County grantwriter a 'Jill of many trades'

Creative thinking, multitasking, collaboration and the ability to write about a wide variety of topics are a few of the ingredients Flathead County grantwriter Debbie Pierson has blended into a successful recipe for pulling money into the county coffers.

“I’m a Jill of many trades,” Pierson said about her part-time job of writing and administering grants for the county. “People hear ‘grantwriter’ and think all I do is write. There’s a lot more to it.”

Since Pierson, 47, began writing grants for the county in 2006 she’s raked in well over $4.5 million for various county projects and programs.

As Pierson well knows, getting the money is just the first step. She serves as the administrator or project manager for some grants, and there’s often a mountain of details to handle during the life of a grant.

When she wrote a successful grant for the Bigfork stormwater project, Pierson served as project manager representing the county, but also worked with the Bigfork stormwater committee and the Bigfork School District.

“That one is a good example of the collaborative community process,” she said.

With deadlines that often overlap, the ability to multitask is crucial.

“One week I can be writing for the 911 Center, the next week I might be working [to find funding] on the jail renovation project,” she said.

Pierson isn’t the exclusive grantwriter for the county. Several county departments take charge of their own grantwriting, but Pierson stands ready to work in any capacity where she can put her skills to work, walking the line between demonstrating strong leadership skills behind the scene while remaining a flexible team member.

A big part of winning grants is the ability to make an application stand out from the rest of the pack, especially as the grantwriting arena has become more and more competitive.

“You have to find the best match for the funding source and the project,” she said. “If you don’t have a unique angle you won’t stand out.”

Pierson developed her grantwriting skills while working for years in the nonprofit sector. She was development director for Special Olympics of Montana from 1991 to 1995, during which time she developed and managed all aspects of fundraising for the organization.

After that she worked for the American Red Cross for 10 years, serving first as the donor recruitment representative for the Kalispell chapter, and later as the emergency services specialist for the Kalispell Red Cross office. Tucked between those two jobs was a two-year stint as the implementation associate for the Red Cross’ biomedical headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Pierson was born in the Bay Area of California and lived in several California towns before her father was transferred with the U.S. Forest Service to Kalispell when she was in the seventh grade. She attended Helena Flats School and graduated from Flathead High School in 1984.

She headed off to college at the University of Montana with the idea of becoming a physical therapist, but switched career plans almost immediately.

“I hated it,” she recalled about the physical therapy classes she took.

Pierson settled on a degree in interpersonal communications, which gave her a wide swath of skills ranging from writing to public speaking.

“My mom said I always like to talk, so she told me to get a degree with that,” Pierson said with a laugh.

Participating in a National Student Exchange Program at Eastern Connecticut State University in 1986 helped broaden Pierson’s communications skills.

During college she worked a summer in the Grand Tetons as a housekeeper and “hated every miserable minute of the job,” she recalled.

“It was a fun summer, but I’ve rebelled ever since. I haven’t made my bed since 1986,” she said, adding that’s “mostly true.”

Instead of smoothing out her bedcovers, Pierson would rather spend her time whitewater rafting, fishing or boating. She’s also a horse lover and earlier in her life competed in O-Mok-See competitions sponsored by the Backcountry Horsemen, a group her parents were involved with.

Pierson competed for the local rodeo queen title one year, and although she didn’t win, she was named Miss Congeniality.

She loves to travel and said she probably could be considered a “foodie” because she’s always searching out the best restaurants when she heads out of town.

Her husband Mike does his own share of traveling for his job, as a driver for UPS’ big trucks.

While Pierson doesn’t have any biological children, she said she’s been “blessed to be a part of raising five children,” all of whom are now young adults. 

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.