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Behind the Scenes: Grantsmanship Training Program

Having zero experience with grants and writing proposals, I was unsure of what to expect from the 5-day Grantsmanship Training Program. I knew the basics from what I’d seen working across the training room and from what I’d read on the Grantsmanship Training Program Curriculum webpage during my first few days as the Publications and Research Coordinator at The Grantsmanship Center.

The following is a quick breakdown of the week-long training, and some behind the scenes insight on the Grantsmanship Training Program.

Sustainability After the Money Runs Out

Because grants are social investments meant to produce ongoing change, both funders and grantseekers are concerned about what happens after the grant ends.

Most people define sustainability as “obtaining funding to keep the program running.” That’s not quite right. It’s primarily about perpetuating the results that are being achieved. Sometimes sustaining outcomes requires that you continue the program or some part of it — but not always.

A Logical Call to Action: Grants as Advocacy, Not Just Asking

We all know what a grant proposal is. It’s a document we write and submit to private or government funders requesting money to support our organization’s work. Right? While grant proposals do indeed request funding, I think this standard definition falls short and points us in the wrong direction. Grant funding is a tool for making something better, and since the real goal is impact instead of money, I propose an expanded definition.

Q&A: Procurement & New Super Circular

The procurement rules governing purchases made with grant funds changed when the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued new Uniform Guidance on grant administration (the Super Circular) in late December 2014. The good news is that the one-year grace period the feds gave nonprofit organizations to comply with the new requirements has just been extended to two years.

Ode to Bill Zinsser

I was in my garage, rushing to work when my cell phone rang: “This is Bill Zinsser—did you call me?” Yes I had. In that moment I’d have dropped the phone on the cement if I’d not been clutching it so tightly at the sound of his name. I stood transfixed.

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