Tag Archive for: GPC

Fresh Start for a New Year

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By Teri Blandon, Vice President for Development at PAI – Champions of Global Reproductive Rights

GPF Marketing Committee Member

 

It is the end of December, and I have just finished my first week at a new job after four years at my previous employer. Six months ago when I volunteered to write this blog, a new adventure wasn’t even on my radar screen. Life has a way of throwing opportunities at you when you least expect them.

 

With this experience occurring at the end of the calendar year, I have been thinking a lot lately about changes. Changes can be planned or unplanned, good or bad, professional or personal, etc. But sometimes we need to be purposeful in making changes to keep growing and developing as grant professionals. So here are some ideas for big and small changes to jumpstart your 2016.

 

Do something else.

Do you believe in your organization’s mission? Do you believe in the ability of its leaders to fulfill the mission? Are you happy in your job? If your answers to any of these are “no,” then you might want to think about changing jobs. A good way to start is by paying attention to open positions posted on the Grant Professionals Association (GPA) Job Center.

 

Broaden your perspective.

As grant professionals, we can often feel isolated. I work in the Washington, DC metro area, home to hundreds of grant specialists, and even I can feel alone at times. If you’re feeling this way, definitely consider attending the 2016 Grant Professionals Association conference in Atlanta, where you will meet hundreds of other people who speak the grants language fluently. If cost is an issue, apply for a scholarship through the Grant Professionals Foundation (GPF). But don’t just attend – participate! Apply to be a presenter, volunteer to help out with registration or a session, or lend a hand at the GPF silent auction.

Can’t make it to Atlanta? See if there is a GPA chapter close to you. Chapters organize events and social opportunities throughout the year. Not only can you network and learn new skills, but you can also volunteer and serve in leadership positions.

 

Expand your network.

If you can’t attend the national conference and there are no GPA chapters close to you, you can still get involved and meet people by volunteering throughout the year. All of the various committees work remotely, so you can participate in meetings from the comfort of your office or home! For GPA, check out the volunteer page on the GPA website (you must be a member to access it) and contact Barb Boggs, Volunteer Relations Manager, at barb@grantprofessionals.org for more information. Also, the Foundation has a sign-up page on its website with information on volunteering for a committee or applying to run for the National Board. Likewise, the Grant Professionals Certification Institute (GPCI) has various roles for volunteers; contact info@grantcredential.org to find out more.

 

Change your knowledge base.

Do you have your GPC yet? If not, commit to working on it this year. If you think it has no value to you because you’ve been in the field for a long time, I politely and emphatically disagree. I was a grizzled grants veteran of 15+ years when I decided to apply and sit for the exam. For me, the value was two-fold: recognition of my expertise and an opportunity to learn about areas of professional practice in which I didn’t have as much experience. I used the literature review provided on the GPCI website to identify resources for brushing up on my weak areas. All in all, the process of preparing for the exam made me a much stronger grant professional. And don’t forget that the Foundation offers scholarships to help with the cost of applying and sitting for the GPC exam.

If you already have your GPC, continuing education is crucial, not just for maintaining your GPC but also to keep your skills sharp. In addition to sessions offered through the GPA chapters and at the GPA Annual Conference, there are over 70 on-demand webinars provided through GPA, and more live webinars to come in 2016. The webinars provide GPC Continuing Education Units (CEUs), and many are also eligible for Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) CEUs. Both the live and on-demand webinars are free for GPA members.

 

Give back.

When I attended my first GPA conference (Boston, 2004), I felt like I had found a home. I had spent years of attending conferences that were somewhat helpful but didn’t completely address the challenges and questions that I had as someone who focused on grants. In GPA, then in the Foundation and GPCI, I found my professional family – people who understood exactly what I was talking about. The bonding was immediate, and I left Boston with a renewed sense of purpose. For the first time, I realized that I could make a career out of focusing on grants.

I want to give that experience for other people as well. That’s why I donate to the Grant Professional Foundation. I invite you to join me and help our community of dedicated professionals to grow and flourish.

 

 

International Grant Professionals Week ends March 20th with Grant Professionals Day!

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Danny Blitch, MPA, GPC

Grants Manager, City of Roswell, Georgia

dblitch@roswellgov.com

February, 2015

Grant funding is important to most nonprofit organizations and government agencies, as it makes achieving missions easier. It is one of the ways organizations pay for the services they provide. Grants, combined with fundraising, program income and direct clientIGP_Day_Logo service fees, generate the revenues organizations need to sustain themselves. In short, grants help nonprofits serve more people everywhere.

Many grant professionals do not do their work for the paycheck, the recognition or for accolades from our employers. Rather, almost universally, they are grant professionals because they like to help others. They find comfort in being able to take a mountain of information and condense/develop it into a successful grant proposal.

The Grant Professionals Association has partnered with the Grant Professionals Foundation and the Grant Professionals Certification Institute to recognize grant professionals for their work. Whether full-time or part-time, grant professionals are the heavy lifters who work with grants in one form or another: they are grant seekers, grant developers, grant makers, and grant managers. They may also be executive directors, professors, city clerks, researchers, county managers, program staff or volunteers. They may wear one hat—or twenty. Regardless, grant professionals are important, and their contributions are vital.

We’re planning activities for each day starting March 16 through March 20. Each activity is designed to recognize the grant profession and the importance of our credential, creating world-wide awareness of the life-changing work we do every day. Want to know how you can be involved? Whether you’re a grant professional, member of a GPA chapter, or part of a nonprofit organization, government agency, or business, you can join us by taking a moment to recognize the grant professional(s) you know. You don’t have to shout from the roof tops or buy us lunch… although both would be okay. But, taking the time to send a quick note, a heartfelt thank you or give a friendly pat on the back will mean the world to us.

So on March 20, 2015, I invite you to pause and recognize the specialized work of grant professionals everywhere who are so deadline driven they often schedule their vacations and the births of their children around the “federal silly season.”

International Grant Professionals Week 2015 ends March 20th with Grant Professionals Day. Don’t miss the opportunity to wish your favorite grant professional a “Happy… Grant Professionals Day!”

First Time and Fabulous!

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First Time and Fabulous!
Kristin Holowicki, Grant Coordinator, City of Coral Springs, FL
kholowicki@coralsprings.org

January, 2015
As a first time attendee of the Grant Professionals Association (GPA) National Conference, made possible by the generous scholarship from the Grant Professionals Foundation and my local South Florida GPA chapter, I was determined to get as much out of this experience as possible. But how was I going to squeeze workshops, volunteering, and networking all into 2 days? Answer: I’m a grant professional…juggling multiple projects is my life!
On the first day of the conference I attended the “First Timers Breakfast.” The presenters provided an overview of the conference agenda and advice on how to get the most out of the workshops. My first session was the Special Interest Group which for me was Government. Although not new to grants, I am new to my agency, a local municipality. While it was great to see some familiar faces from my home state of Florida, I was anxious to meet my nationwide counterparts to discuss grant opportunities, possible collaborations, and obstacles we face in our pursuit of grant funding. I quickly realized we share a common bond. Introductions were filled with insight into the challenges faced: from bosses who think grant money grows on trees to getting project staff to submit requested documents in a timely manner (deadlines are real!). Clearly, a grant professionals’ job is never done. The session rolled over into lunch where we continued networking within our SIGs, complete with informal conversation, sharing experiences and exchanging business cards.
After lunch I attended the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Reform and the Uniform Guidance Workshop by Gil Tran. Mr. Tran was a great presenter and breathed life and funny stories into the dry subject of OMB Reform that will go into effect December 26, 2014. Mr. Tran’s advice: “Keep Calm and Understand the Rules.”
One of the differences he touched on was the importance of the new language that will be included in the new guidelines. A breakdown of some key changes:
•    Definitions of “should” and “must”:
o    Should = best practices
o    Must = required
•    Shall is out; Should is in
•    Must is the new shall; May is gone
On day two I attended a workshop on taking the exam for the Grant Professionals Certification (GPC) credential. I have been considering tackling this challenge and the workshop made the GPC test process feel a little less intimidating. The presenters provided useful information about qualifications for the exam, the multiple choice questions and the written portion of the exam.
After taking 25 pages of handwritten notes over the 2 day period my most important conclusion (other than the fact that I need to get my laptop fixed) was that this was a dynamic group of professionals with a wealth of knowledge to be shared. Because of my positive experience with GPA, I have just made the decision to run for Vice President of my local South Florida GPA Chapter and plan to pursue my GPC credential in 2015.
The GPA staff and hosting committee from Portland did a phenomenal job of coordinating all aspects of the conference. It was one of the most organized conferences I’ve ever attended. I volunteered for the GPF silent auction which raised $5,100. This all would not have been possible without the support of the GPF and local South Florida GPA Chapters scholarship.
Here’s a breakdown by the numbers:
•    Number of miles traveled (Portland to Fort Lauderdale and back) = 6,600
•    Pages of handwritten notes from workshops = 25
•    Number of business cards collected and emails exchanged = over 100
•    Number of Voo Doo Doughnuts eaten = 1 (Captain my Captain Doughnut topped with vanilla frosting and Captain Crunch Berries Cereal – YUM!)
•    Number of attendees at conference (sold out) = over 600
Thank you again for this opportunity. I hope to see everyone next year in St. Louis for the 2015 GPA National Conference.