by Catherine High, GPC; Rosemary West Scholar This was my first time at the GPA National Conference, and my scholarship from GPF was certainly a great help in persuading my agency to let me go. I don’t think that will be a problem in the future! I came back with so much information, and so much renewed enthusiasm for my … Read More
I Was With My People
by Lauren Petersen, 2017 Pamela Van Pelt Scholar As the holidays quickly approach, and many nonprofit professionals reflect on the year past, it is the 2017 Annual Grant Professional Conference that comes to my mind first. It isn’t very often you get to spend days on end devoted solely to learning to perfect your craft, reflecting on your own habits, … Read More
Turning Your Conference Experience into a GPC Study Group
by Fielding Jezreel, St. Louis Chapter Scholar First, a huge thank you to GPF for providing a conference scholarship that enabled me to attend the 2017 GPA Conference. As a second-time conference participant, I had the luxury of knowing what to expect and how to plan out my schedule to maximize professional development and networking opportunities. For the 2017 conference, … Read More
Quality and Quantity of Sessions was Abundant
by Jane Arney, Peach State Scholar The 2017 Grant Professionals Association (GPA) Conference, held at Paradise Point Resort in San Diego, was an incredible gathering of grant professionals in a spectacular setting! I was grateful to receive the Peach State Scholarship from the GPF, which covered my registration fees and made it possible for me to attend. My lodgings were … Read More
#GPAConf17
by Shannon Northorp, South Florida Chapter Scholar In 2011, I became a member of GPA and quickly learned that GPA was my go to professional development resource. At that time, there was not a local chapter that I could get involved in. Fast forward a couple of years and the Broward County Chapter became the South Florida Chapter. The president … Read More
GPA annual conference will be in San Diego! You just have to attend!
by Holly Craw, Arizona Founding Chapter Scholar I heard this from several of my colleagues at the GPA-AZ Founding Chapter meetings for the past two years. Although I had been quite involved with the chapter for a couple of years, I had not really given much thought to attending the conference. I usually had other things scheduled for that time, … Read More
A Completely Different Conference Experience
by Wendy Strain – Chuck Howard Scholar When I was first hired into a grants office, having little to no idea what I was doing (how many of us have been there?), I was sent to a different organization’s grant writing conference. It was my only true initiation into this new world I was entering. It was a learning experience, … Read More
A Scholarship of Exponential Value and Impact
by Jackie Beyer – Tracey Potter Doe Memorial Scholar “View yourselves as the product.” Attending the National Grant Professionals Association Conference in San Diego, California definitely changed my way of thinking about myself. I had never viewed myself in this way before. I learned I am responsible for the success of my career by taking mindful, careful steps. Attending this conference … Read More
San Diego and “Baby Got Grants”
By TJ Hansell – Arizona Founding Chapter Scholarship I know what you’re thinking…San Diego is pretty awesome, but “Baby Got Grants” is even awesomer. Yes, awesomer is not a word, but can any word really describe how awesome of an intro that was? I am sure a few of you are looking through your thesauruses and/or scrabble word list as … Read More
Helping a Beginner Get Off to a Good Start!
By Jana Gowan – 2017 Nora Stombaugh Memorial Scholarship Thanks to a scholarship from the Grant Professionals Foundation, I was able to attend the annual Grant Professionals Association Conference in San Diego this year (November 2017). I accepted a position as a full-time grant writer at a public university in December 2016 with a beginner’s awareness of grants. I had … Read More