...Specializing in Non-Profit Development, Sustainability, and Growth

Mary E. Costello is a 1987 graduate of  The  Catholic University  of America, where  she studied both Social Work and Drama.   Her full-time non-profit service began in 1984, marking the start of a long and successful career in Social Work Administration—primarily in the mental health and developmental disabilities fields.

In directorship roles from a young age, Mary became known in the Maryland area for her strengths as a program developer. Creating several agencies from the “ground up” and revamping others in danger of closure due to serious state licensing deficiencies, she gained a solid reputation for innovative solutions to typical and atypical non-profit challenges.

Her grants history dates back to 1987, including negotiating and winning a 2.8 million dollar contract with the State of Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene/Developmental Disabilities Administration to start-up and operate the residential social services agency she founded in 1992, Creative Options, Inc.  This program was highly respected for its unique approaches to supporting persons with histories  of repeated  “failure” to successfully live in the community due to the presence of co-occurring diagnoses complicated by significant behavioral issues.

Before becoming an independent consultant, Mary served as  a full-time Grant Writer/Fundraiser for an independent school that educates children with learning differences and language delays/disorders.  She now offers a wide range of support services to non-profits throughout the United States—specializing in new organizational start-ups as well as the restructuring, improvement, sustainability, and expansion of more established agencies.

Since  forming  Creative Edge Consulting in  February  of   2005, Mary has been instrumental in the receipt of  over 14.5 million dollars in grant and other funding among her collective customer roster.

 

 

443-545-5863

443-545-5863