E-021 Grant Networking Tips with Mike Chamberlain and Lucy Morgan

federal grants grant management grant professional grant writing networking uniform guidance Feb 11, 2020

Episode Summary:

### Quick Episode Summary Grant Talks Podcast [#021]

*Intro ***.42***

* Fire Away Questions with Mike Chamberlain and Lucy Morgan CPA***1:26***

* Benefits of Membership: Connecting Grant Recipients***4:05***

* Tips for Networking with Grant Professionals***6:19***

* Challenges of Grant Professional Development***7:41***

* Best Practices: How to Stay Up-to-Date with Grant Changes***10:45***

* More Solutions for Communities = More Opportunities for Grant Professionals***12:55***

* Common Grant Misconceptions: Setting Expectations***14:30***

* Grant Writing and Management Trends: Embracing the Constant of Change***16:37***

* The Last Word with Mike Chamberlain and Lucy Morgan CPA ***18:03***

*Outro Audio GrantTalks Podcast with Lucy M. Morgan CPA ***19.35***

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Introducing Mike Chamberlain from the Grant Professional Association (GPA)

Intro: 00:04

Welcome to the Grant Talks podcast with Lucy Morgan. Lucy is the CEO and director of MyFedTrainer.com a leading provider of grant management training and templates for federal grant recipients. This show is for grant professionals looking to gain confidence managing their grants. In an age of increasing complexity, you'll hear from leading professionals on the best practices surrounding grants, what's involved in successfully managing the grants lifecycle and how to make sure your grants are managed correctly. Now here's your host Lucy Morgan.

Lucy Morgan 00:42

Welcome, everyone, to this conversation with Mike Chamberlain. Mike is the CEO of the Grant Professional Association, also known as the GPA.

GPA is recognized throughout the grants industry as a membership association leader. GPA is the first association focused solely on the advancement of grantsmanship as a profession in support of its practitioners. It provides support for members in the form of national and regional conferences, active discussion forums, local chapters, and formal credentialing process.

GPA is an organization of people who care deeply about the grants profession through a shared vision, camaraderie, and belief in the future. And, I'm Lucy Morgan, your host for this session.

So, welcome, Mike.

Mike Chamberlain 01:24

It's my pleasure to be here today.

Fire Away Questions with Mike Chamberlain and Lucy Morgan CPA

Lucy Morgan 01:26

Well, I have a few fire-away questions to introduce you to our audience. Are you ready?

Mike Chamberlain 01:31

You bet.

Lucy Morgan 01:32

It seems like every year; the conferences get bigger and bigger. So, how long have you been involved with the GPA?

Mike Chamberlain 01:38

So, I've been with the GPA coming up on five years now. This will be my sixth conference. I actually came to the conference before I started working on GPA staff back in Portland, Oregon. And so, that got my first exposure to GPA and its membership in the conference.

Lucy Morgan 01:54

If this was my very first GPA conference, what would you tell me is a must-see or do while I'm here?

Mike Chamberlain 02:00

Well, I think one of the most important things for people who are first-time attendees is to connect with other grant professionals. One of the things we hear from our attendees is when they come to the conference, they say, "I didn't know there were so many other people like me out there. I thought I was the only one."

And so, it's a great opportunity for them to connect with their peers and make those connections for the long term, an opportunity to really find somebody who may be across the country, maybe in their own neighborhood that they've never met before. And it really gives them the opportunity to make those connections, not just for today, but for down the road when they might need somebody to lean on.

Lucy Morgan 02:41

And I think the first-timers will be amazed in the second year when it starts to feel like almost “old home” week, right, when you get to see all our friends that we only see once a year at the conferences.

Mike Chamberlain 02:51

Oh, absolutely.

Lucy Morgan 02:52

So, what are some of the ways that you and the team at GPA keep the conference fresh for those of us who attend every year?

Mike Chamberlain 02:59

So, a couple of things that we do. The first thing is, when we get back from the conference, I meet with the staff, and we take a look at the conference evaluation. So, we have everybody who's here, not only evaluates the individual workshops and sessions, but we have them do an overall conference evaluation. We take that, and we take feedback from that, and we really do listen to what the attendees say.

But the other thing that I do is I challenge the staff, and I say, "What can we do differently? What should we be doing differently? Are there things that we've done in the past that seemed to work that we've stopped doing? Or, are there things we should stop doing because they don't seem to be working anymore?"

One example of that is that we used to have a closing session on Saturday, the last day of the event, and we went away from that for a number of years. And we've got enough feedback from members who said, "I really want to have something that kind of wraps things up at the end of the conference." So, we've reintroduced that as a closing session speaker this year, and we'll evaluate that afterward and see if that still makes sense.

Benefits of Membership: Connecting Grant Recipients

Lucy Morgan 04:05

I know when I was brand new to grants, I felt that aloneness that you discussed with sometimes the first-timers. I often tell people I felt like the Maytag repairman, and then my daughter said, "You better tell people which one you're talking about because right now there's the lonely one with the dog, that's who I was relating to, and now there are these young buff ones who aren't lonely."

But you get that feeling that you're all alone. Especially if you're in a smaller organization, you might be the only one working directly with grants. I have to admit it. I was a little bit late to the party to recognize that there was an association like the GPA.

So, what do you think some of the benefits of joining a professional association, especially one that has both local and national impacts are?

Mike Chamberlain 04:50

You know, it's funny you used that analogy because that's the exact same analogy I used when I started working at GPA. And I too had to explain to people what I meant by that. They really are.

So many times, they're very isolated in their own organization. They're a team of one working on grants, and so they don't necessarily have somebody within the organization they can talk to.

So, I think that's one of the great things that GPA brings to the table between our local chapters, which are an opportunity for people to meet, in their local community, meet with fellow grant professionals here and share their struggles. That same thing happens with the GPA Annual Conference where you have the opportunity to kind of share and speak the same language.

People have the opportunity to know that there are others like them out there, and like I said, making those connections with people who understand who you are and what you do.

You know, for me, as an association professional, it's sometimes hard to explain even to the family what I do. And so, we hear that from grant professionals as well. And so, it's really nice to have that friendly voice, that friendly face.

You know, and the other thing that we hear so often about people who attend our conference or find out about us anyhow, once they've attended a meeting or attended a chapter, event, or something like that, they tell us, "I came to this thing, and I said, 'I found my people.'" And that's powerful. That's a powerful resource for them and for us to be able to provide them.

Tips for Networking with Grant Professionals

Lucy Morgan 06:19

So, if I was new to grants, what advice would you give me about how to connect with other grant professionals?

Mike Chamberlain 06:26

I think one of the most important things is that connection. Look for somebody, whether it's through GPA, or one of our chapters, or some other event to network with somebody.

You know, we kind of talked about it being somewhat of a lonely profession. Johna Rodgers, who's a good friend, often talks about the fact that in this industry, sometimes you need to phone a friend, but you've got to have a friend to phone.

And so, that's a piece of advice that sometimes you can't look around in your own organization to find somebody. So, you're going to have to pick up the phone or send an email. And so, to have one of those colleagues who can give you that piece of advice about a particular section of a grant proposal that you're dealing with or a particular reporting section for a foundation that maybe they've worked with before, it really gives people the opportunity to share that information.

And, I guess one of the best things that people have said about GPA and its members is their willingness to share, and their willingness to be a partner with you, even though you're in a completely different organization. And, at some point in time, you may even be competing for the same grants, but there's a willingness to share and a knowledge that in the long run, we're all in this together.

Challenges of Grant Professional Development

Lucy Morgan 07:41

I just want to emphasize that as well. I've found that, not only amongst the grant professionals who are working for organizations that are grant recipients but even in the consulting world of grants, people are so collaborative and so just genuinely nice to each other about what challenges we're facing. Even people running what you would think would be competing organizations, they still take the time to be nice to each other and just genuinely helpful with each other. And I know that's something that I've really appreciated.

What do you think holds people back from participating in professional organizations and even local chapters because sometimes that can be a struggle on the local level too, you know, as organizations ebb and flow in local groups?

Mike Chamberlain 08:25

Yes. I think one of the biggest challenges that we face in terms of getting people engaged and involved is, I think, first of all, the recognition of grants as a profession.

So many of the people who work in this field kind of fell into it. They came to it through another venue, whether it was a communications degree or, you know, had a journalism background and started working for an organization and somebody said, "Oh, you can write? Congratulations. You're now our grant writer." And so, one of the things that we have to do a good job about is helping people understand that there is professional development.

And the second part of that then is helping them explain to their bosses that professional development is important. There's more to this than just filling out an application. There's more to it than just filling in a few blanks. And especially, and I know you know this, especially as you get into the grant management side of it, there's a lot of complexity that you have to know what you're dealing with to be effective.

And so, telling the story of the importance of professional development, that this is a profession, that makes a big difference, and that's going to be where people say, "Oh, I understand now that you need to have time to do that professional development."

You know, at the local level, so many times, it gets to be a challenge because can I get away to do something? And it's been interesting hearing, even recently talking to folks, about the challenges they face in having to take personal time to go to an educational event, even if it's over the lunch hour. And so, a lot of our chapters try to do those “lunch and learn” programs.

But the other thing that we've started doing in cooperation sometimes with our chapters is offering more webinars and remote access to events and meetings so that, you know, people don't have to leave their office, or that they can get that content later on in the day.

And one of the things we've thought about doing is things like this, a podcast, where people can get that information when they're on their commute, or exercising, or anything like that.

Lucy Morgan 10:37

Yes. It kind of makes me sad that professional development is looked upon as something that you need to take personal time to do it, and that it's not recognized as beneficial to the organization. I'm taking my hand and kind of wiping the tear away here.

Best Practices: How to Stay Up-to-Date with Grant Changes

Lucy Morgan 10:45

Well, we talk about, you know, joining a group, being part of that larger community, let's shift gears a little bit and talk about why now.

And personally, I think that there's never been a better time to join an association like GPA because I'm involved on the federal side, and I look at the amount of the funding that's going on right now.

Last fiscal year, over $755 billion in federal grants are going out to solve problems in our community. And that's even above what the stimulus grants came out in 2008 and 2009 when we saw that really large jump in funding. And so, on the federal side, I think it's a great time to start now because there are huge opportunities.

Why do you think it's the best time now to join an organization like the GPA?

Mike Chamberlain 11:41

I think what you said is an important element of it, and I think there are changes happening all throughout the landscape, especially if you look on some of the foundation sides with the advent of donor-advised funds and what those are going to look like in terms of, are they a grant? Are they individual development? Or maybe they're a hybrid of that. And so, there are those changes.

There are changes going on even in the federal space, the “Re-imagine Grants Management” project that's a part of health and human services. There are a lot of dynamics and a lot of change happening in the grant world.

And so, that's where GPA as an association can step in and help people adapt and adopt to that change. We can provide information, updates, connections for people to help manage that. As you said, the professional development side of it, what can we do to help you, as a professional, make sure you're up-to-date on those changes.

Because, at some point in time, your boss or somebody in the organization is going to say, "Hey, I've heard about…" whatever that might be, and you're going to have to know what the resources, where can I go find more? And that's where an organization like GPA can come into play.

Common Grant Misconceptions: Setting Expectations

Lucy Morgan 14:30

Yes. And I think there's a lot of misconceptions all around grants.

I was having lunch with a retired school superintendent last month, and he was mentioning...you know, people hear you're into grants, and, of course, then they want to talk about grant writing. Since I'm a grant manager, I have to tell people I don't write grants. But he said, "Yes. I thought we could get all these grants, and I told people, you know, 'You write those grants, and we'll give you a percentage of whatever you write and whatever you bring in.'" And, you know, it was just like fingernails on the chalkboard to me every time I hear someone say that.

There's clearly a lot of misconceptions about what the grant profession is and what is even ethical for grant folks to do. What do you think are some steps that someone who's new to grants can take to increase their opportunities to work as an ethical and well-grounded grant professional or in a related grant field?

Mike Chamberlain 15:20

Yes. Without the obvious of "Join GPA and get involved in a local chapter," I think the thing about it is to recognize that it is a profession and recognize that one of the elements of that is continual learning, you know, whether it's through GPA or another resource out there.

As we know, the federal grants landscape is changing as well. And so, you've got to keep up-to-date on what's the latest. And that then provides additional value to you as a professional and to your organization.

One of the things we talk a little bit about in the organization is helping senior management program staff, and even sometimes the folks in finance in the county about the risk management role that grant professionals play in terms of making sure that grant funds are properly used, and that the reporting done is reported in a proper fashion.

Whether it's a foundation grant or a federal grant, there are reporting requirements. There are expectations and obligations. And so, as a professional, you take those seriously. And we believe that's where the GPA code of ethics helps our grant professionals to say, "I have a guiding star that helps me understand where I need to keep things going."

Grant Writing and Management Trends: Embracing the Constant of Change

Lucy Morgan 16:37

That's great advice. Looking back, what do you think has changed the most for grant professionals since you got into the field?

Mike Chamberlain 16:44

I think probably the advent of technology, more so in terms of people leveraging different technologies. There's more grant-specific software available and tools available now than there ever has been before, but also beyond that, a lot of other technology pieces used in other spaces.

So, project management tools, financial management tools are starting to recognize that they can be a part of a grants program and grant professionals realizing they can leverage those tools to make their lives a little bit easier as well.

I think the other piece of it is stewardship from a different perspective. And, that is, in many organizations, nonprofit organizations, their development director thinks about stewardship of major donors or monthly givers. And sometimes, the grant piece is forgotten.

And one of the changes that I've seen is grant professionals stepping up to the plate and saying, "Hey, we have to provide stewardship to our foundation partners as well, to those grantors as well to make sure that they understand, not just from the report we gave, but that it's an ongoing relationship." And the importance of relationships, even if it's a federal program officer, to help them understand that there's a relationship being built there.

The Last Word with Mike Chamberlain and Lucy Morgan CPA

Lucy Morgan 18:03

Yes. It's really people to people. Yes, very much so. Well, thanks for that insight, Mike. And I'd like to give you the last word. So, is there something I should've asked in this session that I didn't?

Mike Chamberlain 18:14

I can't really think of anything specific other than the fact that as we talked about kind of throughout, important for people to recognize that as far as grants are concerned, we sometimes hear, "Well, anybody can write a grant." Technically true, but as many of our members say, "Did you actually want to get that grant?"

So, it's an opportunity for people to recognize that it is truly a profession. There are professional standards. There's an approach to it that goes beyond just being able to check some boxes and fill in some blanks on an application.

Lucy Morgan 18:47

Thanks for that insight. If someone wants to find out more about you or the GPA, how should they get in touch?

Mike Chamberlain 18:53

Sure. You could visit our website, which is, https://www.grantprofessionals.org/. You can follow me on Twitter. I'm at https://twitter.com/GPA_ceo or go to https://twitter.com/GPANational. We also have a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/GrantProfessionals/. Just look up Grant Professionals Association on our website at https://www.grantprofessionals.org/.

You can also check out our chapters as well and see if there's a local chapter. And many of our chapters offer free visits or connection there, so you can go to one of their sessions, one of their monthly events for free.

Check it out and find out if it's for you.

Lucy Morgan 19:22

Thanks so much, Mike, for participating in the "Grant Talks Podcast." Listeners, you can find all the episodes at granttalks.com. And, thank you for tuning in.

Outro Audio GrantTalks Podcast with Lucy M. Morgan CPA

Outro: 19:35

To learn more about how MyFedTrainer.com makes grant management more manageable, visit MyFedTrainer.com. That's MyFedTrainere.com. You'll find all the Grant Talks episodes at GrantTalks.com. That's GrantTalks.com.

More About Mike Chamberlain:

Mike Chamberlain is the CEO of the Grant Professional Association focused on advancing the grants profession. An association pro, runner, cyclist, swimmer, and avid reader, Mike is an Association Executive with extensive experience in managing/directing personnel and operations, developing strategy and setting priorities with a large national association in a dynamic industry.

Mike is a committed professional and an innovative leader with proven abilities in creating and using a vision, identifying problems and using data to develop creative solutions. He is experienced in developing leaders, improving performance by removing obstacles to cooperation to focus on member needs.

Mike has successfully led teams through system implementations, including new Association Management Systems. He leads organizations to remain strategically focused.

More About Lucy Morgan CPA:

Lucy M. Morgan is a CPA, MBA, GPA approved trainer, speaker, and author of 3 books including “Decoding Grant Management-The Ultimate Success Guide to the Federal Grant Regulations in 2 CFR Part 200.” As a leading authority on federal grant management for nonprofits, institutions of higher education and state, local and tribal governments she has written over 250 articles on grant management topics featured in LinkedIn, various publications and on the MyFedTrainer.com blog.

She is a sought-after presenter at national conferences sponsored by organizations such as the Grant Professional Association (GPA), National Grant Management Association (NGMA) and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

Lucy is also a highly regarded trainer whose techniques and teaching style come from real-world experience. Having faced many of the same challenges her audiences have endured, Lucy understands that what looks good on paper may not always work in the real world. Because she has been there, she provides people of all professional backgrounds with practical tools to advance their careers and make a bigger difference in the world. She can be reached at [email protected].

>>Hear more about Lucy's story in Episode #004

More Resources for Grant Professionals

Thanks for checking out the Grant Talks podcast!

In this episode of Grant Talks, we talked about a subject that you may want to know more about:

Ways to increase collaboration on grants

So...as promised I want to share some resources that may help you on YOUR grant journey.

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Best practices for federal Grant Writers
3 ways you can show funders you are focused on program objectives
How to address the new risk assessment requirement for funders and grant recipients in your application
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P.S. If you want to read more about how grant writers and grant managers can collaborate for funding, check out my article at https://blog.myfedtrainer.com/three-secrets-grant-writers-need-to-know-about-grant-management/