About Martina Donkers
Evaluator | Trainer | Grants expert
Turning ambitious ideas into transformative outcomes
You’ve got big dreams, amazing plans and a mission to make a difference. But navigating the grant cycle is hard. Evaluation feels more complicated than it should. You need support.
That’s why you should talk to me. I love helping cool, compassionate people make a difference through social impact programs. Evaluation and grants expertise is how I play my part.
As an evaluator, I use real-world data and strategic design to dive below the surface and reveal the true value of your work. I’ll help you evolve, adapt and amplify your impact.
As a grants expert, I do more than craft a compelling narrative. I’ll help you develop a proposal that meets your community’s needs, your organisation’s goals, and your funding body’s aspirations.
Grant writing isn’t about beautiful writing. It’s about storytelling with a purpose, showcasing your potential with evidence and delivering the kind of substance that resonates deeply with the grant assessors. In a world brimming with worthy ideas, I’ll interrogate your concept, help you fill gaps and push you to make your idea the best it can be, so your proposal does more than simply meet the brief.
But grant funding is only the beginning.
Let’s work together to turn the ambition of your ideas into tangible and transformative outcomes for your community.
EVALUATION | TRAINING | GRANTS
Your bold goals + my deep expertise = World changing impact
Backed by more than a decade of extensive program-cycle experience, I help you achieve your mission through strategic grant applications and insightful evaluation.
I’m an evaluator
I’m an award-winning qualified program evaluator with experience across social impact and government projects.
I’m a grants expert
I’m an experienced grant writer and assessor who knows what grant-makers are looking for in a winning bid.
I’m a team player
I’m a collaborative member of any project team, bringing complementary skills and a friendly, can-do attitude.
I’m a program designer
I develop frameworks and plans that align project goals, leverage strengths and set you up for success.
Get in touch to find out how I can help you.
Martina brings intellectual rigour and admirable ethics to her work, is open to new ideas and is fabulous to discuss concepts and theories with.
Natalie Fisher
NSF Consulting
I’m known for my deep knowledge, ability to explain ideas and proactive approach to helping you do meaningful work
Growing up in the bush (at Numeralla, near Cooma), I learned early that the world isn’t always fair. Smaller communities often don’t get the same opportunities or resources as bigger cities, and I saw how these inequities play out in everyday life. This helped shape my understanding of unfair systems and reinforced my innate sense of fairness and a belief that things should be better.
This belief has driven my career. I began in the Australian Public Service as a graduate and have since spent over a decade working with governments and non-profits across many policy areas, including grant assessment and management and evaluation capacity building.
Now, as an independent consultant and coach, I support organisations across the entire grant and evaluation cycle. I’m a respected service provider in the social, not-for-profit, and government sectors, and am in demand for my strategic mindset, high-quality work, and the real impact I help my clients achieve.
I know I can’t make the world completely fair, but I can help make it fairer. That’s why my work is about helping people and projects that drive meaningful change – giving them the tools, strategy and insights they need to turn good ideas into programs that make things better.
Qualifications
See my full qualifications and professional experience on my LinkedIn profile (let’s be LinkedIn friends!).
Member of the Australian Evaluation Society
As an active member and contributor to the Australian Evaluation Society (AES), I stay at the forefront of industry practice and give back to support the growth of our professional community. I’m also bound by the AES Code of Ethics.
An award-winning evaluator
I won the Australian Evaluation Society’s 2024 Emerging New Talent Award. This award recognises my skills in evaluation and my contributions to the profession within my first 5 years of working as an evaluator. I’m proud to be recognised by industry professionals for my commitment to evaluation, analytical acumen, clear communication skills, and enthusiasm for consistently delivering quality evaluation work for my clients.
As seen in…
I’ve been featured in a range of articles, podcasts and more.
Martina is one of the most talented individuals I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. She understands grants like no other person I know having been on both sides of the table. She always has kind and considered feedback, her attention to detail is second to none and my success rate since working with her has been better than I could have imagined.
Emma Sharp
Stupid Old Studios
Values-led work
My values tell you who I am as a person and what you can expect when we work together.
Integrity
I’m honest, transparent, trustworthy and reliable, always delivering quality ethical work that stands up to scrutiny.
Flexibility
I adapt my approach to meet your unique needs and challenges, offering strategically tailored solutions.
Boldness
I’m bold in my way of doing business, with the confidence to ask the right questions and suggest the best course of action.
Understanding
I work alongside you, building mutual understanding to help you navigate complex ideas and take clear and confident action.
In addition to being an excellent team leader, Martina has shown significant skill in a highly complex project, bringing together numerous streams of information and helping to bridge gaps.
Nicki Hutley
Rovingstone Advisory
Project spotlight
A full-service offering
Learn how I helped the Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies launch a co-designed project addressing online child safety risks. My role included grant writing, project planning and in-depth evaluation.
Want to work with me?
Contact me today to find out how I can help you turn your ambitious ideas into transformative outcomes.