Brandi VanAntwerp has proven time and again she can show us the money. As development director of Habitat for Humanity since 2012, she has grown annual fundraising through the Tool Belts & Bow Ties event by 150 percent. VanAntwerp is a charter member and current treasurer for the Southwest Missouri Grant Writers Organization serving as a valued resource to area nonprofits and grant writers, and her skills recently helped Habitat earn the single largest grant award in the Springfield chapter’s 27-year history. The organization was awarded a grant written by VanAntwerp totaling $492,570 to assist low-income families in Greene County with critical home repairs.
What was your first job? In high school, I was a waitress at a diner called Scooters.
What do you miss most about the 1990s? “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” Boyz II Men and No Doubt.
What about your job would shock clients? We do not give homes away. Homeowners must have a need for housing, a willingness to do their sweat equity volunteer hours – between 250 to 350 hours – and the ability to repay their 20-year-zero percent interest mortgage.
What is your best productivity hack? Schedule your time very carefully and guard your calendar. It is your most precious commodity and something you cannot buy or get back. I keep everything on one digital calendar and work hard to squeeze every second out of the day.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be? I would be The Flash and be able to move around even faster.
