E-024 More Big Topics in Philanthropy with Rachel Werner and Lucy Morgan
Episode Summary:
### Quick Episode Summary Grant Talks Podcast [#024]
*Intro ***.42***
* Fire Away Questions with Rachel Werner and Lucy Morgan CPA***1:23***
* How to Stay Current on Philanthropy Trends***3:43***
*Trends in the Public Sector-Open Data is Coming to Grants***5:25***
* Resources for Tracking Trends***6:09***
* Accelerating Change: Social Media and Social Issues***9:47***
* Best Practices: Public Expectations and Change Management***11:45***
* Top Challenges in Philanthropy***12:56***
* Lessons Learned: Collaboration Matters***15:18***
* Spotlight on Mission - Better Storytelling***16:55***
* The Last Word with Rachel Werner and Lucy Morgan CPA ***18:05***
*Outro Audio GrantTalks Podcast with Lucy M. Morgan CPA ***19.24***
Be sure to subscribe to the show!
Click on the Player Below to Listen to the Podcast
Introducing Rachel Werner from the RBW Strategy
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 Rachel Werner. Rachel holds a PMP certification and is designated by the Grant Professional Association as a certified grant professional or GPC. Rachel is the owner and CEO of RBW Strategy and is an experienced public sector manager and consultant with an emphasis on the grant's life cycle, proposal development, project management, and strategic planning.
Rachel has over 16 years of grants and project management experience spanning the corporate, nonprofit, and public sectors, and has helped to bring in over $30 million in grants and contracts. And I'm Lucy Morgan, the host for your session. Welcome back, Rachel.
Rachel Werner: 01:21
Welcome. Nice to be here.
Fire Away Questions with Rachel Werner and Lucy Morgan CPA
Lucy Morgan: 01:23
And I didn't want to let you get away without expanding on this topic of trends in the world of grants, by discussing some of these big topics in philanthropy and the public sector. So, I understand that you have over 14 years of experience leading strategic change. What developed your interest in strategic change versus, say, just grant writing or just grant management?
Rachel Werner: 01:44
Well, I think it's just taking a holistic perspective and looking at the organization because, I think, sometimes when I work with different organizations, they come in, and they want grant support, but there's actually some deeper challenges and issues that they're facing, that I think if you don't address them, you're doing a disservice because you're just putting a Band-Aid on it. Sure, writing grants is one thing, but if you don't get down into some of the challenges that they're facing perhaps and they're prioritizing from a planning perspective and really targeting the different types of revenue generation mechanisms that they have, then you're really not providing them with the foundation to be successful grant seekers.
Lucy Morgan: 02:28
If you could share just one thing that surprises you about organizational reactions to strategic change, or the lack of strategic change, what would that be?
Rachel Werner: 02:39
It's hard to move the needle, especially for people that have been with the organization. I have a client that has had staff there for 20 years, and so, trying to implement a new process or a new strategic direction. There's also a lot of fear that, "Okay, will I be displaced? Will I have my new responsibilities?" So, there's a lot of fear around it.
And so, if you do some kind of strategic change, it really has to be a bottom-up process because you can't just have it being directed by the board and leadership without input from staff because I think that there would be more buy-in and more support for better efficiency. So, if you frame it from that perspective versus, we're going to create some changes that'll have drastic and dramatic impacts, then people would have more support.
Lucy Morgan: 03:29
Yes. It almost feels like it's better to get that out on the table early because it certainly goes through everyone's mind when you talk about bringing in new, more efficient processes. Well, what does that mean to me and my job? Yes, definitely.
How to Stay Current on Philanthropy Trends
Lucy Morgan: 03:43
In our last section, we talked about your presentation at the GPA National Conference. And your presentation was called "What's Happening in the World: Discussing Big Topics in Philanthropy and the Public Sector." What advice would you give someone who may feel a bit overwhelmed by either the trends that they see or just how to stay current on all these different developments that seem to change every single day?
Rachel Werner: 04:03
Okay. So, first, step one is to breathe. I think that it can feel overwhelming because we have such an onslaught of information from all different kinds of resources, and also discerning what makes sense, what will impact me, you know because there's also just discerning that it's not somebody's opinion. And so, just discerning, you know, what is factual information. So, I think that in terms of a grant professional's work, I would say, the first thing is to decide: Does this make sense? You know, does this seem like this is really happening? Is this accurate? And trying to get to the bottom of it, because if it's a big policy decision, trying to get some more understanding if that's really just somebody's opinion or if that's actually going to trickle down and impact your work in your own community.
And in response, just saying, if you need to mobilize a response to whatever new issue or policy is coming down the pike, I would say: Is this the right time for us to be focusing on it? Is this really going to impact the people that we serve? Is this going to impact our work? And also, do we need to coalesce with other organizations to kind of talk through this? Do we need to develop a task force, or is this something that we just kind of keep on the horizon and that we look at when it becomes more formalized, or perhaps when it really starts to impact us when the rubber meets the road?
Trends in the Public Sector-Open Data is Coming to Grants
Lucy Morgan: 05:25
You know, certainly, one of the large impacts that, I think, we're going to see in the coming years on the federal level has to do with the implementation of the DATA Act and open data. And I think I've been talking about the DATA Act for about five years now. And I still go out, and people have heard of it, but they don't really understand what it means to them.
And so, I think just as people; we sometimes are a little bit... When we feel overwhelmed, we don't want to know more because that will just make us feel even more overwhelmed than we were already.
Rachel Werner: 05:55
It's like the lack of contextualizing it, you know, because sometimes it seems, "Oh. The DATA Act. That's the DATA Act. That's at the federal level." But if you don't really know how it impacts you as an organization, then you're just going to dismiss it outright.
Resources for Tracking Trends
Lucy Morgan: 06:09
Yes. So, what would say are some of the top trends to really pay attention to for people who may be listening today, and they feel like they're in the trenches, there's not a lot of time to attend conferences like the great GPA Conference that we're at? What things would you tell them to really sit up and take notice?
Rachel Werner: 06:26
Well, I definitely think that it's important to stay on top of what's happening in the sector. So, I would look at...some of the resources that I would recommend are "Nonprofit Quarterly," I think, "Chronicle of Philanthropy," they really outline and have some good insights into trends and issues and case studies that, I think, are valuable. And so, I definitely would recommend people staying on top of that.
And there's a lot of, you know, resources on the federal government. You know, you have "FedWeek," you have "CQ." Like, there's a bunch of different periodicals and newsletters and things that people can look at.
Another podcast that I recommend is "Tiny Spark." It's issued by "Nonprofit Quarterly." So, I definitely recommend that because those are little nuggets of information every other week that you can get as a half-hour podcast. So, I'd recommend that.
And I think in terms of some other trends, I definitely think that as we think about federal funding, it's just going to be seeing where they start to position their funding. So, even if there's not necessarily a decrease in funding, there could be...and reading the guidance very, very carefully to make sure that you're eligible and that you also are not going against some kind of mission that you have as an organization that may not necessarily be in alignment with yours if you get federal funding for something. So, I think it's very mindful of what's in the guidance because it's very reflective of a difference in policy. So, I think that that's going to change.
And also, of course, if there's a recession, then that's going to impact the future of how much funding there is out there, too.
Lucy Morgan: 08:13
And thanks for the mention of that podcast. We'll put a link out to that on the "Grant Talks" page. You mentioned in your presentation that we're really reactive. We're reacting to situations rather than preparing for trends. And that could affect our organizational strategy as well if we're in that reactive mode.
So, how do we move from that reactive mindset to a more proactive mindset when it comes to grants and other forms of funding, especially for those causes that we're passionate about?
Rachel Werner: 08:40
So, I think that what we need to do is really... I'll give you a case study. So, I have a client that I used to work with, and they provide English-as-a-second-language educational services within Montgomery County, Maryland, where I live. And they decided to coalesce and work with other education providers to come together and come up with a resource list because they work with a lot of people who are impacted by, obviously, the issues related to immigration reform.
And so, they put together resources for people, their clients to know when there are public hearings, know what information they should have, know what documentation they need to be aware of so that they could then be prepared. So, I think it's those kinds of preparation and providing resources that really help to try to help put a Band-Aid on some of these other...to stop the bleeding as much as possible, you know. That's really what I see as a good trend coming out of this.
Accelerating Change: Social Media and Social Issues
Lucy Morgan: 09:47
And what impact do you see social media having on just the speed of change and maybe even the expectation for change around some of these big world issues?
Rachel Werner: 09:56
Oh, that's a tough one, because it's a blessing and a curse. You know, yesterday, during my session, one person brought up the fact that they work with developing countries. And so, the use of technology for people of a developing world who have not had access to technology is eye-opening and life-changing because now they have access to information, resources, that they didn't have before. And when you're living in a remote community, that's the difference between lifting yourself perhaps out of poverty and not. But then you have an onslaught of misinformation; you have people who are perhaps... I mean, foreign entities perhaps coming into our country and trying to impact voters' thinking, and then you have this sort of negative data sharing that's happening within the social media that is really impacting our trust of a lot of these different vehicles. So, it's a blessing and a curse.
And so, I think that you just have to be smart about it and trying to, I'd say, limit it as much as you can to the extent that you rely on more accurate sources of information. It's a challenge. I don't think that we've fully figured out a way to handle the beast that's come out, though.
Lucy Morgan: 11:19
I saw a great quote by Charles Spurgeon that said, "A lie can make it halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." And I thought that really says a lot about social media. And I realized that Charles Spurgeon was alive in the 1800s. So, the concept of that "lies spread faster than truth" is not a new concept, but it certainly has been accelerated through the use of social media as well, no doubt.
Rachel Werner: 11:43
Definitely.
Best Practices: Public Expectations and Change Management
Lucy Morgan: 11:45
So, what do you think is one of the main misconceptions that grant recipients have about preparing for the public expectations for change, especially when those expectations are being driven by that social media frenzy?
Rachel Werner: 11:57
You know, I think that there's... Especially now, and D.J. Vanas has spoken a little bit about this. There's a lot of expectations of what nonprofit professionals and grant professionals, people of the public sector, are supposed to do.
So, I feel like that expectation puts weight on people's shoulders. So, I think that, to the extent that is staying true to what you do for your mission and trying to stay focused on that because there's some inherent truth in just the work that you do.
And so, I think that public perception is going to be public perception. I mean, fortunately, or unfortunately, it can change in 24 hours. And so, I think that just trying to do your normal course of business to the extent that you can, and also relays that you can't pick up the slack for all of the social ills that are going on in the world. You can only do what you can handle.
Top Challenges in Philanthropy
Lucy Morgan: 12:56
And you did a discussion in the discussion den on your topic. So, I'm sure there was some input from the folks who were attending that as well. What were some of the top challenges that attendees identified in your discussion den presentation about the trends in philanthropy that you want to share with us?
Rachel Werner: 13:13
Oh. There were a lot of things discussed. I think people had a lot to share because I think it was an opportunity for people to kind of vent and disclose a lot of what's happening with their own areas.
So, a couple of things that stood out was that, regardless of the urban or rural type of community, the chronic issues still remain: homelessness, poverty, inequities, food insecurity. And that's just happening all over the place.
And I think that people are trying different ways to communicate with other organizations, trying to work with funders, trying to find more innovative ways of addressing them. But it's going to be an ongoing problem.
The other thing that came up which was interesting was the difference between...and this is also not to get political but to say that, if you live in an urban community, perhaps that leans more democratic and you live within a republican state, some of those policies are going to be different. So, the way that your county or your city might be addressing the issue is very different from what the state might be addressing.
For instance, someone from Kansas City, Missouri, mentioned gun reform that was happening in Kansas City. However, the State of Missouri might have a different viewpoint on the gun control debate. So, I think that those kinds of dichotomies are existing. And also, if you have different political shifts, that can really impact and trickle down. So, we just had an election. And so, now we have a democratic governor in Kentucky. So, there's going to be some changes there. And I think that if you have the opposite party-controlled house, that could trickle down and have some impact.
So, people were talking about that to the extent that if you live in a community that's different from the larger state, you know how that impacts what the policies are and how you do your work.
Lessons Learned: Collaboration Matters
Lucy Morgan: 15:18
Sure. What would you say are some of the top lessons learned that others shared in that discussion?
Rachel Werner: 15:24
You know, I think that there's just definitely a focus on more collaborative efforts. I think that people are really starting to work together on different task forces and just other types of initiatives to really engage and just do what they can. And I think also just some other things that were lessons learned is that there is a difference...even though the issues might be the same, there is a difference in, like, the way that an urban community and their access to resources is very different from a rural community and their access to resources.
So, I think that the challenges are a bit different. And I think also people are getting really resourceful for addressing things. You know, one person brought up this looming recession. And so, she keeps telling her executive directors, "Hey, look. We need to be prepared."
And actually, showing trends in giving, so, looking at the past ten years. And this is something that every organization can do and say, "We saw a dip in 2008. How did it go up? What areas do we need to focus on?" So, being proactive. So, I think that resourcefulness is something that...just to be top of mind.
Lucy Morgan: 16:35
I love that you brought up the whole collaboration aspect because maybe grant professionals can lead the way in their communities and maybe service role models on more the national level about how to collaborate to get things done for people as well.
Rachel Werner: 16:49
Yes. Because we do it all the time anyway. So, why not make it something that really impacts our community?
Spotlight on Mission - Better Storytelling
Lucy Morgan: 16:55
Did you have one particular story that stood out from your presentation about trends in philanthropy that you want to share with our listeners?
Rachel Werner: 17:02
You know, I think that...definitely something that we talked about quite a bit was inequities because we talked about racial inequities and that, you know, in the DC area, I know that that's a top of mind for a lot of the funders out there. And I definitely see that in other areas as well, and even starting to creep into some of the local government applications that I've seen as well of just addressing those systemic racial inequities.
And so, I think that organizations, what I found that they were saying, "Well, we're already doing that." But now they're actually having to start to contextualize it and actually putting it into practice within their organization. So, I definitely see that as one of the big trends, and we talked about that quite a bit.
Lucy Morgan: 17:47
Oftentimes, organizations may be doing the steps, but they've never thought about actually describing it and highlighting what they are doing.
Rachel Werner: 17:54
Exactly. Or you're doing great work. So, now it's just putting it into some kind of language that people can understand.
Lucy Morgan: 18:02
Putting a little bit of light on it.
Rachel Werner: 18:04
Exactly.
The Last Word with Rachel Werner and Lucy Morgan CPA
Lucy Morgan: 18:05
Well, thank you, Rachel. And I'd like to give you the last word. Is there something I should have asked, and I didn't?
Rachel Werner: 18:10
You know, I think that it's important, obviously, to stay top of mind on all of these issues. And I think to the extent that you can get buy-in from leadership is...you know, what really made me think was this person who keeps telling her leadership, "Hey. There's a looming recession." And so, those types of things, is that if you have to be the squeaky wheel, try to be the squeaky wheel, you know. Because if that's going to help your organization in the long run, then I say, try to document that and try to be that person that you can try to raise those issues at the forefront.
Lucy Morgan: 18:50
Well, thank you for that insight. If someone would like to find out more about you and RBW Strategy, how should they get in touch with you?
Rachel Werner: 18:57
Well, you can send me an email at [email protected]. You can find me on my website, rbwstrategy.com, or you can send me a message on Twitter, or find me on LinkedIn.
Lucy Morgan: 19:11
Thank you so much for joining us today, Rachel, on the "Grant Talks Podcast." And listeners, you can find all the episodes out on granttalks.com. Thanks for tuning in.
Rachel Werner: 19:21
Thank you.
Outro Audio GrantTalks Podcast with Lucy M. Morgan CPA
Outro: 19:24
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 Rachel Werner:
Rachel Werner, Owner, and CEO of RBW Strategy, a woman-owned consulting firm located in the Washington, DC Metro area. She has over 16 years of experience in the corporate, nonprofit, and public sectors. Due to her experience as a project manager, grant seeker, and grant manager, she has expertise in the full lifecycle of grants activities, and currently provides fundraising, project management and strategic planning support to nonprofit, public sector and for-profit clients. Since the beginning of her career, she has helped to garner over $35 million in grants and contracts and has managed over $2 billion in grant funding.
She graduated from Vassar College with a Bachelor in Arts and received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service. She has also obtained a Certificate in Grants Management (2012), is a certified Project Management Professional (since 2014), and is a Certified Grants Professional (since 2010). She is actively involved in the Grant Professionals Association and regularly conducts in-person and online trainings, most notably at the Grant Professionals Association Annual Conference, the National Grants Management Association Annual Conference, CharityHowTo, Candid, Center for Nonprofit Advancement and Catalogue for Philanthropy.
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:
- Collaboration between grant writers and grant managers
So...as promised I want to share some resources that may help you on YOUR grant journey.
I have to admit, this infographic got off to a rocky start…
I had a little typo in a very public place-LinkedIn!
And people let me know…
(But in a nice way. :D)
And then something even better happened.
Folks loved this simple infographic!
(One person wanted a giant poster of it to put over her desk.)
And then a grant writer asked for one too!
So, I decided to go back and add a special infographic for grant writers too!
So, if you ever feel at a loss to describe to your boss and others what grant writing AND grant management is all about…
This is the infographic for you to download and share.
I hope this little Infographic will keep you on the journey to more federal grants and better grant writing and management.
This Infographic walks you through nine key areas that are critical to good grant writing and grant management.
Here's what’s included:
- What critical pre-award roles grant writers contribute in the grant lifecycle
- Best practices for laying out the grant writing function at your organization and an encore copy of the grant manager infographic!
These resources are designed for grant writers and managers, just like you, and I hope that you will find them valuable on your grant journey.
Click here to download and share
P.S. If you’d like to learn more about how grant writers and grant managers can work together, check out my article at https://blog.myfedtrainer.com/three-secrets-grant-writers-need-to-know-about-grant-management/
