GROW Team
Founder
Kirsten Hernandez
My name is Kirsten Hernandez, and I am the Founder and Owner of GROW. I was born and raised in the South Bronx and currently reside in Albany, NY. I earned my B.A. in English Studies from Siena College (2011) and completed a Nonprofit Management Certificate at Baruch College (2018). I bring more than a decade of experience in grant writing, nonprofit development, strategic planning, and project and team management.
Prior to founding GROW, I managed a $23M funding portfolio within a national nonprofit, including $6M in direct fundraising and $17M in team-led development efforts. This work built a strong foundation in institutional giving, government funding, and large-scale nonprofit strategy.
I launched GROW in 2018 and transitioned to full-time consulting in 2022, beginning with my first Capital Region client. Since then, I have partnered with leading nonprofits across the region, supporting grant writing, fundraising strategy, and organizational development. Since 2019, over $2M has been raised exclusively through GROW.
In addition to my consulting work, I serve as the Vice President of TruHeart Inc. and a Board and Fund Development Committee Member at Mediation Matters.
I am committed to strengthening nonprofit infrastructure and expanding equitable access to funding for organizations serving historically underserved communities.
Administrative Assistant
Jess Williams
Jess has been working alongside GROW for a little over a year, supporting the behind-the-scenes work that helps the organization stay organized, responsive, and focused on what matters most. She enjoys learning about the work GROW does and being part of a team that supports nonprofits and small businesses doing meaningful work in their communities.
Through her business, Balanced by Jess W Virtual Solutions, Jess also supports nonprofits and mission-driven organizations with administrative support, organization, and systems that make day-to-day work more manageable and sustainable.
Customer Reviews
Highly recommend Kirsten and GROW
I worked with Kirsten for nearly 4 years and can say that she is both an excellent writer and a thoughtful project manager. Her approach is one that gets results, and I can’t recommend her highly enough!