Meet the Team
Our Agency
Lightmaker Grants & Strategy specializes in grant writing and fundraising strategy for education, youth, and workforce development programs. Our mission is to help changemakers get the resources they need to make a lasting impact on the people and communities they serve. We partner with nonprofits, schools, and public agencies to write winning grants and tell their stories with clarity, purpose, and power.
We are proudly based in Little Rock, Arkansas, serving clients nationwide.
Grant WriterDr. Ginny Blankenship, CFRE
Founder & Lead StrategistDr. Ginny Blankenship’s magic power is using the right words to raise money, advocate for good people and causes, and get things done.
Ginny has over 20 years of experience working with nonprofits, schools, universities, and federal and state governments. She began her career as communications director in the U.S. Congress during 9/11. After falling in love with education policy, she was awarded a fellowship to complete her doctorate at the George Washington University.
Since then, she has led advocacy campaigns at raised over $9 million for schools and nonprofit organizations across the country. As a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), she is one of the few nonprofit professionals to have reached the highest credential in the field. She leads one of the only agencies in the country that specializes in grant writing for education, youth, and workforce development programs.
Virtual Assistant
Chayney Beard
Chayney is a virtual assistant with a passion for bringing order to chaos and turning clunky processes into smooth-running systems. With over a decade in small business environments, she understands firsthand the value of time, clarity, and well-oiled workflows. Her specialties include process optimization, automation, project management, and bookkeeping - services she approaches with precision and care.
In Short, Chayney is the behind-the-scenes powerhouse who helps teams breathe easier and operate better - one task at a time.
Dr. Anna Kensicki, M.P.A.
Dr. Anna Kensicki has spent 14 years securing funding and conducting program evaluations for education, youth, and cultural initiatives. She has worked with postsecondary institutions and nonprofits in North America, Europe, francophone Africa, and the SWANA region. Her writing has supported successful multi-million-dollar proposals to funders including the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Labor, the European Union, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Anna holds a Ph.D. in Politics and International Studies from SOAS, University of London, and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Louisville. She is also certified in Monitoring and Evaluation (MEAL DPro), a former Fulbright Research Scholar, and a U.S. Presidential Management Fellow.