Blog
24 Jun Advancing Knowledge: Knowing your “Why” by Kellie Brungard, GPC
Posted at 17:08h
in Competency Seven, GPC Credential, Grants Management, Kellie Brunguard, Professional Development, Professionalism
Have you ever stopped to consider the reasons why you sign up for webinars, attain or continue to maintain your grant professional certification (GPC), or set out to learn an entirely new skill set (like project management)? For some, an employer prioritizes professional development and encourages developing a training plan. Perhaps your certification or licensure requires continuing education. Do you ever feel like you are taking action (e.g., attending workshops or reading professional articles) but it’s not adding up? Are you missing a sense of accomplishment? Actions without a bigger picture may seem productive in the short term, but they may not connect with your larger goals or leave you feeling like you haven’t made progress. Identifying your “why” may be the missing piece.
16 Jun You CAN Evaluate Your Program! How to Gather Data through Observation By: AGS Staff
Posted at 21:59h
in Competency Eight, Competency Five, Competency Four, Evaluation, Grant Reporting, Program Development, Relationships
Observation is a method to gather data by watching events or behaviors that can give information beyond what you can draw from numbers and is helpful in several situations:
- To collect data that is unavailable through other methods. People are sometimes unable or unwilling to participate in surveys or interviews.
- To understand an ongoing situation or process. For example, you want to identify efficiencies/inefficiencies in the process of college registration process as students meet with advisors to create a semester schedule.
- To know more about a physical setting. For example, you want to determine if a residential rehabilitation center’s facilities are conducive to recovery.
- To understand more about interactions. For example, you want to determine if a motivational guest speaker sparks interest in at-risk youth in a college preparatory program.
09 Jun You CAN Evaluate Your Program! How to Conduct an Environmental Scan and Needs Analysis By: AGS Staff
Posted at 18:00h
in Competency Eight, Competency Five, Competency Four, Evaluation, Grants Management, Relationships
Have you been tasked with evaluating a program and don’t know where to begin? If so, you aren’t alone. Many people struggle with program evaluation. This new three-part series on evaluation will prepare you to design and implement a strong evaluation comprised of quantitative and qualitative data analysis. You will also understand how to secure a third-party evaluator, if you need one. This post focuses on how to conduct an environmental scan and needs assessment.
02 Jun Exploring Federal Competitions: Fostering Innovation and Excellence By: Kellie Brungard, GPC
Posted at 18:00h
in Competency One, Funding, Funding Opportunities, Industry News, Kellie Brunguard, Research
Federal prize competitions are a means for federal agencies to crowdsource ideas and engage public innovators to develop innovative ideas and solutions to societal problems (referred to as competitions, prize competitions, challenge, or competition). According to Challenge.gov, the primary platform for managing competitions, “Longitude and ship navigation, Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight, even initial designs for the U.S. Capitol and White House—all resulted from open prize competitions. Even those self-driving vehicles got their start in federal prize competitions too!” Other notable concepts derived from challenges include the “lunar loo” (space toilet), digital wallet interface, protections for fish from water infrastructure, opioid detection in the mail, and “getting out the count” for the most recent census. These competitions, organized by Federal agencies, encourage participation from individuals, businesses, and organizations, driving them to create groundbreaking solutions to complex problems. This blog post delves into the world of federal competitions, exploring their significance, impact, and considerations for interested organizations.
26 May Imposter Syndrome and Grant Professionals by Megan Campbell, MPA, GPC
It’s not news that grant professionals are often underrecognized for their vast knowledge, technical and subject matter expertise, and contributions to organizational success. It’s also not infrequent that grant professionals are excluded from project planning or meetings with potential funders until late in project development when they are asked to “just” find funding or write a grant. For many individuals, that lack of validation can often be internalized as a lack of acceptance or value. For others, the recognition received is passed on to others they believe are more worthy than themselves. This is especially true for women, BIPOC professionals, and those who have been subjected to microaggressions in their community and workplace (but that’s an entirely separate subject worthy of its own time and space). When highly qualified, high-achieving professionals question their value, competence, or adequacy to successfully perform work that they are 100% capable of performing, it leads to self-doubt, negative self-image, burnout, and workplace toxicity. While not a recognized mental health disorder – you won’t find this in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – the common term for these unfounded feelings of inadequacy is imposter syndrome.
25 May Neurodiversity for Grant Professionals By: Kellie Brungard, GPC
Posted at 11:15h
in Community, Competency Seven, Organizational Development, Professional Development, Professional Development
I attended Laura Cochran’s session, “Work with Your Brain: How to Accommodate Your Neurodiversity,” at GrantSummit 2023 with a minimal understanding of neurodiversity and its relevance in my life. Laura’s opening line was, “If you’re wondering if you should be in this room or if the topic applies to you, you’re probably in the right place!” The room was filled with grant professionals identifying as neurodivergent (someone identifying as being neurodiverse) or exploring the concept. Participants spoke about their professional and workplace challenges, accommodations that have helped their workflow, and the strengths and weaknesses of those identifying as neurodiverse.
12 May Should you avoid the elephant in the room…or address it? By Ashley Dooley
Fundraising is not always easy. Some causes more easily tug on donors’ or funders’ heartstrings more than others. I am sure you can picture the TV commercial with sad music and malnourished children urging you to donate just $2 per month to help feed them. As a mother, I feel physical empathy for mothers of infants who do not have enough formula, diapers, and clothes to care for their children. Causes like this produce a warm, fuzzy vibe that you just cannot say no to. Not all organizations naturally evoke such strong emotions. In some cases, the emotions may be negative and that can make fundraising tricky. What if your cause (or organization) is the big elephant in the room blocking funders from seeing the impact you can/do have? Perhaps you are part of a national organization involved in a scandal, a school district that has recently failed accreditation, or a local nonprofit perceived to serve only wealthy people. Each of these situations can make it challenging to raise the money needed, because donors and funders may be blinded by the media or personal bias. How do you overcome that hurdle?
06 May Financial Audits for Small Nonprofits By: Kellie Brungard, GPC
Posted at 08:30h
in Competency Two, Kellie Brunguard, Organizational Development, Organizational Readiness
Audited financials are a common component of grant readiness discussions and are often requested by funders. However, new or small nonprofits may wonder if an audit is really necessary. Understanding why an audit is helpful to a funder, how to find an auditor, and what to do if an audit seems unattainable can help small nonprofits plan.
