Cody McGraw
I am a consultant, grant writer, and guide who works with organizations and groups doing meaningful work and seeking thoughtful guidance along the way. My approach is grounded in partnership and a belief that every organization and every group has a story worth telling.
My path into this work began early.
I grew up in a family business, Outlaw BBQ Company, working alongside my parents and siblings serving thousands of people at large scale events. Leading crews of up to one hundred people taught me how to guide groups, tell a shared story through experience, and create environments where people wanted to show up and contribute.
I later served in the U.S. Army, where I helped lead eighty six cadets through training, planning, and high pressure challenges. That experience shaped how I think about leadership, responsibility, and guiding people through uncertainty.
After leaving the military, I founded SCOUT, a mobile app created to support service members and veterans. Building the company with co founders, securing investment, and growing to tens of thousands of users strengthened my skills in strategy, storytelling, and turning ideas into lived experiences.
Across these varied experiences, I have consistently worked at the edges of traditional systems. That perspective has shaped how I approach nonprofit work and group experiences, bringing a sense of openness and freshness that invites people to participate more fully.
My nonprofit work has included grant writing and major gifts. I served as a grant writer and funder facilitator with INCIGHT and later as Capital Campaign Director at Street Roots.
Since founding Guide on the Side in 2023, I have worked primarily as a grant writer and guide, collaborating across nonprofit, government, and technology sectors and designing experiences that help people feel the joys of life.
I want to hear more about where you’re going.
~Cody
