E-022 More Grant Networking Tips with Mike Chamberlain and Lucy Morgan
Episode Summary:
### Quick Episode Summary Grant Talks Podcast [#022]
*Intro ***.42***
* Fire Away Questions with Mike Chamberlain and Lucy Morgan CPA***1:26***
* Benefits of Grant Professional Certified (GPC) ***2:55***
* Tips for Professional Development-Recognition as a Grant Professional ***4:27***
* Best Practices: How to Measure Grant Professional Competencies ***6:46***
* Getting Started: The Process for GPC Certification ***9:07***
* Setting Expectations: Investing in GPC Credential ***11:10***
* Tips for Successful Grant Professional Certification ***13:18***
Benefits of Professional Development: Improved Organizational Reputation ***15:03***
* The Last Word with Mike Chamberlain and Lucy Morgan CPA ***17:53***
*Outro Audio GrantTalks Podcast with Lucy M. Morgan CPA ***19.31***
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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 continued conversation with Mike Chamberlain. Mike is the CEO of the Grant Professional Association also known as the GPA. GPA is recognized through the grants industry as a membership organizational leader.
GPA is the first organization focused solely on the advancement of grantsmanship as a profession and the support of its practitioners. It provides support for members in the form of national and regional conferences, active discussion forums, local chapters, and a formal credentialing process. GPA is an association of people who care deeply about the grants profession through a shared vision, camaraderie and a belief in the future. So welcome back, Mike.
Mike Chamberlain 01:25
Thank you.
Fire Away Questions with Mike Chamberlain and Lucy Morgan CPA
Lucy Morgan 01:26
So, first of all, I'd like to get to know you a little better with a couple of our fire away questions. What has surprised you most about this year's GPA Annual Conference?
Mike Chamberlain 01:36
You know, every year I'm surprised and I shouldn't be by now but every year I'm surprised at the number of first-timers that we have at our conference and the people that say, "I didn't know this was here and I am so glad I found it." It's a pleasant surprise but it still surprises me just the same at times.
Lucy Morgan 01:53
What's the first thing you want to share with people that are...maybe they're on the bubble about joining GPA or attending the next national conference?
Mike Chamberlain 02:00
I think the most important thing is to recognize that for grant professionals, so many of them work in silos or work as individuals. Here's an opportunity to meet your people. Get in connection, get in contact with fellow grant professionals.
I remember talking to Nathan Medina who's one of our past presidents about his first time somebody invited him to come to a GPA chapter meeting and he said, "Well, why would I go to a meeting where all my competitors are?" And he said, "But I went." And he said, "What I was surprised by was the openness and willingness of people to share and to share ideas and to collaborate."
And so, I think that's an opportunity for people. You may be struggling with something. Come to a GPA event, come to a GPA chapter meeting, check out one of our webinars. You might find that there's a tool there or a resource there that can make your life just a little bit easier.
Benefits of Grant Professional Certified (GPC)
Lucy Morgan 02:55
Well, Mike, in our last section, we talked about some of the challenges that grant professionals experience and some ways to overcome some of those things that maybe overwhelm us or make us feel lonely and I think that's something many of us have experienced in the grants profession.
Now let's get into some of the nuts and bolts of ways we can advance our careers as grant professionals.
One of the things I observed as I work with grant managers really all over the world is that most people in this profession are in it because they care deeply about making the world a better place. And compliance with all the rules and regulations is kind of a necessary evil to do the good work that we want to do.
What credentialing opportunities are offered by GPA and how do those help grant professionals?
Mike Chamberlain 03:39
Certainly. So, the Grant Professionals Association has an affiliate called the Grant Professionals Certification Institute and they actually offer the GPC which is Grant Professional Certified.
I'm very pleased to report that GPCI recently was accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. That's the body that accredits credentialing programs.
So, the GPC is recognized now as an accredited credential. And so, for many people, that raises the bar a little bit on what this is all about. It says that we've got a process by which we've really evaluated these individuals who have this credential and they do have a level of professionalism that is above the standard.
Tips for Professional Development-Recognition as a Grant Professional
Lucy Morgan 04:27
And I think that's important in any competitive environment whether we're talking competitive about getting grants or even competitive about getting employment to have that easily recognized credential.
When do you think is the right time for someone looking to be recognized as a grant professional to explore some form of credentialing like the GPC?
Mike Chamberlain 04:48
One of the requirements of the GPC is to have at least three years of experience. And so, it's important that they've got that level of experience coming into it.
But beyond that, as my friends on the GPCI board of directors would say, "Any time's a good time." Especially if you've been in the profession for any length of time beyond that, you know, three to five-year period, you've probably dealt with just about everything that has to deal with things that are on the competencies covered by the exam.
Now, you may have more experience in federal grants or foundation grants or maybe you have a good mixture of both in your background. So, it may be that you have to kind of bone up on a certain area whether that may be post-award management. And so, there are opportunities for you to do that.
Lucy Morgan 05:35
So, if I'm brand new to grants and I know nothing about grants, that's probably not the time to get started on the GPC but to gain that experience. So, it sounds like it's more of an intermediate level than a beginner level to move into that credential.
Mike Chamberlain 05:49
Yes, absolutely. So, you want to have those foundational pieces built and you want to make sure that you have experience and a level of expertise because that really is what the exam is measuring, that you have those levels of competencies and that expertise necessary to serve at that level.
As you mentioned, it is a badge if you will that you can display when speaking with hiring managers, when talking with colleagues, when working in particular settings.
One of the interesting things that I've heard from individuals is having their credentials gave them that level of respect with others in the organization. So, for example, working in a higher education situation where you may be working with a lot of PhDs. They may not recognize you as a grant professional but when you come with a credential, all of a sudden, you're recognized as an expert in your area.
Best Practices: How to Measure Grant Professional Competencies
Lucy Morgan 06:46
And I would also suggest to our listeners, make sure that you put that on your social media. When I'm out on LinkedIn which I'm on all the time, I look for that GPC after someone I want to connect with because I know if I'm looking to connect with some really quality resources, having that GPC after your name is going to be someone who has met a certain level of expertise.
What other areas of professional development do you think the GPC credentials measure? You know, if you're on the foundation side or federal side...what are the basics of what types of areas that the GPC is going to measure?
Mike Chamberlain 07:21
So, the GPC covers a number of areas of what they call competencies. So, it starts with researching and identifying opportunities in grants.
Again, then another competency is organizational development as it pertains to grant seeking.
The third area of competency is strategies for effective program and project design and development. So, as most grant professionals know, you're reaching into many different parts of the organization as you're working on a grant proposal. So, it's important to understand those programs and project elements.
Then, how to construct and craft and submit a successful grant application. There's a lot more to that than just checking some boxes.
And then moving into the post-award grant management practices to not only understand how to design the program so that it's effective for that but understanding what elements of that program are going to be required to be reported on and do you have financial systems in place to help complete that reporting.
In addition to that, then ethics. We talked earlier about the GPA code of ethics and (the importance of) having an ethical standard and understanding what your ethical obligations are as a grant professional.
And then knowledge of practices and services that raise the level of professionalism of grant professionals. Knowledge of methods and strategies that cultivate relationships. We were talking about stewardship earlier and how do you continue to manage those relationships long term.
And then there’s writing a convincing case for funding. What are you doing to be successful in explaining the needs of the organization to the grantor?
Getting Started: The Process for GPC Certification
Lucy Morgan 09:04
And I love that all of these competencies highlight the importance of relationships and building those connections with people both within our organization and with the larger world of stakeholders in the grants profession.
If I think about credentialing, you know, as a CPA I've seen the power for myself personally on having that credential, especially a well-recognized credential behind my name.
Let's talk about the process. What is the process of getting GPC certification? Is it complicated?
Mike Chamberlain 09:38
It's not really complicated and one of the best things that GPCI has done is they have what they call an eligibility quiz. Takes about 15 minutes and steps you through the process by which you would submit your eligibility packet.
So, we were talking earlier about somebody who may be relatively new to the profession. If you're in that three to the five-year window and thinking about that as a way to really separate yourself from the crowd, go take the eligibility exam. That will tell you whether you meet the eligibility requirements but you can also through that process identify areas where maybe you do need to do more to get prepared to take the exam. So that's kind of the first step. And then at the end of the eligibility quiz, it says whether you are eligible or where you need to do more work still.
Lucy Morgan 10:24
And it almost sounds like a fun thing to do on a Saturday night. Because you can identify what those areas are where maybe those are the workshops I need to sit in on at the next year's conference.
Mike Chamberlain 10:36
And that's a great point because one of the things that we certainly try to do as GPA is to make sure that all of our webinars or workshops and even chapter events are tied to one of the GPC competencies.
So if there's a particular area, say, you know, you've spent a lot of time on the pre-award, the application side but haven't done as much on grant management, you can look for those topics that are grant management-focused through our webinars or through activities at our annual conference and focus on them in preparation.
Setting Expectations: Certifying as a Grant Professional
Lucy Morgan 11:10
Now can you give me an idea of how long the process takes on average for someone who's looking to go through this type of certification?
Mike Chamberlain 11:16
Sure. It kind of depends on the individual in terms of your process of preparation but once you go through the eligibility quiz and then there's a process by which you prepare an eligibility packet. It's based a lot on the information that you did on the eligibility quiz and that packet is then sent to the GPCI for them to evaluate to make sure you do meet the minimum criteria to sit for the exam.
That process can take up to about a month to do that eligibility review. After that point in time, you're issued a ticket basically to sit for the exam. And so, then you schedule the exam at your convenience. They use a testing service so that there's an opportunity for you to schedule it on your time.
Now you do have a window of time from when your eligibility packet is completed to when you must take the exam and I believe that's three months now. But at that point in time, it's up to you to figure out how you're going to schedule it in your time.
Lucy Morgan 12:14
So that's a real benefit. You don't have to go into the big convention center, you know, with the proctors wandering around. It's been a few years since I got my CPA but that's a memory that sticks with you and I think the idea of being able to do that at a little bit more at your convenience personally would be a real benefit as well.
Mike Chamberlain 12:33
And I'm a certified association executive so I had a similar experience to you in the big room with the proctors. So, I think I might've liked having this kind of opportunity as well.
Lucy Morgan 12:43
Yes, I tell a story sometimes when I'm talking about training that my stress...you know, some people have different methods of dealing with stress. Some people are runners or other things.
So, the week that I sat for the CPA exam, I was reading a book about a meteor hitting the Earth and ending life as we know it. And so, my stress relief was that it didn't matter if I didn't pass because a meteor could hit the Earth and end life as we know it. We all have different ways of dealing with stress. Fortunately, I did pass the exam so I didn't have to go back to the room with the proctors again.
Mike Chamberlain 13:17
Right.
Tips for Successful Grant Professional Certification
Lucy Morgan 13:18
So, what could a grant professional do to increase their chance of successfully receiving this credential?
Mike Chamberlain 13:24
You know, I think one of the things is preparation and that's true for all of us who've...you know, as you know too, for anybody who's gone through a certification process, part of that is relying on your expertise. But part of it is also looking for best practices, continuing to educate yourself, staying up to date on what the important things are in the field.
And so, one of the things that all of the organizations are looking at is how we can help people get better prepared. There are some books and some resources out there to help people prepare for the exam but in addition to that, a lot of our chapters are forming study groups. So, it's an opportunity for those who are interested in pursuing the exam to work with other grant professionals, share their knowledge and share their expertise.
Lucy Morgan 14:18
And I would like to just also put a plug in for things like study groups and books where you have some practice questions because I think one of the keys to a successful test strategy is building that muscle memory. You know, like your head is your muscle, before you go to sit for the exam because then, you know, you may be nervous or whatever but you've had that practice, you've gone through similar types of questions and issues so that you're not left flat-footed when it comes to taking the test as well. And of course, there are all those little things like getting enough sleep before you take it and have your coffee or tea or whatever.
I found that for many of us having the support of a manager or a colleague or someone giving us that little kick in the pants that we sometimes need to get going on these types of opportunities will increase not only our odds that we'll do it but also that we're going to make something with those skills that we get and even increase our demand in the labor market.
Benefits of Professional Development: Improved Organizational Reputation
Lucy Morgan 15:03
If someone's listening to this and they're thinking about the GPC credential, what advice would you give them about convincing their boss why this is meaningful?
Mike Chamberlain 15:26
Yes, I think one of the things about that is what it brings as a benefit to the organization. It is an individual recognition that's going to...a recognition of your skills but it also proves that your organization has made a commitment to doing grants right.
And for foundations and for other funders to be able to see that I know that the person on the other side of this award is a grant professional certified, they know and understand the full level of what it takes to not only apply for this grant but also to manage this grant and that they have an ethical standard. So, it helps improve the reputation of the organization as a whole.
And many of the grant professionals end up working in a development department, especially many nonprofits. And so many of those development directors are familiar with the CFRE credential. It's helping them understand that the GPC is just like that but for grants. It's very much focused on that and it shows a level of competency and excellence in the grants profession and to me, that's one of those pieces that bodes well not only for the organization to say, "We have professionals handling our grants program," but then it gives confidence to those funders to say, "I can be confident that this organization is going to do what they said they were going to do."
Lucy Morgan 16:45
I think those all are very valid points as you're trying to convince your boss but sometimes the situation is flipped a little bit. Sometimes it's actually a boss who's looking to encourage some of their really key employees to take that next step and go after some type of credentialing.
What advice would you give a boss who sees that spark in someone who thinks they could really benefit from this to help encourage them to participate?
Mike Chamberlain 17:10
I think it...just like you said, it's kind of a little bit of the opposite of what I just said. It's that opportunity for the boss to say, "I see something special in you and what you can bring to our organization will benefit everybody."
As we said earlier, grant professionals so oftentimes get into their role because they want to help others. And so here's the opportunity to put yourself above the crowd a little bit and give our organization an opportunity to help others even more by demonstrating that professionalism and helping people understand that you know what you're doing and that what's going to happen long term with their grant fund is what the funders intended to happen.
The Last Word with Mike Chamberlain and Lucy Morgan CPA
Lucy Morgan 17:53
Thank you, Mike. I really appreciate that. And I'd like to give you the last word so is there anything I should've asked about this that I didn't?
Mike Chamberlain 18:01
I think that one important thing is for people to check out the Grant Professionals Certification Institute site. It's grantcredential.org. There's a lot of great information there about the credential, about the competencies, about the whole eligibility process.
And again, some more of those kinds of resources to share with your colleagues and with your boss about what's the value and importance of a credential. I'm also somebody... as I said earlier, I'm a certified association executive and I believe strongly in the power of the credential. Both personally and professionally it's helped me and I see it helping others in the field as well and it's again raising the bar for the profession so that people understand there is truly a value to the profession.
Lucy Morgan 18:46
And we'll put a link to that site as well out on granttalks.com. If someone would like to find out more about you or the GPA, how should they get in touch?
Mike Chamberlain 18:54
Sure. You can check out our website which is grantprofessionals.org. You can follow me on Twitter @GPA_CEO. I'm also on LinkedIn and we also have a Facebook page. The grantcredential.org is GPCI's website. And you can also check out their Facebook and other social media platforms as well.
Lucy Morgan 19:18
Great. So, thanks again, Mike, for participating in the "Grant Talks" podcast. Listeners, you can find all the "Grant Talks" episodes out on 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:
- Post-award grant management practices
So...as promised I want to share some resources that may help you on YOUR grant journey.
You may know the feeling...it starts with excitement and nervousness.
You get that federal grant!
And then life happens!
It can be tough when the best-laid budget plans meet the real world of grant management
That’s why I wanted to share this infographic/“mini-guide” on how to handle changes in your federal grant budget and program plans without getting into trouble with your funding agency.
Federal funders can be very fussy about when they give their blessing to changes.
(And when I say a “blessing” I mean the PRIOR approval of changes to your federal grant.)
I hope this little “roadmap” will help you stay out of trouble and help as many people as possible with the federal funding.
This is a quick and visual way to keep you on top of the changes that are a normal part of “real-world” grant management for federal grants!
Do you know:
- The 7 prior approval requirements for all non-construction federal awards.
- The 3 times your federal agency must approve changes to your construction award.
- What approvals your federal funder can waive to make your life easier and more…
These resources are FREE for you, and I hope that you will find them valuable on your grant journey.
Click here to download and share
P.S. If you want more details, check out my Decoding Grant Management-Success Tip article at https://blog.myfedtrainer.com/decoding-grant-management-success-tip-revision-of-budget-and-program-plans/
