Top 4 FY16 Federal Grants Predictions
Well, September 30th marks the end of the federal fiscal year. While I don’t have a crystal ball, I do have a sense of the upcoming funding cycle and some thoughts of what we might expect. Let’s see how many actually come to fruition. Transparency, Front and Center: The focus on transparency and safeguarding […]
Mets Winning Streak About Strategic Planning?
My husband is an avid Mets fan, and as a previous resident of New York City, we went to many games at Shea Stadium (before it became Citi Field). However, since the 1986 World Series, the team has never won the World Series. There have been many close calls, but the team has not been […]
Grants Management Case Studies, Part 2
Every grantee in receipt of government funding wants to ensure that they are in good standing with their federal, state, and local government counterparts. However, in some cases organizations can be designated as high-risk, which leads to unfortunate punitive measures down the road. What do these entail and how can you maintain compliance and avoid […]
Top 5 Ways that Partnerships Enhance our Work
When you think of peanut butter, don’t you think of jelly? These two go hand in hand. I had the pleasure of attending The Power Conference yesterday, a day for women entrepreneurs to learn from one another, learn some new skills, and network. My takeaway is that everyone needs a partner in order to sustain […]
Proposal Templates: Great Idea or a Fool’s Errand?
Isn’t it much easier to create a blanket proposal template in response to a request for proposals (RFP) rather than develop a customized proposal in response to each specific grant and/or contract opportunity? Well…. The answer is not so simple. What are the considerations in deciding what information can be used in multiple proposals versus […]
Grants Management Case Studies, Part 1
Each day grant professionals focus on supporting their recipients, adhering to administrative requirements, and in general, focusing on the daily operations of administering or managing large grant awards. Unless someone seeks out a professional development opportunity, such as a conference or webinar, how does a grant professional stay engaged in best practices regarding federal […]
Which comes first, the grant budget or the narrative?
It’s the age-old “chicken or the egg” question, a brain teaser and an example of the cycle of life. As we all know, having access to information upon preparation of a grant application is essential to the success of the proposal. How can any application (large or small, federal or private) be successful without essential […]
The Power of the Story in a Grant Application
Most of you who write grant applications always include the basic components: statement of need, project design, sustainability plan, evaluation strategy, budget and budget narrative. This is what makes you successful-identifying the required components and preparing an application that meets these requirements. However, as you write application after application (especially for the same organization) you […]
What the Uniform Guidance Means for Data Gathering
Performance Measurement, Evaluation Strategy, Outcomes and Benchmarks – do these terms mean anything to you or are they just grant industry lingo? By now I’m sure you are aware of two important concepts: 1) measuring the progress of your project or program is important, and 2) maintaining and collecting accurate data is essential to any […]
There are no small organizations…
Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Nonprofit Village of Montgomery County’s “Making a Difference Awards Breakfast” and am continually inspired by the great work that is being done by small nonprofits in the community. As many of you already know, Montgomery County, Maryland is home to thousands of nonprofit organizations. A majority […]
