Four Winds Writing • Client Testimonials

“Elaine Gast has worked on three writing projects for my department in the past year—a series of newsletters, an annual report and a major book on community foundation operations. Elaine has demonstrated a deep knowledge of philanthropy, exhibited a strong work ethic and produced high quality work on time and within budget. In addition, on a personal level, she has been a delight to work with.”

“We very much appreciate Elaine’s skill and efficiency as a researcher and writer, as well as her extensive knowledge of the family foundation field. She is able to quickly identify key material in philanthropy and organize it into crystal-clear prose that also is accessible and upbeat in style. Elaine is adept at using a variety of writing formats to convey information effectively. She is extremely responsive to project requirements and deadlines, and is also a pleasure to work with. We recommend her highly.”

“I hired Elaine in 2004 to write a family history to celebrate the legacy of my great uncle, Tom Lyle Williams, founder of Maybelline Company. Elaine was able to take a tremendous amount of information—family archives, letters, photographs, newspapers articles, interviews, diaries—and weave it into a succinct, compelling page-turner. As part of the project, she initiated historical research on her own that gave the story a rich context. In her writing style, she has a knack for making true characters and events come alive in words. Elaine balances creativity and professionalism; she is highly motivated, deadline-driven and dependable.”

“Elaine is not only a talented and professional writer, but her press relations produce results. We had outstanding returns with media and public response on her press releases.”

“Contracting Elaine Gast of Four Winds Writing, Inc. has been an excellent way for A Keiki’s Dream to enhance its fundraising and public relations capacity...giving us quality, professional writing capability within a small staff configuration. Since coming on board, Elaine has gotten our mission, our story, and our needs out to our supporters and others in the community through our annual report, our newsletters, and most recently, a training manual for volunteers. With her help, we have increased our capacity to share the dreams of the children we serve, to make supporters aware of ways that they can help, and to train our volunteers. Elaine makes a difference for A Keiki’s Dream, and she will make a difference for you.”