Slide presentation for Advanced Grants Management.

1. Advanced Grants Management
Sonia Plata
New Detroit, Inc.
Elizabeth Agius
Wayne State University
4th Annual Funding Resources
Face to Face Conference
October 22, 2008
Detroit, MI
Introduction
Very briefly – note your experience with
grants management
Briefly: our experience with grants
management
– Strengthening Community Organizations to
Promote Effectiveness (SCOPE)
– Compassion Capital Initiative
– Research and evaluation

2. Why is Grants Management
Critical?
Administering the program implementation
Reporting to funder
Complying with regulations
Quality Control
Evaluation
Improvement/Lessons Learned
Grant Life Cycle

3. Winning an Award
• Are you chasing the money?
• Strategic Analysis
– Vision
– Mission
– Cost/Benefit
– Organizational Capacity
– Organizational Capability
Team Involvement
Program Director/Principal Investigator
Program Managers
Fiscal Managers
Procurement Officers
Management/Leadership

4. Planning
Review grant contract/award letter and
contact program officer with any changes, if
necessary
Briefing meeting with all team members
– Roles and responsibilities
– Terms and conditions of grant
Develop Plan
Planning
Maintain a good financial management
system
– Meets accounting principles for public and
nonprofit organizations
– Ensures proper cost allocation and compiles with
funding source
– Reporting system that documents spending of
funds
Team must have a thorough understanding
of the grant/program budget

5. Planning
Use of Logic Models as key tool in planning,
implementation and evaluation
– Visual representation of your program
– Expression of program theory – how the pieces fit
together
– Part of planning and evaluation
– Commonly used in grants
Planning
Logic Models Components
– Inputs: Resources a program uses to carry out its
activities
– Activities: The services of a program
– Outputs: The accomplishments, products or
service units of a program
– Outcomes: Changes that occur in people (or
something) as a result of the program

6. Group Discussion
What tools are you using to manage
your grants?
Grants Implementation
Overview: Need to develop internal
processes to routinely handle each of the
following:
– Reporting
– Budgets and Finance
– Communications with Program Officer
– Evaluation

7. Reporting
Required progress reports
Semi-Annually
Quarterly
Format
Closeout report
Extension process
Reporting
Required fiscal reports/forms
Required signatures
Expending and managing funds in conformity
with the approved budget
Carryover/Unliquidated funds

8. Budget and Finance
Allowable costs must be:
– Necessary
– Reasonable
– Allocable
– Legal under state and local law
– Conform with federal law and grant terms
– In accordance with GAAP
– Adequately documented and follow sound
business practices
Budget and Finance
Payment process
– Obligations
– Liquidation
– Drawdown
– Internal Controls
Ensuring that cost sharing requirements are
properly documented and met

9. Communication with
Program Officer
Routine
Provide updates and reports timely
Communicate challenges and successes
Understand communication style preference
– Email
– Telephone
Evaluation
Link evaluation to activities through your
logic model
Keep your evaluation plan simple and
directed to the core goals of your funding
agent
– Know the type of evaluation your funder wants

10. Evaluation
Outputs versus Outcomes
– Outputs are the accomplishments, products or
service units of a program
– Outputs relate more closely to process objectives
such as amount of programming
– Examples of Outputs:
125 clients served
8 weeks of programming provided
Evaluation
Outcomes
– Outcomes are the results you can expect. Limited
in time, single end result. Identify results to be
achieved rather than activities to be performed.
– Examples of Outcomes
75% of participants will improve knowledge of ….
65% of grantee will reduce recidivism…

11. Managing Performance
Follow security, health and safety procedures
Establish an Audit Management Process
Follow Sound Ethical Principles
– Conflict of Interest Policies
– Procurement Integrity
Establish a System of Quality Review and
Control
Managing Performance
Personnel strategies to ensure compliance
with data management
– Staffing
Increased staff to handle monitoring, communication,
and administrative functions
Specialized yet cross-trained for greater efficiency
Investment in staff development
Monthly team meetings
Clear understanding of role and responsibilities.
Specific goals and objectives

12. Managing Performance
– Communication with stakeholders
Increased quantity and quality of communication
– Face-to-face, group meetings, trainings, email
Use of electronic communication (application,
assessment, notices, registration, monitoring) is
emphasized at all of the bidders conferences and other
events
Moved to electronic methods of reporting
Lessons Learned
Always keep communication open with program
officer
Expect and prepare for changes/delays
Monitor implementation against a realistic timeline
Clear expectations of roles and responsibilities of
team
Modify implementation plan as needed
Use evaluation results to modify implementation

13. Group Discussion
What lesson have you learned in
managing your grants?
Success
Clients
– High number of returning clients
– Groups increasingly meeting federal performance goals
– High level of program satisfaction from evaluations,
focus groups
Providers
– Growing numbers seeking to provide services
– Increased understanding of client needs and service
requirements
– Long term provider relationships

14. Success
Overall
– One of 12 repeating awardees out of 600
applicants and 37 awards!
– Identified as a Promising Practice Program by
Dept. of HHS
Resources
Management Concepts: http://www.managementconcepts.com/
National Contract Management Association (NCMA): http://www.ncmahq.org/
The National Grants Partnership: http://www.thengp.org/
OMB – Grants Information: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/
OMB A-122 – Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a122/122_2004.pdf
OMB Circular A-133 – Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit
Organizations:http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a133/a133.pdf
The Kellogg Foundation – Logic Models:
http://www.wkkf.org/default.aspx?tabid=101&CID=281&CatID=281&ItemID=2813669
&NID=20&LanguageID=0
The American Evaluation Association: www.eval.org
University of Wisconsin – Logic Models:
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/lmcourse/interface/coop_M1_Overview.htm

15. Contact Information
Sonia Plata Elizabeth Agius
Director of Community Manager of Community
Capacity Building Research Partnerships
New Detroit Wayne State University
3011 W. Grand Blvd. School of Social Work
Suite 1200
4756 Cass Avenue
Detroit, MI 48202
Room 419
313-664-2099
313-664-2071 (Fax) Detroit, MI 48202
soniaplata@newdetroit.org (313) 577-5251
eagius@wayne.edu