Alison Blodgett brings to OPEN MINDS an extensive knowledge of Child and Family Services, Juvenile Justice, Social Services, and Mental Health Services. She has expertise in all areas of proposal and developing program implementation plans that lead to funding, sustainability, and impact. Ms. Blodgett currently works as the Director of Communications and Government Relations at Savannah Family Institute.

Before her work with Savannah Family Institute Ms. Blodgett was an Assistant Regional Operations Director for Bethesda Lutheran Communities, now AbleLight, headquartered in Watertown, Wisconsin. Here she was responsible for government contracts, team management, technical requirements and building relationships within the community and with stakeholders.

Previously, Ms. Blodgett served as the Director of Proposal Development, Specialized Alternatives for Families and Youth of America (SAFY), where she determined strategy, generated content, and managed the implementation of RFPs, bids, proposals, and grants. She also consulted with senior leadership on operations scope of work, and compliance requirements.

While working at SAFY, Ms. Blodgett doubled the organization’s annual RFP submissions within 2 years, grew business by nearly 30% over 2 years through evidence-based best practices, increased effectiveness of award/implementation by coaching 75 leaders on best practices in strategy and processes, and developed, won, and implemented multi-million dollar contracts.

Prior to her work at SAFY, Ms. Blodgett was Contractual Grant Writer for the Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Development Director at South End Community Outreach, and Grants Manager at Gerontology Network.

Ms. Blodgett is in the progress of receiving her M.B.A. from Indiana Purdue University in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She received a Journey Executive Fellowship in 2015, a PACT Program Completion and Graduate Studies in Applied Sociology from Wayne State University, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Kalamazoo College. She is a Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) from the State Of Michigan.