Hetrick Thrilled to Receive Scholarship

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Danell Hetrick – Director of Grant Writing & Communications, Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce

Arkansas Chapter Conference Scholar

danell.hetrick@mybatesville.org

 

Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce Director of Grant Writing & Communications, Danell Hetrick received a Grant Professionals Foundation scholarship to attend the Grant Professionals Association National Conference in St. Louis last November. The GPA Conference is the premier comprehensive professional development conference for professionals in all areas of grantsmanship. It is the only international professional development conference of its kind.

 

Hetrick said of the award, “I was truly thrilled when I received the award announcement. The GPA National Conference is a fantastic professional development opportunity, and I am excited to get to learn from some of the world’s elite grant professionals. I am honored that the Grant Professionals Foundation Scholarship Committee selected my application.”

 

Hetrick was one of 15 people to receive a scholarship for the 2015 GPA Conference through the Grant Professionals Foundation (GPF). Hetrick received her GPF conference scholarship through the Arkansas Chapter of GPA, which is one of many chapters that offer scholarships. In 2015, the GPF distributed nearly $20,000 in scholarships and sponsorships that support professional development through national membership in the Grant Professionals Association, national and regional conferences, and credentialing through the Grant Professionals Certification Institute.

 

You Made the World a Better Place

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By Teri S. Blandon, GPC – Vice President for External Relations, PAI
teriblandon@hotmail.com

 

This week, the Grant Professionals Foundation (GPF) released its 2015 Annual Report, available on its website here. Long-time supporters of the Foundation will notice a new, streamlined approach to the report, covering a year’s worth of achievements in just eight powerful pages—about half the size of reports in previous years. This was a strategic decision designed to place emphasis on the impact of the people who are the Foundation: donors, volunteers, and scholars.

 

The report’s theme of “Making the World a Better Place, One Grant at a Time” has an important double meaning. The initial meaning is obvious. As grant professionals, the grants we help procure make an important impact on our communities, our countries, and the world. This is underscored at the bottom of the report’s page 6, where it discusses the findings of the 2014 Grant Professionals Impact Survey. Among the most astonishing statistics is the fact that survey respondents secured more than $1 billion in grant funding. Whether you worked on a proposal for $1,000, $10,000 or $10 million, you contributed to an immense amount of resources that were invested in changing people’s lives for the better.

 

The second meaning of “Making the World a Better Place” refers to the difference the Foundation’s donors and volunteers make in the lives of fellow grant professionals. This year’s report provides a representative snapshot of the people who received GPF scholarships. The Foundation provides support for attending GPA annual conferences, organizing GPA chapter regional conferences, joining GPA, and applying for the GPC credential exam. The four people highlighted on pages 3-4 of the report received different types of scholarships, but a common theme runs through their stories: GPF scholars feel like they are part of a community that understands their professional challenges. Every single GPF donor and volunteer makes a tremendous impact by helping to build a cadre of educated, connected, effective, and successful grant professionals.

 

As GPF Chair Kimberly Hays de Muga, GPC, so eloquently writes in the report’s opening letter, “Your gifts of time, talent, and treasure are building a long-term legacy for the grants profession.” Read the report to see that truth in action.

 

I’m Not Lost at Sea Anymore

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By Amy Grosso – Grant Coordinator at Round Rock ISD

2015 Conference Scholar

Amy_Grosso@roundrockisd.org

 

I am an introvert. Many people are surprised when I make such a declaration, because I am a sociable person. I enjoy public speaking and spending time with friends. On the other hand, I shy away from large settings where I do not know anyone. My life as a grant coordinator for Round Rock Independent School District in Texas plays perfectly into my introversion.

 

As I started my job in May, I was introduced to GPA and quickly learned about the annual conference. I was eager for an important professional development opportunity and a scholarship through GPF made it possible for me to attend. Even though I was ready to learn from others and network, my anxiety slowly rose as I thought about not knowing one person! I was going to be alone in a sea of five hundred people.

 

I was relieved and happy to find my first GPA conference nothing but positive. It started with the newcomers’ breakfast. As I looked around the room and spoke with a few people at my table, I realized many others were just like me. They were new to the conference and did not know anyone.

 

I really felt welcome once I got to my Special Interest Group (SIG). I found myself surrounded by others working in similar settings. As I listened, I identified with things being said and took note of new ideas and things to consider. The best part was meeting many individuals also working at school districts in Texas. We discovered we were applying for some of the same grants and discussed how we each were approaching the process. We exchanged contact information and some of us even went to dinner one night.

 

As I left the SIG time, I no longer felt lost in a sea of five hundred people. I now was part of the five hundred and experienced a sense of community. I am a department of one and during the GPA conference I realized many others are in similar situations. By networking and meeting others, I no longer feel isolated in my work. I returned home with people to contact when I get stuck or need new ideas of how to approach grants in my setting.

 

Although I had to break out of my introverted shell, attending the GPA conference assisted me in feeling more confident in my career. I look forward to continuing to be part of a remarkable community and nurturing relationships formed.