Today we’d like to introduce you to Cybill Bridges.
Hi Cybill, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My journey to creating Bridges Grant Solutions, LLC has been shaped by a combination of inspiration, aviation, an unexpected turning point in my life and luck.
After graduating from college, I began my professional career working for a nonprofit venture capital organization that funded minority companies. That experience introduced me to the incredible work nonprofits do every day and more importantly, the challenges they face in securing the resources needed to continue serving their communities. With my mother serving on the board I had a first hand example of passionate people doing meaningful, life-changing work while constantly having to stretch limited resources. That experience planted a seed in me, that I would later realize, sparked my passion for community development and wanting to help organizations access the funding they need to grow. It also was when I actually saw my mother in a different light. She became an inspiration and mentor to me instead of just my mother.
My next opportunity was working with the United Way for a giving season. Here I learned that corporations were just as passionate about helping those in need as individuals. After finishing a giving season with the United Way of the Twin Cities, I left Minnesota and my comfort zone to began a career in aviation, which was unexpected. This is where I have been for 20 years building my professional experience. My aviation career taught me the importance of communication, relationship-building, adaptability, and staying calm when things do not go according to plan.
I experienced a neck injury in year 15 of my aviation career, this is where I found myself at an unplanned place where it was not certain that I was able to return to the skies.. While the injury created challenges, it also at that time I taught me patience. I had to find a way to support myself should if I was not able to return to flying. Frustrated, I sought guidance from my mother and circle, they encouraged me to go back to my roots of the non profit sector but this time on the grant writing side instead of the giving side. I started studying and found my passion again. That turning point ultimately led to the creation of Bridges Grant Solutions, LLC (BGS)
BGS combines my professional experience, my passion for helping others, and my understanding of the challenges nonprofit organizations face. My goal was simple: help organizations reach their highest heights by helping them to become better prepared to pursue funding, identify meaningful grant opportunities, tell their stories effectively, build the capacity needed for long-term sustainability and creating lasting relationships with the organizations that believe in their mission.
Today, BGS supports organizations working to create meaningful change, with a particular focus on minority-led nonprofits and organizations connected to the aviation community. What began during a difficult and unexpected season in my life has grown into a purposeful business that allows me to help organizations turn their vision into funded opportunities.
Although my journey was full of ups and downs, I also learned a lot about myself. I learned that my experience in the nonprofit sector gave me the passion, my aviation career gave me the professional skills, and my injury gave me the unexpected push to create something of my own.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Creating a BGS was not a smooth journey. I’ve had highs that make me feel like, “I really can do this,” and lows that make me question whether I should go back to flying full time. There was and still is a lot of second-guessing myself, especially when you are building something from the ground up. I can have a great week and feel unstoppable and full of confidence and a week where I want to give up completely. For example, the first grant I wrote was a federal one (which is the hardest and most intimidating one to face). One day I was sitting at my computer realizing I was not where I had projected myself to be and really thought that I should give up, that was when I got the call that the grant got fully funded. I was beyond excited, I called my mother and told her the great news and begin to celebrate (which was deserved), but in the mist of celebrating I had to remember there was still a lot of work to do. That was one opportunity and I was just getting started. Now the real test was if I could do it again.
That’s when I realized success brings its own kind of uncertainty. One day you’re on cloud nine after a win, where everything is going your way and then the next day receive a denial that brings you down to earth. When things start working, you realize that staying successful can sometimes be just as challenging as becoming successful. There is always another goal to reach, another client to serve, another opportunity to pursue, and another problem waiting to be solved. You have to fight the urge to become comfortable because the moment you stop paying attention, thats is when things change.
Building a business has taught me that confidence and doubt can exist at the same time. You can be proud of how far you’ve come and still wonder what is next. You can celebrate a win while worrying about whether you can repeat it. Entrepreneurship is very rewarding. Every challenge teaches you something new. Every setback forces you to grow. And every success reminds you why you started in the first place. It’s almost like a
I have learned that staying on top is not about never falling. It is about being willing to get back up, adjust, keep learning, and keep moving forward, especially when you are not completely sure what is around the corner. And sometimes, you just have to remind yourself: **you didn’t come this far to quit now. Keep going and trust the process. What is meant for you will come.”
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Bridges Grant Solutions, LLC?
Bridges Grant Solutions, LLC (BGS) was created to help good organizations get the resources they need to do the work they are passionate about. That’s really what it comes down to for me.
My path to creating BGS wasn’t exactly planned. After an injury changed the possible direction of my career, I had to figure out what was next. That experience brought me back to my passion for nonprofits and ultimately led me to create Bridges Grant Solutions, LLC.
Today, BGS helps nonprofits become grant-ready, identify funding opportunities, develop competitive proposals, strengthen their funding strategies, and tell their stories in a way that connects with funders. I provide proposal writing, funding searches, peer reviews, relationship building, helping you and your organization get grant ready and business development consulting. I also provide strategic guidance because sometimes you just need another set of eyes to make sure you are submitting the strongest, most competitive proposal possible and putting your organization in a position to stand out from the rest.
What sets BGS apart is that I don’t believe in cookie-cutter grant writing. Your organization isn’t like every other organization, and your story shouldn’t sound like one. I take the time to understand the people behind the mission and the community behind the work, then help turn that story into a compelling case for funding.
I am especially passionate about working with minority-led nonprofits and organizations connected to aviation. I know many organizations are doing extraordinary work without having access to the same resources, networks, and opportunities as larger organizations. My passion is helping level that playing field.
The name **Bridges Grant Solutions** is intentional and deeply personal. “Bridges” comes from my mother, and “Grant” comes from my father. Together, their names represent my family legacy and the foundation they gave me. They taught me resilience, determination, and that I can achieve anything I put my mind to. Those lessons are woven into everything I do.
I bring that same conviction to the organizations I work with. I help them build bridges between their organizations and the opportunities they are seeking, between great ideas and the funding needed to make them happen, and between where an organization is today and where it wants to go.
I’m proud that BGS came from an unexpected career change, a lot of faith, and the decision to turn a difficult season into a new opportunity. I also believe that staying competitive means never becoming comfortable with what you already know. I make it a priority to expand my knowledge every year, stay current with the funding landscape, and find new and creative ways to help the organizations I serve grow, strengthen their capacity, and remain competitive.
For me, BGS isn’t simply about writing grants. It’s about building bridges, opening doors, and helping organizations turn their vision into opportunities that can change lives. At BGS we help organizations reach their highest heights.
What are your plans for the future?
The future for Bridges Grant Solutions is both exciting and scary at the same time, but I am ready for my next chapter. One of the biggest changes ahead is my full retirement from flying, which will allow me to dedicate my time, energy, and experience to BGS and focus fully on grant writing and consulting.
For the past 3 yeas, I have successfully balanced my aviation career while building BGS. That experience has taught me discipline, time management, resilience, and how to make things happen even when the schedule is tight and there are only so many hours in the day. As BGS grows i have proven to myself that I am ready to take everything I have learned and put it fully behind the business I created.
My vision is to continue growing BGS, expand the organizations and communities we serve, and provide nonprofits with the strategies, resources, and expertise they need to compete for funding and grow. I also plan to continue investing in my own professional development so I can bring new ideas, funding strategies, and opportunities to my clients.
I am proud of what I have built while balancing two careers, but I know there is so much more BGS can become. Having the ability to focus on it full-time will allow me to be more intentional about growth, strengthen client relationships, pursue larger opportunities, and expand the impact of the work we do.
I don’t see retirement from aviation as stepping away from something. I have learned so much from my time in the aviation industry and it has helped me gain confidence i never thought I had to walk the road less traveled and now it is time to put it into action. This next chapter is about taking BGS to the next level, and I am ready for it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bridgesgrants.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bgrantsolutions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bgrantsolutions
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bgrantsolutions/
