Services | Laura A. Macaluso

In addition to research, writing, and publishing, Laura works on planning and fundraising for history, art, and park organizations, emphasizing local, state, and national funders. Part of this work is identifying new and/or appropriate resources, conceptualizing and submitting proposals, and working alongside internal staff and board members. Stewardship of funders and awards is part of this work.

In 2024, Laura is a fulltime Lead Writer with D.H. Leonard Consulting & Grant Writing Services, LLC, working on various projects in social services, environment, heritage, and more with the DH Leonard team. For more on the consulting and grant writing services this company provides, visit https://www.dhleonardconsulting.com/.

She has served as a Grant Review Panelist for the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DC CAH), HumanitiesDC, and the Virginia Commission on the Arts (VCA). She finished a three-year term (2019-2022) as a Peer Review Panelist for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program through the Institute of International Education (IIE) in the areas of Arts Management, Museum Studies, and Preservation and is currently a proposal reviewer for the annual Fulbright conference as well as a book reviewer for Fulbright Chronicles.

Beginning in 2021 and continuing through the present, Laura is an Editorial Board Member for the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) and has reviewed manuscript proposals and full manuscripts for Rowman & Littlefield, Routledge, H-Material Culture, the University of Chicago Press, Material Culture, International Society for Landscape, Place, & Material Culture and Public Art Dialogue in the areas of arts, heritage, and culture.

As an independent consultant, Laura’s grant writing experience includes:

American Horticultural Society (2023-present). Created annual Grant Calendar for the AHS, celebrating its 50th anniversary on site of River Farm, one of George Washington’s original five farms comprising the Mount Vernon plantation. Located on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, the AHS is an interdisciplinary historical and natural site on the Potomac River, offering horticulture, gardening, and nature programs locally, nationwide, and beyond. Awarded funds from the Historic Alexandria Foundation, Dominion Energy: Environmental and Stewardship grant program, and the Dr Scholl Foundation.

York County History Center (2022). Awarded funds from the BLOOM / York County Trail Towns Program, York County Economic Alliance; NiSource Foundation/Columbia Gas; Keystone Historic Preservation Grant Program and the Historical and Cultural Support Program, both of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC); UPMC; The McCormick Family Foundation; The Cultural Alliance of York County; M&T Bank Charitable Foundation; Foundant Technologies; Bob Hoffman Foundation; Rice Family Foundation; and the Racial Equity Fund of the York County Community Foundation. I also worked on sponsorship for special events and the EITC/EIO program and submitted interim and final reports to multiple funders as needed.

Lynchburg Museum Foundation / Lynchburg Museum System (2019–2020). Awarded programming and capital campaign funds, including awards from the Gwathmey Memorial Trust, The Al Stroobants Foundation, The Sam and Marion Golden Helping Hands Foundation, Walmart Foundation, Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation, Virginia Humanities, and Virginia Commission on the Arts and also, awarded a Museum Assessment Program (MAP) of the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the American Association of Museums and the Smithsonian Institution’s Workshop in Interpreting African American History and Culture.

Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (2017–2019). Awarded funds for programming and capital projects, including funds from the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation; Henry A. Jordan Fund, M.D., Preservation Excellence Fund, National Trust for Historic Preservation; Berkeley Foundation; Richard S. Reynolds Foundation; The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation; National Trust for Historic Preservation; Bama Works Fund of the Dave Matthews Band, Charlottesville Area Community Foundation; The Morgan Trust; The Al Stroobants Foundation and the Schewel Foundation.

Riverviews Artspace (2016–2018). Awarded funds for programming and capital projects, including funds from the James River Arts & Cultural District Program; Virginia Humanities; National Trust for Historic Preservation; Greater Lynchburg Community Trust; Appalachian Electric Power; Areva; Puffin Foundation; Easley Foundation; and the Virginia Commission on the Arts; Best Buy Foundation; and the Al Stroobants Foundation. Winner of the national OVATION award for the creative economy, 2017-2018.

Other Grant-Writing Clients from 2016–to present include the Bronze Collective LLC (awarded funds from Outdoors Together); UpCycle Creative Reuse Center in Alexandria, VA (awarded funds from the Virginia Commission on the Arts and Alexandria Commission for the Arts); Amelia S. Givin Free Library in Mt. Holly Springs, PA; Georgetown Heritage in Washington, D.C. (awarded from the National Park Trust and the National Trust for Historic Preservation); Bower Center for the Arts in Bedford, Virginia (received funds from Virginia Humanities and the Virginia Commission on the Arts); Strawtown Art Studio in Nyack, New York (received funds from the National Endowment for the Arts); and Site Projects, Inc., in New Haven, Connecticut (received funds from the New Alliance Foundation; Langrock Foundation; Connecticut Office of the Arts; and the Could Be Fund).

As a Fulbright Scholar (2008–2010), Laura wrote successful proposals for the Swaziland National Museum in southern Africa (today, Eswatini), including an award from the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, U.S. State Department.