06 Jul

Posted at 18:00h in Competency Two, Evaluation, Funding, Funding Opportunities, Kellie Brunguard, Organizational Development
    As a grant professional, are you asked to identify performance measurements for your organization or clients? Evaluating the performance of a grant department or grant professional is a nuanced task. Yet data helps leadership and the board of directors quantify the year-to-year success and progress toward department goals. All too often, an organization will set unrealistic goals without adequate resources or available opportunities or set unreasonable expectations for the number of applications an individual needs to submit. Looking at a “success rate” can fail to consider the organization's readiness, quality of program design, or ability to identify strong opportunities and stewardship. So, how can an organization effectively evaluate the performance of a grant department and set realistic goals? How can grant professionals articulate their skills and achievements to those who are data-minded?

06 May

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.

31 Mar

Posted at 18:00h in Competency Two, Funding, Kellie Brunguard, Organizational Development, Organizational Readiness, Research
March Madness is in full swing, and all this talk about competition and brackets makes me think about how grant writing relates. Grants, much like professional sports, are competitive, and increasingly so. We can’t come in on gameday and put together a proposal without any preparation and expect to win big. To be competitive, your grant team must train and prepare to advance through the rounds and win awards. So, while building out/reviewing your bracket for college basketball, consider how these strategies can help your grant team gain a competitive edge.

28 Jan

Posted at 13:06h in Competency Two, Funding, Funding Opportunities, Organizational Development, Strategy
Diversifying a portfolio of funding opportunities can be more than seeking foundation and federal grants. In the current funding landscape, organizations have the capacity to add legislative affairs to their ongoing activities in the pursuit of additional funds to achieve their mission. Did you know that nonprofits are eligible to pursue Congressional Directed Spending and/or Community Project Funding?

21 Jan

Posted at 18:00h in Competency Four, Competency Three, Competency Two, Culture, Organizational Development, Program Design, Relationships, Shauna O'Toole, Strategy
Have you encountered inefficiency, frustration, or even conflict when working with a group to develop a grant proposal? Take heart. This is normal. Most teams struggle and experience conflict before they begin performing at their peak. The Stages of Group Development framework, developed by Bruce Tuckman (1965) describes this process. This blog will briefly describe Tuckman’s framework and then apply these ideas to grant proposal development.

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.

12 Oct

Posted at 10:53h in Competency Six, Competency Two, Consulting, Courses, Ethics, Ethics, GPCI Competencies, Grant Training Series, Grant Writing, How-To, Julie Alsup

    Grant Ethics: Organizational Capacity and Readiness Grant Ethics Session 3 of the Grant Ethics Series Issues of ethics abound when grant professionals examine their organization's readiness to apply for grants. Is the grant aligned to the organization's strategic plan or is the organization chasing money and causing...

14 Sep

Posted at 20:15h in Budgets, Competency Three, Competency Two, Shauna O'Toole
  Did you know that budgets and financial documents are often the first things a grant reviewer will read when considering an organization’s proposal? Sometimes grant professionals leave attachments and budgets for the end, perhaps because these documents can be confusing or intimidating to those of us without an accounting background. This two-part guide will help you correctly identify which attachment the funder is requesting and explain why it is helpful for the funder to have the information contained in each document.

31 Jul

Posted at 12:48h in Competency Three, Competency Two, Culture, Funding, Grant Reporting, Grants Management, Organizational Development, Roxanne Jensen, ED. SPEC.

Nonprofits and not-for-profits share many similarities and, in practice, the terms are often used interchangeably. The key similarities and differences between these types of organizations are nuanced. Nonprofits and not-for-profits are mission-driven organizations with a shared purpose of serving the public or charitable needs. They are...