Too often, a minor (or major) breakdown occurs between a grant proposal's submission-day vision and the "nuts-and-bolts" implementation for putting the grant's work plan into practice. Often months have gone by, staff or leadership may have changed, and the visionaries at the helm likely already wear enough hats to begin their own headwear boutique. These realities are endemic in the nonprofit landscape, which is why post-award grant management is a rampant stumbling block for agencies and programs.

The value for grant professionals includes building a toolkit for strong post-award practice and improving their skills to launch and manage such a process within often frenetic nonprofit cultures. Having these tools further helps grant professionals build the confidence and credibility within their agencies to design and/or manage such systems, ideally with a small team of key stakeholders. The presentation's toolkit is specific yet flexible enough to welcome customization around timelines, team size, and the number and complexity of the grants to be managed.

Presenter:

Catherine Hooper is a skilled nonprofit strategist, grant program manager, and degreed technical communicator. She is an experienced project manager who excels at helping nonprofit teams design effective and sustainable programs focusing on client-centered, outcome-driven interventions. Catherine's favorite role is assisting organizations to solve complex problems. She has helped agencies obtain more than $20 million in diverse grant funding since 2008.

Andrea Lombard is an experienced grant professional who has excelled in development and leadership positions in the nonprofit sector for 14 years. Her background includes nine years' experience writing and/or managing grants, as well as expertise in annual giving, special events management, and volunteer oversight. She is a Licensed Scrum Master, through which she brings the strongest elements of Agile project management to life in the nonprofit and fund development arenas.

Skill Level:
Early-Career
Mid-Career

Learning Path: 
Grants Management & Budgets

GPC Competencies:
Post-award grant management practices sufficient to inform effective grant design and development

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