About Luis Bernal, MPP, PMP®
I am a senior grants and evaluation consultant with 35 years of experience helping organizations win and manage funding and understand whether their programs work or not and why, and what to do about it. I have led or contributed to more than 45 evaluations of grant-funded programs with combined budgets exceeding USD 900 million, across 25+ countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and the United States — for funders including the US Department of State, USAID, the European Union, the United Nations, and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Today my practice is focused on Southwest Florida, where I have lived since 2005 and where my family, my civic life, and my community commitments are rooted. I help local foundations, nonprofits, and public agencies find and manage grants, evaluate their programs, and plan what comes next — bringing donor-grade rigor to the community I call home.
I hold a Master of Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts–Dartmouth and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Universidad Externado de Colombia, where I also completed multi-year coursework in law. My professional education includes Evaluation and Applied Research Methods (Claremont University), the International Program for Development Evaluation Training (World Bank–Carleton University), and an Applied Generative AI certificate (Johns Hopkins University). I am a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®), valid through 2030, and currently I am pursuing a CPHQ (Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality)
Fully bilingual in English and Spanish, I bring a combination that is hard to find in one consultant: international technical rigor, deep local roots, and the ability to work directly with the communities that programs serve.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Service to Southwest Florida
Since relocating to Collier County in 2005, I have been deeply involved in community service, contributing to education, civic participation, business development, and local governance.
BUSINESS & ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. I co-founded and served as president of the Council of Hispanic Business Professionals and have collaborated with the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, the Opportunity Naples Steering Committee, the Florida SBDC at Florida Gulf Coast University, and the Economic Development Council of Collier County.
EDUCATION. I established a scholarship fund for Hispanic girls pursuing STEM studies and have served on advisory committees for Hodges University and Collier County Public Schools. I served as an external grants consultant to The Immokalee Foundation, supported the Golden Apple Awards program, participated in the Superintendent's District Advisory Council, and was a candidate for the Collier County School Board.
GOVERNANCE & CIVIC PARTICIPATION. My community involvement includes service on the Greater Naples Better Government Committee, the Naples Daily News Editorial Advisory Board, the Collier County Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board, and the board of the Haitian Coalition of Collier County. I have volunteered for two decades as a poll worker, and I currently serve on the Collier County Citizens' Foster Care Review Board and the County Government Productivity Committee.
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP. My contributions to civic life have been recognized with awards, including the Naples Daily News '25 Over 50' Civic Award. As a graduate of Leadership Collier (Class of 2015), I continue to support efforts that promote inclusion, leadership, and community engagement.
About my work
What I bring
I bring extensive experience in research, grants, and program-evaluation to help local mission-driven organizations be more effective, fundable, and relevant to the communities they serve. I have written and managed competitive grants, advised nonprofits and community-based organizations, and evaluated grant-funded programs across economic development, education, and human and community services. My work spans the full grant lifecycle—securing funding, strengthening proposals, and ensuring compliance—and the full program cycle—designing, implementing, and evaluating what works —so leaders know not only whether a program succeeded, but why, and what to do next.
I don't see my role as that of an auditor, inspector, or critic charged with ruling on the "good, the bad, or the ugly." Evaluation isn't an end in itself — it's a means. I work as an active partner to program teams and leaders, helping them understand what's working, what needs adjustment, and where their next investment can have the greatest effect.
I also integrate advanced analytical tools, including data visualization, digital surveys, and applied generative AI, to enhance the quality, clarity, and efficiency of research, analysis, reporting, and communication. I value clarity over complexity, usefulness over abstraction, and respect over quick judgments.
Approach and Value
Across all assignments, I emphasize:
- Methodologically sound, comprehensive, and feasible evaluation design
- Respectful, culturally responsive, and equitable approach to stakeholder engagement
- Strategic diplomacy and clear communication in complex or politically sensitive environments
- Strong interviewing, data analysis, and synthesis skills
- Participative sense-making, knowledge appropriation, and findings utilization
- Practical, actionable recommendations focused on multi-dimensional sustainability.
- Effective leadership of multicultural and multidisciplinary local and international evaluation teams