Lindsey Cariello, MPA
Founder, Elsie ConsultingI started Elsie Consulting because I saw too many nonprofits, especially here on Long Island, struggling to access funding that was right in front of them. They just didn't know where to look or how to ask.
For the better part of a decade, I've worked inside some of New York's most prominent cultural institutions—organizations with $100M+ budgets and eight-figure fundraising operations—building and managing government and institutional giving portfolios that collectively raise millions each year. I've led strategy at one of the nation's most iconic performing arts centers, where I built and maintained a pipeline of government funding across all levels.
Prior to that, I managed the foundation and government giving portfolio at one of the nation's largest nonprofit theater companies. Across all of my roles, I've written and won grants ranging from grassroots family foundations to elusive, complex government agencies, secured a $1M federal appropriation for arts education, exceeded fundraising year after year, and developed deep fluency with agencies and funders at every level.
I hold a Master of Public Administration (MPA) with a focus in healthcare policy and birth equity, giving me a unique lens on the intersection of public funding, health and human services, and community impact. I bring a rare combination of on-the-ground grant writing expertise and big-picture strategic thinking. I understand the bureaucratic machinery behind government funding because I've worked within it—and I know how to make it work for organizations of all sizes.
The name Elsie comes from my initials—L.C. Everything I do is driven by family. They're the reason I care so deeply about helping organizations that strengthen our communities, and they're the reason I bring the same dedication to every client that I would to something personal.
I'm based on Long Island and work with nonprofits across Nassau and Suffolk Counties and beyond. Let's make insitutional funding accessible for organizations like yours, because it's not just about the money. It's about building sustainable, impactful programs that serve our communities.