11 Jan

Posted at 18:00h in Competency Eight, Competency Six, Funder Relations, GPC, Grant Reporting, Grants Management, Megan Campbell, MPA, Relationships
Congratulations! You have received notice that a local foundation will gladly support your organization and/or program during the coming year. The foundation board or staff are excited about your mission, your plans, and helping serve your community. You record the amount in your donor and accounting software, generate a letter acknowledging the gift, and move on to managing the implementation of program activities. Right? Well, no.

09 Jan

Posted at 18:00h in Grants in Action, Industry News, Success Stories
Benilde Hall was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from The Ina Calkins Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee to deliver its Substance Abuse Treatment (SAT) program. Benilde Hall’s SAT program will provide supportive housing and treatment services to 100 adult males experiencing homelessness, substance use disorder (SUD), and co-occurring disorders in Kansas City, Missouri. Funds will primarily support salaries and benefits for program staff to provide direct services (counseling, case management, SUD treatment using evidence-based best practices, and individual and group education). A small portion of the requested funds will support direct program expenses (drug testing, household supplies, utilities).

06 Jan

Posted at 18:00h in Competency Seven, Industry News, Kellie Brunguard, Professionalism
Burnout. That’s another buzzword like quiet quitting or hustle culture, right? Actually, burnout has been around for a long while, recognized in the healthcare and social service industries. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes burnout as an occupational phenomenon (though it’s not recognized as a medical condition). WHO defines burnout as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It’s characterized by feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy.” In 2020, three grant professionals (Bachman, Planton, and Rodgers) set out to identify the prevalence of burnout among the grant profession. Their findings were published in the Fall 2020 Journal of the Grant Professionals Association, showing a gap in available information as well as initial research indicating more than three in four grant professionals experience physical symptoms, socio-emotional symptoms, or both, of burnout.

03 Dec

Posted at 20:14h in Competency One, Funding Opportunities, Industry News
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Attention nonprofit organizations and government entities addressing homelessness! The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is now accepting proposals for its Youth and Homelessness Systems Improvement (YHSI) Grant. The goal of the YHSI Grant Program is “to increase state and local capacity to better serve youth and create projects that are responsive to the needs of youth at-risk of or experiencing homelessness in the community.” Applications for this program are due February 15, 2024.

26 Nov

Posted at 20:28h in Industry News, Success Stories
The Golden Scoop, an organization dedicated to empowering young adults with developmental disabilities, recently received a grant of $7,500 from the J.E. Fehsenfeld Family Foundation to support their administrative staff salaries as they expand their services. Specifically, the grant will provide funding for positions such as the CEO and assistant managers, who play a vital role in guiding and supporting the organization's super scoopers in their workforce development program. This grant is crucial in solving the problem of limited employment opportunities faced by young adults with developmental disabilities, as it will enable The Golden Scoop to further prepare them for successful employment.

26 Nov

Posted at 20:09h in Competency Two, Logic Models, Organizational Development, Program Design, Roxanne Jensen, ED. SPEC., Strategy
“When the money keeps rolling out, you don’t keep books. You can tell you’ve done well by the happy, grateful looks. Accountants only slow things down, figures get in the way.” – Evita by Andrew Llyod Weber. In actuality, did you know that nonprofits are accountable for impact measurement? Impact measurement is a critical process for nonprofits to assess their effectiveness in achieving their mission and making a positive difference in the communities they serve. By measuring and evaluating their impact, nonprofits can determine whether their programs and initiatives are successful and identify areas for improvement. Impact measurement is a critical aspect of nonprofit management. This aspect involves assessing and quantifying the outcomes and effectiveness of a nonprofit's programs and initiatives in relation to its stated mission and goals. By measuring the impact of their work, nonprofits can demonstrate accountability to their stakeholders, including donors, beneficiaries, partners, and the public.

13 Nov

Posted at 06:01h in Competency Seven, Professional Development, Professionalism, Shauna O'Toole
“Will I see you at GrantSummit?” This year, for the first time, my answer was “Yes.” In early November 2023, I attended GrantSummit (formerly known as the Grant Professionals Association (GPA) Annual Conference) in Kansas City, Missouri. This multi-day conference is the premier professional development event for grant professionals in the U.S. I have attended this conference before as a virtual attendee, but this year was my first experience traveling to the event. I have three key takeaways from my in-person experience: