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About Me
Hey there, I'm DeaRonda, known for being typically quiet - can you believe I got in trouble in school for talking too much? I guess I was bored. But hey, I was a straight-A student, and anything less than an A felt like a failure to me.
Writing has always been my jam. In high school, a teacher told me I had a flair for it and I've been getting paid to write ever since.
When I'm not working, you can find me hanging out with my family, hunting down new restaurants in Atlanta, indulging in some Garretts popcorn, or savoring a killer grilled cheese sandwich. And nothing beats my ma's cornbread – it's the best! Clearly, I am a certified foodie!
I'm a '90s R&B aficionado and can listen to it all day everyday. Honestly, I have no clue who these new artists are these days.
I am the founder and President of June First Firm, a full-service grant writing firm dedicated to serving nonprofit organizations with comprehensive range of services, including grant research, writing, reporting, and evaluation. I specialize in federal funding sources winning $35M in grant awards in various sectors to include K-12 education, workforce development, housing, and healthcare.
Nonprofits, I get it – you need top-notch grant writers. That's where I come in, helping newly hired Executive Directors train their staff so they won't have to worry. I specialize in training grant writers so they can acquire the necessary skills to write and win grants.
I become a partner with your organization to lay the foundation for reasonable expectations among the entire team.
I'm not just talk – I believe in always leveling up my skill. I'm a member of the Grant Professionals Association (GPA) and even served as the Georgia Chapter President for two years. I have an MBA from Ashford University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Tuskegee University.
TESTIMONIALS
Teri B., Interfaith Works
DeaRonda is supporting Interfaith Works as we search for a full-time Corporate and Foundation Relations Officer and it is like having in-house staff. She quickly learned about IW's many programs and has created general operating and program proposals that are well-written, creative and responsive to the donors' requirements. She works easily and flexibly with our busy program and financial staff. She is extremely organized and completes proposals and reports well ahead of the deadlines. We are so pleased with her project management and writing skills that we have already contracted with her to help with a complicated government proposal that will be released months from now. I spent much of my career working on grants and I have tremendous respect for DeaRonda's talents. I wholeheartedly recommend her services.
Alison C.M., Jeremiah Program
DeaRonda is lovely! Jeremiah Program subcontracted with DeaRonda for 5 months. Given Jeremiah's residential and non-residential models, it was so important to have a grant writer who could capture and articulate what was unique about Boston and all of its' nuanced service delivery methods.
In an incredibly short amount of time DeaRonda leaned in and was able to succinctly yet powerfully describe our mission and our impact for various funders with different priorities. She adapted to my working style and followed up within strict timelines using various methods so that we were able to get a lot proposals submitted with fast turnarounds. Having reached a place where she could anticipate my preferences and asks for certain funders with particular priorities I was sad to see DeaRonda's contract end.
She is extremely professional, an excellent listener, adaptive and flexible and still extremely methodical when structuring tasks to complete. What is more, I trust and value her opinion and perspective and could not have asked for a better thought partner for the first half of the year. I highly recommend her!
Erica B., School Leader Lab
DeaRonda is a no brainer decision. I brought DeaRonda on in my first two months as an Executive Director. She completely overhauled all of our grant language, made a grants calendar, applied to grants independently and we were able to bring in more money in our fourth quarter than we had all year. DeaRonda is warm, professional, and talented. She left us in such a strong place that I can now transition her work to an internal staff member. Don't walk, run, to DeaRonda! She paid for herself in one month!
TESTIMONIALS
Ashley W., Community of Hope
DeaRonda led the grant management and reporting for our federal grants submission which funded a myriad of our programs. She helped us receive awards and manage $6M in funds for our agency in the District. I recommend her for any business needs as she definitely gets the job done in a swift and concise manner. She is a consummate professional and I am confident she will be an excellent contribution to any team.
Toni D., Atlanta Mission
DeaRonda came to Atlanta Mission in just the knick of time. She jumped right in and helped us manage our $1M grant program with a number of corporate and foundation deadlines that she helped to assist in a rapid manner. She did what it took to make sure we didn’t miss deadlines and continue to engage and develop relationships with current and new funders. I would recommend her to any organization that needs a grant professional with promising results that can hit the ground running to secure and manage funds.
Elna P., Family Support Circle
DeaRonda immediately helped us complete grant applications to support our youth programs. She researched additional grants and new sponsor opportunities. Through her efforts, we were able to secure grant funding from Fulton County government. Her support was invaluable and allowed our small staff the ability to focus on their specific job duties.
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