Many healthcare quality professionals are looking for innovative ways to fund projects, grants may be an excellent vehicle. Grants offer the ability to use external funds to cover the cost of much needed services, products, equipment, and make a difference in the communities we serve. There are various types of grants available from private foundation grants, state, federal pass through and federal funding. Each comes with its own set of reports, guidelines and requirements. However, grants are not “free money.” If an organization is fortunate to secure funding, grants come with many post award requirements such as funder meetings, reports, and compliance requirements to name a few. In order to navigate these waters, it’s important to have a skilled grant administrator.
A skilled grant administrator can make all the difference in the success of the project. They are instrumental in the coordination, delivery, and evaluation of the project and are key in developing relationships with funders. If your organization is fortunate to have a grants office or have staff that work on grants, please recognize them for their hard work. It’s not an easy task to submit applications, manage and close out awards.
One way to recognize their work is to celebrate Grant Professional Day which is, Friday March 11. This annual celebration is an opportunity to show appreciation for grant professionals. This event is founded by the Grant Professional Association. For those of you not familiar with the Grant Professional Association, it’s the largest professional association dedicated to grant professionals and is located in Overland Park, Kansas. If you are interested in learning about ways to recognize grant professionals or to learn more about the benefits of the Grant Professional Association, click here.
Lastly, SDAHO is hosting a three-part grant series starting this month. The first session, The ABCs of Grant Management Part 1, is scheduled for March 29th at noon CT. The first session is focused on a general overview of the grant industry and attendees will learn about what policies and procedures are necessary for successful grant management, resources to use to identify funding opportunities, and learn about tools to assist in preparing grant applications. Click here for more information on this session.
