Deborah J. Richardson papers

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1952, Deborah J. Richardson graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in Political Science. In 1975 she began working for the Atlanta YWCA, as project director of its Project FOCUS, introducing high school girls to non-traditional careers. As director of the Phyllis Wheatley branch of the YWCA (1980-1987), she was instrumental in establishing Cascade House, the first shelter for homeless women and children in Atlanta. She also ran a capital campaign which successfully raised funds to renovate the Phyllis Wheatley facility. From 1987 to 1994, Richardson served as Executive Director of the Capitol Area Mosaic (CAM), which provided social, recreational, economic, and spiritual development for young women in the Atlanta area, and from 1994 to 1999, she was Managing Director for the National Black Art's Festival.

Richardson served as Organizational Development Consultant of the Georgia Center of Nonprofits from 1998 to 2004, and was also the founding Executive Director for The Juvenile Justice Fund (2000-2004). During her tenure with the Juvenile Justice Fund, Richardson became actively involved in efforts to end child prostitution in Atlanta, and worked on efforts to establish Angela's House, the first safe house east of the Mississippi for sexually exploited girls. In 2004, Richardson became Vice President of Programs and Strategic Initiatives for the Atlanta Women's Foundation, and went on to serve as Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation from 2006 to 2008. In 2008, Richardson became Chief Program Officer for The Women's Funding Network in San Francisco, California.