Our Founder
Shavonn Richardson, MBA, GPC
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"Learn to do good. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed."
Isaiah 1:17
Founders Story
When I founded Think and Ink Grant Consulting® almost 10 years ago, it was because I saw a real problem—one I had experienced from both sides of the funding table.
The truth is… I was tired.
I had been a nonprofit leader chasing funding. I had also worked at a corporate foundation, helping distribute over $1.2 million each year to Atlanta nonprofits supporting incredible organizations.
From that vantage point, I saw a pattern. Too many amazing organizations were missing the mark—not because their work wasn’t worthy, but because their grant strategy wasn’t strong enough. I saw it happen over and over:
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Rushing to apply without a clear plan or “why”
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Misreading what funders were actually asking
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Not meeting the level of detail and execution funders expect
I knew then what I know now: the game is strategy.
That’s why at Think and Ink Grant Consulting®, we don’t just write grants—we lead with strategy. We help our clients slow down, think deeply, and develop a tailored grant-seeking approach before the first word is written.
This is how we help organizations craft stronger, more competitive proposals—and secure the funding they need to continue their invaluable work.
It’s why our name says it all: we help you "think" strategically and then "ink" winning proposals.
Let’s create the strategy—and the proposals—that make funders say yes. ----------> Let's Talk
About Shavonn Richardson MBA, GPC
Shavonn has over 20 years of experience as a grant writer, nonprofit leader, grantmaker, and federal grants reviewer. She started her career as co-founder of the nonprofit organization, Blue Flowers Org, after losing her grandfather to prostate cancer. Shavonn also worked as a Corporate Social Responsibility Program Manager for a corporate foundation, reviewing over $1.3 million in grant applications annually. Now, as Founder and CEO at Think and Ink Grant Consulting®, Shavonn leverages her experience as both a nonprofit leader and grantmaker to help organizations transform their grant-seeking strategies. She and her team provide customized, real-world solutions to help organizations "think" strategically and "ink" winning grant proposals.
Shavonn is also a Forbes-published author, speaker, and industry voice on LinkedIn through her bi-weekly newsletter, Get.Grants.Better.® Shavonn holds a Grant Professional Certified (GPC) credential - an achievement earned by fewer than 1,000 grant professionals nationwide. Administered by the Grant Professionals Certification Institute (GPCI), the GPC certification is based on rigorous standards and ongoing research to meet the real-world demands of grant professionals. She is also a GPA Approved Trainer, demonstrating a grant professional skillset as well-prepared, credible, and skilled in helping people build their grant knowledge base.
Shavonn is a member of the Grant Professionals Association (GPA). Shavonn is committed to giving back to the grant professionals industry. She currently serves as the national President of the Grant Professionals Association (GPA) and was the past Vice President. She has volunteered as the Corporate Giving/Sponsorships and Grants Chair for the Junior League of Atlanta. In 2017, she was recognized as an Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Diversity Fellow. In 2023, she received the "Business Women to Watch" Award from the Atlanta Business League.
Shavonn earned an MBA in Finance from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, and a BBA from Howard University in Washington, DC. She is a wife and mother of two.