I am grateful to the Grant Professionals Foundation for the opportunity to attend my first GPA Conference. Having attended many online (and in person) conferences, I am always a bit leery of the quality, technology, and diversity of subjects. I was thrilled to find the conference providing me with the next level of education needed to advance my grant writing skills. Any technological issues were minor and easily addressed. It was by far the most engaging conference I have ever attended. Each speaker was thoughtful, well-prepared, and knowledgeable about their subject matter. For the courses with more than one speaker, I found the interactions between the two (or more) to be complementary and at times, entertaining.

My journey to the grant writing profession was a long one but well worth the wait. I have a master’s degree in social work and worked as a therapist for four years prior to becoming the agency’s grant writer. The person who had the position prior to me was no longer employed by the agency. Often, I found myself digging through folders and files to find what was needed to reapply for a grant or include as an attachment. The GPA course “Design Thinking: a Dynamic Grants Manual for your Team Successor,” was exactly what I needed not only to prepare for the next grant writer, but also to keep me organized.

My skills as a social worker come in handy when building relationships with grantors, working with several program directors, and telling the story of the children and families served by my organization. Several of the courses I attended touched on the importance of empathy, listening, collaboration, setting expectations, and information sharing. All of which are invaluable when it comes to writing grants.

I walked away from this conference feeling equipped and energized. My goal is to take this “mountain top experience” into my day-to-day work.

It’s been about two weeks since the 2022 Annual Grant Professionals Association Conference finished. In these weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to tell my peers about my experience and to reflect upon what I learned and experienced during my few days in Louisville, Kentucky.

My biggest takeaway was that the Grants Industry is much more robust than I had ever imagined. I learned so much from all of the wonderful presenters and practitioners that were in attendance. I’m grateful for the opportunity to gather information about the realm of consulting and to connect with my peers on topics such as ethics, client relationships, proposal development, and grant management. As the Senior Manager of Programs for the Alaska Native Heritage Center I am continuously engaged with all aspects of the grant lifecycle, stewarding funds from federal, foundational, and corporate entities. The conference allowed me to expand my understanding of topics such as the federal appropriations process and the production of charts for data visualization.

The scholarship from the Grants Professional Foundation was critically important for me to attend the conference. The organization I work for does not have an allocated budget for things like this, and we can only attend if funding is available based on our social enterprise activities. The scholarship made it so that this was accessible for me, as COVID had negatively impacted our organization’s revenue streams.

The GPA conference is such an important professional development opportunity for those who engage in the craft of grants. This conference is so valuable because it helps individuals grow through the improvement of skills and deepening of knowledge surrounding the field. By the end of the conference, I had made several new connections, found someone from my local community who I aim to collaborate with, and so many documents, presentations, and hand outs that will advance my ability to fundraise for my organization.

I found it particularly interesting to see how individuals responded to my contributions in conversations. I work for an Indigenous institution that focuses on the advancement and preservation of culture, and part of our mission is focused on advocacy. Wearing the advocate hat is a part of my everyday job, so when I was able to participate in conversations by contributing information about cultural responsiveness, awareness of backgrounds and identities, and the systemic inequities which are a part of the systems of government and philanthropy, it was received very positively. This was heartening, as many individuals in the field are not very aware of the unique circumstances which may impact individuals who do not fit comfortably into the American cultural landscape.

I can’t wait for next year, and I’m hopeful to remain engaged with the Grants Professional Association throughout the next twelve months to learn from this incredible group of peers.

This year was my first time attending the Grant Professional Association Conference. I attended virtually participating in all available online options including attending session and the exhibitor booths.  The online platform used for the conference was very user-friendly allowing me to easily navigate all aspects of the conference.

Attending the opening sessions on Thursday set the tone for the remainder of the conference. I found the opening session to be engaging and inspiring setting me up for a two-day immersive learning experience.

I chose sessions that were relevant to my current role as both a Grant Administrator and manager of a team of grant writing professionals. The first session I planned to attend was 7 Methods for Grant Professionals to Prioritize Proposals for A Grant Team. I was excited about this session, but due to technical difficulties, I had to leave the session. The session I attended instead Grants Management 101 was very informative and relevant to the current discussion amongst our team. The key takeaway from this session was engaging third parties. We work a lot with subawards and the process to determine the difference between a contract and a subaward is something we encounter on a regular basis. The guidance Scott Scheffler shared from a federal compliance perspective reinforced the way we evaluate these relationships to determine the correct classification, subaward vs contractor.

The next session I attended was Grants QSMO Will Improve the Grant Experience. While there was no practical application for my current work, it was interesting to learn how the QSMO is operating at the federal level to support federal agencies in managing and deploying grant management systems. My impression is that like all of us they are charged with an uphill battle in terms of organization size and funding, yet their scope of work includes addressing multiple stakeholders with significant barriers to conforming to common principles and grant technology platforms. Despite their limited funding, size, and time on the project they have made significant progress given the multidimensional federal agencies they work with. I will be following the work of the Grants QSMO to see how it will impact the federal grant application process in the future and their ability to migrate agencies to uniform platforms for grant applications and management.

I then attended the Donor/Scholarship Recognition online event. This is the first time I have ever attended a virtual recognition event.  I thought it was very well done and positioned within the conference. I had already attended some great sessions, so I came into the recognition event grateful for receiving the conference scholarship and a deeper appreciation for the Grant Professionals Association.

In the next session, How Numbers Tell A Story, I served as a moderator. Having never volunteered in this capacity before, I enjoyed my experience. It allowed me to support the presenter by monitoring the chat and sharing resources, such as the link to the OMB uniform grant guidance. I re-typed the links shared on slides so that participants could check out the links live while she was presenting. This session reinforced the need to pay attention to detail and ensure that the narrative coincides with the proposed budget. She shared real case studies that demonstrated how easily details can be missed.

Attending the Friday morning session was a great start to my day and the second day of online learning. Growing up in the 90s and being a fan of Salt N Pepper, hearing the event emcees do a parody of “What a Grant, What a Grant, What a Mighty Good Grant” was an absolute treat. I have never been more entertained at a conference and appreciate how they incorporate fun and humor to prepare you for another day of learning. Conferences can get long when it is solely focused on education, and I appreciate that this conference recognizes that and incorporated ways to keep the event fun and engaging yet full of resources, tools, and information.

Following the Friday morning kick-off, I moderated the OMB update. Gil Tran weaved in elements of humor with the OMB informative OMB updates which kept the session engaging. Everyone attending this session left with a better understanding of the impact of COVID funding and the changes under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. I am sure most of the participants are now using the expression Gil taught everyone “Same, Same but Different”! The video from this session is one that everyone should go back and watch. As a moderator, I served in the same capacity as I did before, posting links in the chat and monitoring questions. This session was easily my favorite session I attended.

The next session I attended was the Latest Census Bureau Data and Tools for Your Grant Applications. It was a great overview of the different census data surveys that are collected. What I found most helpful was the demonstration of how to extract data from the website. I have already put this into practice for a grant that I am working on. I could have wasted a lot of time looking for the data had I not attended this session.

The last two sessions I attended Is the Form Flawed? Grant Reviewer Perception of Narrative vs Form Applications and Two Bachelor Fanatics: A Case Study in What the Franchise Will Teach You About the Grant Profession were interesting but didn’t produce information or inspiration that I could apply to my daily work. There were also technical issues in both sessions making it challenging for the online participant. I think these two sessions were probably better suited for in-person only rather than being offered online.

I would summarize my first-time attending the Grant Professionals Association National Conference as impactful and educational. I left with tools and resources that I can use in my work and share with the team of Grant Administrators that I manage. I would attend again online but would like to attend in person someday. The vibe that I got from this conference is one where you can build a strong network of support in a matter of days. This isn’t easy to achieve online, but they did their best to ensure the conference was meaningful for everyone whether in person or online.

Giving, growing and learning. These three words aptly define my career and approach to being the best grants professional and fundraiser I can be. I believe career growth starts with being a lifelong learner, listener, and collaborator to add strong team value for community good.

For me, 2021 began with a new job in higher education grants management after previous grants and development positions at small, community-based nonprofits. Early in my new role, I came across a Grants Professional Association email, and read it with great interest. I hadn’t heard of GPA before, but was so glad it came across my radar because I knew it would be a great way for me to grow and learn.

This past summer, I saw a few emails about the upcoming GPA conference and decided to take a deeper look at the website to learn more. I knew I needed assistance to attend, so I looked for scholarship opportunities and noticed The Dr. Bev Browning/Dr. Bernard Turner African American Conference Scholarship from the Grant Professional Association Foundation to attend the Annual Conference virtually. What a prestigious opportunity!

I applied and the rest is history! When I received my award notification, I was elated, deeply humbled and couldn’t wait for the GPA 2021 Conference to begin. Needless to say, when it did, it was everything I thought it would be and more!

My Key GPA 2021 Takeaways

First, the Opening Keynote Session set the stage for me. Although I was a virtual conference participant, I felt like I was right there in the room when Johna Rogers created a great rallying and encouraging moment for us all with “stand up!” or “hands up!” as we proudly shared the parts we all play in serving our communities through our grants work! All I could think was: look at the reach of our collective impact!

I was also impacted by Kia Jarmon’s keynote when she discussed Storytelling, my favorite aspect of grant writing. She asked a powerful question: “Based on the stories within my work, am I helping or hindering those we serve?” Her presentation solidified my personal commitment to respectful, community-informed storytelling.

Secondly, Kim Richardson’s workshop on Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Your Grant Proposal helped me see the need to look at DEI not just in our organization and those we serve, but also in partnerships, consultants, and recruitment.

Thirdly, I really appreciated the Matchmaker Webinar Funder Opportunity Rubric that was a great tool for Cost/Benefit Analysis and determining if a funder is a good conceptual match. Apples to Apples, or Apples to Oranges?

Lastly, I’m grateful for the Conference Connect Higher Education discussion where we talked about grant expectations and timeline processes for grant project participants. I loved connecting with and learning from other grants professionals!

Overall, I am so grateful to the Grants Professional Association Foundation for The Dr. Bev Browning/Dr. Bernard Turner African American Conference Scholarship to attend GPA 2021 Conference. It was a great opportunity to learn, grow, and connect, and I very much look forward to the GPA 2022 in Louisville!!