectors. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Richard Stockton University and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Rutgers the State University.
Joan has been a powerful advocate for housing as a human right while housing the homeless, those with disabilities and other marginalized communities through administration and development of programs, as well as grant writing to seek initial and ongoing funds for housing and community development projects.

Additionally, as a grant professional she has helped environmentally impacted communities receive funds for assessment, remediation, and community redevelopment and planning bringing environmental justice to impoverished neighborhoods in the form of housing, jobs, grocery stores, healthcare facilities and parks.

Carolyn Weaver, GPC
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Carolyn Weaver earned a bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Communications from Penn State University and a master’s degree in Professional Writing from DePaul University. She has also earned her Grant Professional Certification (GPC), which demonstrates achievement of rigorous standards of excellence in the grants arena, ongoing career development, and service to the profession, from the Grant Professionals Certification Institute.

Over the past 20 years, Carolyn has worked in community-based programs and higher education. Her work in the commercial sector has included grant projects for education, environmental assessment, remediation, community redevelopment and planning. Her efforts as a grant manager and consultant have resulted in the development of parks, trails, health centers, and economic opportunities for under-served communities across the US. She looks forward to collaborating with current and future clients to bring social and environmental projects to fruition.