08 Mar

Posted at 11:38h in Competency Five, Competency Four, Competency Seven, Competency Six, Competency Three, Competency Two, Courses, Grant Training Series, Grants 301

    Cost: $50/session or $300 for the full series Grants 301 Series Sessions by GPCI Competency These sessions are designed to provide targeted content for individuals who are really passionate about grants and want to take their skills to the next level. To register for the complete series or...

08 Mar

Posted at 11:30h in Competency Five, Competency Four, Competency Seven, Competency Six, Competency Three, Competency Two, Courses, Grant Training Series, Grants 201

    Cost: $50/session or $300 for the full series Grants 201 Series by GPCI Competency To register for the complete series or for individual sessions: Register Now     View our 2022 Grants 201 Live Session Training Schedule The average nonprofit professional needs more than just initial grant training. Anyone working with grants...

07 Mar

Posted at 19:00h in Competency Seven, Professionalism, Tracey Diefenbach, GPC
As we look ahead to International Grant Professionals Day, I cannot help but wonder – what does it really mean to be a grant professional? When I was a kid, I used to go to the beauty parlor (am I dating myself yet?). The beautician (yep, I definitely just dated myself now) had a sign hanging by her chair that said something like - “I am a hairdresser, a therapist, a coach, a cheerleader, and a magician.” Today, I wish I had this sign to hang in my office. As a grant professional, on any given day, I have conducted a therapy session with the development director who is in a sheer state of panic trying to juggle numerous grant deadlines; coached a CEO through what seemed like a never-ending conversation of should we apply or should we not; and magically transformed some bulleted notes into a program design. Whew…and that was all before noon!

04 Mar

Posted at 20:04h in Competency One, Funding Opportunities
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Does your organization provide direct services to individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD)? SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) is now accepting applications for its 2021 Medication-Assisted Treatment – Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction (MAT-PDOA) grant program. The MAT-PDOA program aims to expand and/or enhance access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) services for persons with OUD. The funder is focused on two primary outcomes: 1) an increase in the number of individuals with OUD receiving MAT and 2) a decrease in illicit opioid drug use and prescription opioid misuse at six-month follow-up. Proposals for this program are due April 27, 2021.

28 Feb

Posted at 19:00h in AGS Staff, Competency Seven, Professionalism
I don’t know about you, but I have never been so relieved to have spring arrive! The sun is shining more, the temperature is warming, and hope is in the air! Now that we're no longer locked in by the winder, it’s time to UNLOCK our potential as grant professionals. As the days get longer and we all feel a little more optimistic, I would encourage you to use the energy that comes with spring to rejuvenate yourself personally so you can develop your best professional self! It’s important to find a balance between work and life because if you’re not feeding your soul outside of work, you’re not giving your all as a grant professional.

25 Feb

Posted at 19:00h in Competency One, Funding Opportunities
National Endowment for the Arts Is your organization looking for project-based funding to support activities that further the arts? The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) recently opened applications for its Challenge America program. This program supports small organizations working to reach underserved populations through the arts across a variety of disciplines (dance, folk and traditional, media arts, music, visual arts, etc.), arts programming, education, marketing and promotional activities, and organizational planning.

18 Feb

Posted at 19:00h in Competency One, Funding Opportunities
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Attention previous recipients of Drug-Free Communities (DFC) awards! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now accepting applications for its 2021 Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) Local Drug Crises Grants program, which builds upon past DFC and CARA programs focused on substance use prevention. This opportunity aims to prevent opioid, methamphetamine, and/or prescription drug use/misuse among youth ages 12-18. Proposals for this program are due April 1, 2021.

12 Feb

Posted at 15:27h in Competency Four, Competency Nine, Inspiration, Leah Hyman, Writing
In honor of Valentine’s Day on the 14th, I thought it would be fun to take a moment to consider fourteen of the many things to love (or not) about our profession. Now, I’m no Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and this is no “Sonnet 43,” but I hope this list makes you smile and consider what you love most about grant writing.

12 Feb

Posted at 14:30h in Competency One, Funding Opportunities
National Science Foundation (NSF) Attention institutions of higher education! NSF is now accepting proposals to its Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) Program. S-STEM provides funds to domestic institutions of higher education (IHEs) who implement the program and award scholarships to eligible students. S-STEM scholars must be low-income, academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who are pursuing degrees in STEM fields, such as biological sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, and engineering. Proposals for this program are due April 7, 2021.

07 Feb

Posted at 19:00h in Competency Seven, Professionalism, Relationships, Tracey Diefenbach, GPC
While I am all about spreading love to people and relationships, what about those connections you don’t love? As grant professionals, we deal with all different kinds of people – you know those people:
  • The program director who says, “I don’t even have the staff to carry out these program goals, but I need the money. So, just write whatever goals you think will get us the grant.”
  • The executive director who tells you “we don’t have a policy on diversity, equity, and inclusion; can’t you just write one for us?”
  • The new client who, when asked to share about their organization’s leadership team and strategies, says “you can find that on our website.”
Yep, I did not love navigating these relationships or at the very least, I do not love these conversations that seem to leave me feeling stuck and frustrated. So how do you learn how to accept and move these relationships and conversations along?