Daphney Jean is a Grant Consultant and Strategist and the Founder and Principal Consultant of SMJ Consulting. With over 9 years of fundraising experience, including 5 years dedicated solely to grant writing, she partners with nonprofits advancing workforce development to secure the grant funding needed to connect individuals to pathways to economic mobility.

Daphney brings deep expertise in creating fundable program language, identifying mission-aligned funders, and building the funder relationships that help organizations secure six- and seven-figure grant awards. Her grant writing work has helped nonprofits secure funding from some of the most competitive funders in the country, including the Ford Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

As a consultant and strategist, Daphney goes beyond writing. She equips nonprofit leaders with the knowledge and systems to navigate the grant funding landscape with clarity and confidence, positioning their organizations for long-term funding success.

She holds a Master's Degree in Global Affairs from George Mason University and is based in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area.