Tag Archive for: Scholarship Essay

2022 GPA Conference Scholar Essay, by Angela Smith

/by

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.

Grant Professionals Association Conference Recap, by Susie Ryks

/by

I was honored to be chosen as a Grant Professionals Association Conference Scholar. It has made such a positive impact on myself as well as my nonprofit organization.

I work for a statewide nonprofit as the Vice President of Community Development. I oversee Resource Development and Marketing Departments, as well as our volunteer centers that are located in three regions of South Dakota.  Much of the funding for our organization’s programs comes from grants. I have been involved with grant for over 10 years. Through my work, I have written, receiving, and managed community foundations grants, private family grants, United Way grants as well as Federal grants through Americops Seniors. 

By receiving a GPA Conference Scholarship, I was able to further my knowledge, access resources and network with others in the grant field. I am always looking for ways to challenge myself and grow personally and professionally. By being able to dedicate several days to attending the GPA Conference, I was able to continue to develop myself and my organization. The conference was so refreshing and a great opportunity to become uplifted and regenerated. 

I was able to attend the conference virtually, which was a wonderful experience and I feel that GPA did a fantastic job with involving those that were virtual and allowed us to communicate and build relationships with other virtual attendees. I so appreciated being able to meet and learn from similar minded professionals who want to further themselves and their organizations.

With my busy schedule, I wasn’t sure I would be able to take the time to be there in person, but attending online was a perfect solution.  I knew there is more that I needed to know about the grant writing profession and by attending the GPA Annual Conference I feel I am on the right track to continue to help my organization grow.

I am so thankful for this amazing opportunity to learn and grow professionally and connect with other professionals with a love for office supplies. 

2022 GPA Conference Scholar Essay, by Gregory Stewart

/by

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.

2022 GPA Conference Scholarship Essay, by Nataly Routledge

/by

I am a fairly busy person. There is always either a major deadline on the horizon or the spirit of a deadline haunting my calendar, ready to materialize at any moment. That is what I love about the world of grants: the fast-paced, deadline-driven atmosphere that offers challenge and keeps me typing. It’s also sometimes what stands as a barrier to the amount of time I can carve out for learning and professional growth.

The primary reason that I wanted to attend the GPA Conference so badly is that it offered an opportunity to block out entire business days and dedicate them to learning and professional development. This isn’t to say that I totally escaped my inbox during the conference, but thinking about the generosity that allowed me to have a scholarship in the first place as well as my desire to learn from others encouraged me to work ahead and preserve those November days for education. And, in terms of playing the long game, it was worth investing those precious business days into education since learning early makes future work better.

I attended virtually and saw a mixture of online-only and hybrid sessions. I hope to be able to attend in person in the future, but the conference platform was easy to use as a virtual attendee and I liked that the virtual sessions had lively chats. The moderators for the hybrid sessions did a great job of including the online attendees in discussions that weren’t always easy to hear. I also liked having the option to change sessions if the session I was in didn’t completely align with what I wanted to get accomplished (although honestly it was hard to break away from a session once I had joined because everyone did such a great job of presenting).

I tried to prioritize attending sessions that touched on leadership and methods for communicating with difficult-to-manage project teams. As a young professional, I have found that writing the grant is often the easy part; getting everyone on the same page and enforcing internal deadlines is usually the really difficult part for me. I took a lot of notes during a variety of sessions about communication methods and ways to lead better meetings. One of my favorite points brought up at the conference—this was during the Leadership Methods for Building Collaborative Grants Processes session—was that grant professionals should build resiliency skills and that they often have a strong base for these skills already as they consistently show up to push a project forward even when there is resistance or uncertainty. I liked thinking about that phrase, resilience skills, and it is something I want to share with my team in the future to praise them for the resiliency they show already when a project gets off track.  

I learned some tips for writing grant applications that I have implemented already in the days and weeks following the conference. There was one session in particular, Scaling Evaluation Plans for Federal Grants, that made me rethink the ways that I support drafting an evaluation plan for a team new to federal grants. The conference also invited me to think about topics or questions that resulted in active discussions during the presentations that would be good to revisit with my department to encourage the same professional excitement and exchange of ideas at work.

Receiving a conference scholarship through the Grants Professional Foundation enabled me to attend the GPA Conference for the first time and soak up knowledge from others who have been in the industry for longer. It gave me an opportunity to focus on myself and how I want to grow as a grant professional. This in turn made me feel reinvigorated at work as I applied the skills and concepts I learned about to the projects I had ongoing. With Thanksgiving only a week away as I write this, I am thankful for the scholarship I received and the hard work of those who put the conference together. It’s a great event for young professionals and I saw immediate benefits in my day-to-day work as a result of being able to attend.

Happy holidays all!

A Reflection on Attending the 2022 GPA Conference as an Online Participant, by Chellee Unruh

/by

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.

GPA 2021 Annual Conference Scholarship Essay by Jillain Veil-Ehnert

/by

What a joy and privilege it was to gather together in Seattle for the annual GPA conference. With the assistance of the Grant Professional’s Foundation scholarship, I attended my first in-person conference since the pandemic and it was an amazing opportunity to learn from industry leaders. I left the conference invigorated about our profession and ready to finish the year strong and embrace all that is to come in 2022. So many societal norms and the way we all do business has changed in the past two years that this year’s conference was even more valuable.

One of the advantages of the hybrid conference offered in person and online is that the sessions that were recorded are available after the conference itself. Whether I want to supplement my notes or view a session I could not attend, the recordings are valuable resources. I often use information I have gathered at the conference in my prospect research and being able to go back and cite a source or replay recommendations helps me better prepare for new funders and/or guidelines. Thank you to the staff and volunteers at GPA for providing this dual format.

The GPA conference is the best professional development opportunity for those serious about honing their craft. I value this conference because it helps me learn how to improve my skills and deepen my knowledge. By the end of the conference, I had numerous notes, new connections, and recommendations for technology to enhance my work.

The heart of the conference is the people. The planning committee and GPA staff included many opportunities to connect in informal and formal settings. In addition, there are those grant friends that I only see in person at the conference itself and catching up with them personally and professionally is a treat. Due to the online conference last year, I met in person many of those contacts that had been online only until now. The people are the heart of our organization and they illustrate the genuine care for each other and interest in welcoming newcomers. If you have not attended (in person or online) I encourage you to join us next year.

GPA 2021 Annual Conference Scholarship Essay by Denise Henry

/by

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!!

GPA 2021 Annual Conference Scholarship Essay by Leilani Ocasio

/by

Tips for a first time GPA Conference Attendee

As a first-time GPA Conference attendee, I’d like to share some tips! First and foremost, I am
incredibly grateful to the Grant Professionals Foundation for their scholarship opportunity. As a
new grant professional, I would not have been able to attend the conference without this
scholarship.


A safe assumption to make about grant professionals is that any opportunity to prepare and
gather information will be welcomed. If you are anything like me, someone with input as your
number 1 Clifton strength, this will be helpful!


The main thing you need to know about the GPA conference is that it is a legitimately magical
place filled with people who love deadlines, spell check, and glittery clothing (read on to get
some context). Do not be intimidated! Here are a few of my other takeaways:


TIP 1: Plan your session agenda before you arrive.
Once the agenda is available on the GPA website, explore the different tracks and choose the
sessions you would like to attend. As a new grant professional, I knew I wanted to focus on
attending sessions that broke down the basics. I am also the only person in development in my
organization, so I needed to focus on gathering tools for making my work as efficient and
organized as possible. By identifying my needs beforehand and choosing my sessions, I found
that my two main interests went hand in hand and that many sessions fell under one or both
categories. This allowed me to fill the other half of my schedule with sessions focused on
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Had I not done my research and planned by track, I wouldn’t
have been able to attend nearly as many sessions that met my needs, and I would have been
overwhelmed or swayed by exciting session titles. I could have missed out on an incredible
annual grants strategy workbook which has drastically improved my overall professional
wellbeing!


When choosing your sessions, be sure to add in breaks and try attending both virtual
and in-person sessions to avoid fatigue.


Tip 2: Go to the networking events- Meeting other grant pros is fun!
The grants profession can often feel lonely, especially if you are a newbie. Not many people
outside of the grant world understand the job and its pressures. One of the most rewarding
experiences of this conference was getting to meet other people you don’t have to explain your
job to! When I arrived at the conference, I noticed that almost everyone already had
connections. At first, this was intimidating until I realized these connections were formed at
previous GPA Conferences! I met so many great people who shared their professional
experience with me and what motivates them to continue in this work. This was very
encouraging, and the motivation I received from these conversations has kept me going through
my craziest grant season yet. The conference facilitated many opportunities to make networking
less intimidating. I found the networking lunches each afternoon to be very beneficial, and I
recommend attending them. You will be welcomed with open arms as a newcomer! These
conversations and connections taught me about opportunities to get more involved in our
profession through board committees, volunteer opportunities, and GPCI and CFRE testing
information.


Tip 3: Attend the social events! Specifically, the GPA Annual Spelling Bee


Similar to tip 2, there are many opportunities to interact and have fun with other conference
attendees. There are game rooms, knitting rooms, daily runs, and a scenic hike. However, the
most important of these events, in my opinion, is the Annual Spelling Bee. Picture the
Superbowl, but for Grant professionals. This spelling bee was the highlight of the conference!
My actual pro tip here is to wear sparkly clothes to this event. There’s a not-so-secret secondary
competition called the “Sparkle-Off,” which is exactly what it sounds like. My mentor and friend
just so happened to get second place in both the Sparkle Off AND the Spelling Bee. Just know
that she’s coming for first place next year in Louisville!

GPA 2021 Annual Conference Scholarship Essay by Colleen Engelbrecht

/by

When you are a grant professional, the majority of your work life is spent crafting a winning proposal for others – not yourself. After participating in last year’s Grant Professionals Association’s virtual conference, I knew that I had to get myself to Seattle. But how? Encouraged by my fellow members of the San Diego County Chapter, I applied for a conference scholarship from the Grant Professionals Foundation and WON! I remember the morning the email announcement arrived in my inbox. It was August 17th. Knowing my application was chosen validated this encore career I chose for myself three years ago.

With more than two months to budget and plan, I decided that my visit to Seattle would focus on personal development. As a relative newcomer to grants, I wanted to learn how to work better and avoid the pitfalls of burnout that I had experienced during the first three years in this field. Once the schedule was announced, I carefully chose in-person topics that addressed my interests. One of my favorite courses was Creative Writing. As grant professionals, we often run out of time to really create a unique proposal and fall into the cut/paste trap with essential language. My intentions are always to include a vignette or “success story” in my submissions and learned that there is a greater likelihood, actually 22 times more, of remembering a fact when a story is included with the data presented.

And speaking of “success stories”, one keynote speaker challenged nonprofits to compensate former clients when they tell their personal journey of overcoming adversity. Wait, what? This was the “lightbulb” moment for me during Seattle. In order to advance the public good, we must honor those we are serving by compensating their time so that we may continue to do the work and inspire others to give. It’s the cycle of life in fundraising, but this call to action focuses on creating equity well above the requisite signed media release. I carried this compensation challenge with me throughout the conference. At networking lunches, I would survey my neighbors if their organizations pay former clients for their testimony in fundraising materials. All but one said “yes.” This challenge has already made me a better grant professional as I asked my current employer on their policy for this. I encourage each of you to do the same.

I found GPA by total accident two years ago. Upon joining this organization, I realized that this is more than just a professional group, but a real home. What business organization is so friendly? So knowledgeable about finding funders? So willing to share very personal stories about burnout and practical remedies? Coming from decades in the corporate field, joining my colleagues in Seattle felt more like a homecoming than a conference. I am part of the Executive Committee of the San Diego County Chapter of GPA, so it was the first time I met my fellow leaders in person. The conference was held during Seattle’s Restaurant Week, so our San Diego Chapter members enjoyed a scrumptious seafood dinner and spent the evening laughing and learning from each other.

The GPF conference scholarship was a lifeline for me. This year has been hard for so many people and there would have been no way I could afford this trip without the generous investment from the GPF. As a scholarship winner, we each received a gold medal with a flame torch and stars motif. You may have seen us with our green ribbons adorning our necks. I was so proud of mine that I even took a picture of me biting it like the Olympians do after a big win. As grant professionals, our work may feel like a long athletic endeavor – the hours, the words, the budgets, the attachments – and all of these exercises contribute to making our communities better. I am committed to this work and I promised myself that I would go back and visit the online topics after the conference. This is now my New Year’s Resolution as we have six months to revisit conference material – which is such a bonus resource for attendees.  Knowing the value of this conference and what to expect, I am already planning ahead to Louisville next November. 

GPA 2021 Annual Conference Scholarship Essay by Tricia Gopalakrishnan

/by

As a newer grant writer to the field, I was surprised to learn that a Grant Professionals Conference took place. When I did more research and learned that I could apply for a scholarship, I jumped right on the opportunity. When I found out that I received the scholarship in order to attend my very first GPA Conference, I jumped up and down for 5 whole minutes and proceeded to call everyone in my family. To that, I want to thank the Grant Professionals Foundation again for seeing value in myself and in my professional goals and selecting for this scholarship.

Attending the GPA Conference was a huge win my book. I’ve been a grant professional for less than 2 years. I’m also a one woman department at my organization so I’ve had to learn everything grant related all by myself. It’s been quite a journey. Attending this conference had such an impact on me because I was able to network and learn from other seasoned grant writers. To be honest, I didn’t ask a lot of questions. I did a lot of listening. I was immersed with men and women talking about how their organizations and departments worked. It was very eye opening to hear how everyone worked and/or what was expected of them compared to myself and my job responsibilities. I heard a lot of frustration when it came to the day to day work but I also heard everyone’s passion and dedication to their job and the organization they serve. It was very inspiring.

I decided to sit in a lot early-career sessions such as, “Using Creative Writing Techniques to Space Up Your Grant Narrative!,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Match: All On-Board in Pursuit (or Not) of Funding,” and “Grant Writers as Tour Guides,” just to name a few. These were all so useful to me and I learned quite a lot. I was also quite happy to learn that I was on the right track with some the things these professionals were teaching. I was sitting there thinking, “Oh! I know that!” It gave me a sense of comfort knowing that I was learning and on-track with other early grant writing professionals.

I also decided to sit in a freelance session called, “Taking the Plunge – Transitioning from Grant Writer to Consultant.” This was an extremely useful session for me. Before I entered into the NPO world, I always dreamed of being my own boss. I wanted the flexibility to make my own schedule, worked when I wanted (I’m more of a night owl) and to be charge of my financial success. When I began grant writing in the summer of 2020, I knew I eventually wanted to open up my own business. After years of searching, I finally felt like I found the right career path for me. With that being said, it is my pleasure to let the Grant Professionals Foundation know that in 2022, I will be doing just that! I plan to open up my own grant writing consultancy firm in 2022! I plan to take some classes from grant professionals that I truly look up such as Dr. Bev Browning and Holly Rustik. From there, I will start taking clients on part time basis with the hopes of fully transitioning to working full time as a freelance grant consultant in late 2022 or early 2023. I also plan to watch all freelance grant consultancy sessions that the GPA provided in 2021. In short, this conference was EXTREMELY useful to me and it is such an honor to have had the opportunity to attend. I look forward to attending in years to come and can’t wait to continue to learn from my fellow grant professionals. Thank you again for all you do!