A Small Firm with Deep Expertise
Susan Taylor, MPA, CFRE
Founder & Principal Consultant | The Grant Lab, Inc.
Susan Taylor is the founder and CEO of The Grant Lab, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in federal and state grant strategy and development for community colleges, regional universities, and public-sector organizations. With more than 20 years of experience spanning higher education advancement, nonprofit executive leadership, and public service, she has helped organizations secure more than $69 million in funding and advance complex initiatives through strategic resource development.
Taylor's expertise includes competitive federal and state grant development, institutional funding strategy, grant prospect research, and independent proposal review. She has served as a federal grant peer reviewer for programs administered by the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor, bringing firsthand insight into the competitive review process. Previously, she served as executive director of two Oregon nonprofit organizations, where she led organizational strategy, partnerships, and resource development.
Taylor holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Montana and is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). She is a Fulbright Scholar and a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum of Oregon. She is based in Sisters, Oregon.
Primary Collaborator - Cascadia Consulting Partner, Aaron Shonk
Aaron Shonk has more than two decades of experience as a grant writer, fundraising professional, and capacity-building consultant. He has worked on several projects of national significance, including philanthropy for a wave energy conversion testing site off the Oregon Coast and innovative distance educational models.
Shonk excels at navigating the complexities of clients’ needs to arrive at stronger solutions through incremental and transformational funding. Past employers and clients include multiple K-12 school districts in California; community colleges in Oregon, Washington, and other states; four-year universities (OSU, Stanford, and Chaminade); and multiple nonprofit organizations.
Shonk holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and History from UCLA; a Master of Arts in English Literature from California State University, Sacramento; and an MBA from Arizona State University. He is also a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).