Our Founder | Shavonn Richardson | Think and Ink Grant Consulting®
Think and Ink Grant Consulting — Celebrating 10 Years
Celebrating 10 Years 2016 – 2026  ·  A decade of impact
Our Founder & CEO

Shavonn Richardson

MBA  ·  GPC  ·  Founder & CEO, Think and Ink Grant Consulting®

"I started this firm because I had seen the problem from both sides — and I knew the game was strategy."

Grant Professional Certified (GPC) — fewer than 1,000 nationwide
Past National President, Grant Professionals Association
AFP Diversity Fellow  ·  Atlanta Business League Honoree
MBA, Emory  ·  BBA, Howard University
Let's Talk
Shavonn Richardson, Founder and CEO of Think and Ink Grant Consulting, seated on a gold sofa in a professional setting wearing white
20+ Years
of Experience
$625M+
Secured for Clients
10 Years
of Think & Ink

I saw the problem
from both sides
of the table.

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 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.

This year, we are proud to celebrate 10 years of Think and Ink Grant Consulting®. A decade of strategy, storytelling, and securing over $625 million for mission-driven organizations nationwide.

"Too many amazing organizations were missing the mark — not because their work wasn't worthy, but because their grant strategy wasn't strong enough."

— Shavonn Richardson, Founder & CEO

The pattern I saw over and over:

  • Rushing to apply without a clear plan or "why"
  • Misreading what funders were actually asking
  • Not meeting the level of detail and execution funders expect

The Think and Ink Difference

We don't just write grants —
we lead with strategy.

This is how we help organizations craft stronger, more competitive proposals — and secure the funding they need to continue their invaluable work.

Let's Create Your Strategy
Shavonn Richardson Founder & CEO — Think and Ink Grant Consulting®
GPC MBA BBA B Corp

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 Blue Flowers Org — a nonprofit she founded 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 of Think and Ink Grant Consulting®, she leverages her experience on both sides of the funding table 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 speaker and is an active industry voice on LinkedIn through her bi-weekly newsletter, Get.Grants.Better.®

She holds the Grant Professional Certified (GPC) credential — an achievement earned by fewer than 1,000 grant professionals nationwide, administered by the Grant Professionals Certification Institute (GPCI) based on rigorous standards and ongoing research.

"For me, cmmunity service isn't just a career for me — it's a calling that runs in my family. I am proud to be the 4th generation of my family dedicated to community work." Shavonn lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and two children.

Recognition & Service
Leadership
National President
Grant Professionals Association (GPA) — Immediate Past President
Award — 2023
Business Women to Watch
Atlanta Business League
Fellowship — 2017
AFP Diversity Fellow
Association of Fundraising Professionals
Volunteer Service
Corporate Giving & Grants Chair
Junior League of Atlanta
Nonprofit Founder
Blue Flowers Org
501(c)(3) focused on community health and men's health advocacy
Credential
Grant Professional Certified (GPC)
Fewer than 1,000 credentialed professionals nationwide
MBA in Finance
Emory University — Atlanta, Georgia
BBA — Business Administration
Howard University — Washington, D.C.

Let's create the strategy —
and the proposals — that make
funders say yes.

Schedule a free consultation with Shavonn's team today.

Let's Talk