Webinar Description:

Grants professionals can often feel “stuck in the middle” between aligning with and feeling the pressure of an outside funder and working within the confines and processes of their organization. The good news is, the middle – while sometimes uncomfortable – can be the best place to make an impact! In fact, being the middleman (or woman as the case may be) can be one of the most influential seats in the house. From shaping programs to developing processes to establishing and maintain good relationships with funders, the middleman or woman can help their organization maximize funding, advance the mission and impact participants. And along the way, they also get to help funders meet their goals, partner with organizations that align well and feel good about the process.

Attendees will learn how to manage tensions between internal and external teams as they prepare proposals and submit reports, how to better set expectations to create optimal relationships between project managers and funders and gain tips and best practices for problem solving through the proposal development and reporting processes. 

This workshop addresses GPC Competency 3,“Strategies for effective program and project design and development” by highlighting the grant writer’s role in shaping programs with project directors in a way that is competitive, fulfils the internal organization mission and aligns with external funders. It additionally addresses GPC Competency 8, “Methods and strategies that cultivate and maintain relationships between fund-seeking and recipient organizations and funders” by illustrating the importance of strategies for and opportunities to build relationships between internal project managers and external funders as a way to deepen relationships with funders by problem solving, smoothing processes and helping them to understand the organization and project alignment.
 

Presenters:

Lisa Tiffin is the AVP of Government, Corporate & Foundation Relations at Champlain College. She has developed grant programs for two universities and regularly works with both internal and external teams in pursuit of funding. In addition to her GPC, she holds degrees in education and literature as well as a Doctorate in executive leadership.

Veronica Lewis is a Government, Corporate & Foundations Officer at Champlain College and is responsible for developing strong relationships with funders and internal program directors and establishing best practices within the department. She holds degrees in psychology and anthropology as well as her MBA.
 

Skill Level:

Early-Career

Learning Track:

Proposal Development/Communication Strategies

GPC Competencies:

Strategies for effective program and project design and development

Methods and strategies that cultivate and maintain relationships between fund-seeking and recipient organizations and funders

Originally Recorded:

October 2023