Annual Report 2010Annual Report 2010

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Mission

Table of Contents

The Grant Professionals Association (GPA), a nonprofit 501(c)(6) membership

association, builds and supports an international community of grant profes-sionals committed to serving the greater public good by practicing the highest

ethical and professional standards. To achieve this mission, GPA:

• Serves as a leading authority and resource for the practice of grantsmanship in all sectors of the field.

• Advances the field by promoting professional growth and development.

• Enhances the public image and recognition of the profession within the

greater philanthropic, public, and private funding communities.

• Promotes positive relationships between grant professionals and their stakeholders.

GPA does not discriminate in its provision of services due to race, color, relig-ion, national origin, ancestry, ethnic group identification, sex, age, sexual ori-

entation, and/or condition of physical or mental disability, in accordance with all requirements of federal and state laws.

Overview and History ...............................................................................3

President’s Letter .....................................................................................4 From the Chief Executive Officer ................................................................5

2010 Board of Directors ............................................................................6 Finance Report ........................................................................................7

Financial Statement..................................................................................8 Annual Conference ..............................................................................9-10

Ethics ................................................................................................... 11 Membership Benefits .............................................................................. 12

2010 Committees................................................................................... 13 Chapters............................................................................................... 14

State Representatives............................................................................. 15 Growth ................................................................................................. 16

Grant Professionals Certification Institute.................................................. 17 Grant Professionals Foundation................................................................ 18

1333 Meadowlark Lane, Suite 105, Kansas City, KS. 66102

(913) 788-3000 Phone (913) 788-3398 Fax http://www.grantprofessionals.org

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Overview & History

It was a historic day in 1997 when Iris Coffin (IA), Phyl Renninger (FL),

Rachel Sherard (SD), Mike Brock (MI), Randy Givens (NE), Brad Knudson (SD) and VC League (CA) came together via conference call to discuss

creating a professional organization for grant professionals. On that call, Phyl Renninger offered to record the first notes of the not-yet-formed group

and keep track of tasks to be accomplished. The rest, as they say, is history.

In 1999, the American Association of Grant Professionals held its first

annual conference at the Holiday Inn in Chicago, where 22 attendees began the process of adopting bylaws, creating a website, and drafting a Code of

Ethics. In 2000, AAGP grew to 100 members. Almost 50 attendees were at the conference in Berkeley, where two new concepts, chaptering and

credentialing, were introduced. The 2001 conference in Orlando drew 125 attendees, and the 2002 conference in Portland had 300 attendees. Also in

2002, AAGP published its first journal and e-newsletter, and established the

members-only forum on its website.

By 2003, the organization had increased enough to contract management services and hold a board retreat. AAGP reached critical mass and began to

grow exponentially. By 2004, membership had grown to 700, with 400 attending the annual conference. Gail Vertz became the first Executive

Director, and the first AAGP Chapter was formed in Alabama. The Grant Professionals Certification Institute was formed and certification received a

boost with the first test development workshop. In 2005, membership topped 800, and 18 new chapters were formed. Three years later, the

National Office staff expanded to include a Membership Director and Office Coordinator and Gail Vertz became CEO. In 2009, membership grew to over

4,140 and 39 chapters. The attendance at the ninth annual conference in Austin, TX was 470.

In 2010, we underwent a name change to help market ourselves to an international membership and to more accurately reflect who our members

are; we are now known as the Grant Professionals Association. Along with our name change our 2010 conference, held in St. Pete Beach, FL was the

biggest ever with 586 attendees. We also continued to grow our membership and chapters.

This annual report demonstrates the growth of GPA in 11

years.

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President’s Letter

The Board of Directors proudly presents this Annual Report of the Grant Professionals Association as compelling evidence that we, as an association and as individual professionals, are healthy, active, growing and making a positive impact on the communities we serve. In 2010, the association made several historic leaps forward. A new name, completely revised bylaws, a new strategic plan, record-breaking conference attendance and greatly improved financial position capped off a year that propels us into a new decade. In connection with a new name, we devoted considerable time and attention to defining who we are as a profession as opposed to organizations that offer some similar services and might only look like a professional association. We also continue to distinguish who we are as ethical professionals versus those entities that offer too-good-to-be-true promises of grants. And thanks largely to the efforts of our Chief Executive Officer, GPA is increasingly recognized as the premier national association for grant professionals. Those looking at the financial picture will note that in the past year we grew our current assets from $85,160 to $169,966, while reducing current liabilities. This is a huge accomplishment as the overall economy continued to suffer. For these and other advances, we have very active Committees, an engaged Board and a hard-working staff to thank. This energy flows from a talented and active membership that believes in and practices the ideals of our profession and seeks the good of those we serve. We are the Grant Professionals Association, with a great year behind us, and a rich future ahead!

Bill Smith, GPC

2010 Board President

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From the Chief Executive Officer

2010 was an exciting time for the association. We began the year as the AAGP-American Association of Grant Professionals and ended the year as the GPA-Grant Professionals Association. 2010 was an extremely busy year for the association. The Board of Directors approved five initiatives for the year: Name change, Strategic Plan, Launch new website, investigate training opportunities and further our plans with advocacy and authority. With the exception of launching the website, all other initiatives were successfully met! The new website is launching in early 2011. Our 2010 conference had the highest attendance in our history with almost 600 persons attending the conference in St. Pete Beach, FL. In addition, we published a Journal, formed several new Chapters, facilitated a record number of webinars, and assisted our two affiliates, AAGP Foundation and Grant Professionals Certification Institute (GPCI). Over 4,800 persons have joined GPA. We now have 39 active chapters. The need for a professional membership organization for grant professionals continues to be validated by our membership growth, the enlarged conference attendance and the member involvement in our many committees. We finished 2010 celebrating our many successes. We completed our traditional tasks as a national membership association. Our members overwhelmingly voted to approve the name change to GPA and we completed four new initiatives. We look forward to many more prosperous years!

Gail Vertz

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2010 Board of Directors

Johna Rodgers Board Member

Grant Writer

Green River Regional

Education Coop.

Doris Heroff Board Member

Consultant

Dena Hartigan Secretary

Grant Writer/

Education Consultant

Teri Blandon Executive Committee

Member

Director of Foundation

& Govt Development

WETA

Jay Janssen Board Member

Consultant

Linda Butler Treasurer

President

Butler Consulting

Jodi Pearl Board Member

Grants Coordinator

Memorial Healthcare

System

Bill Smith President

Senior Director,

Corporate Relations

Second Harvest

Food Bank

Debbie DiVirgilio Vice-President

Consultant

DiVirgilio & Associates,

LLC

Sharon Skinner Board Member

Development

Coordinator

Gail Widner Board Member

Manager, Grants

Program

SC Department of

Education

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Finance Report

The Finance Committee is charged with overseeing the fiscal health of the association in line with GPA’s strategic direction. It ensures the IRS 990

form is submitted in a timely fashion. The committee monitors proper financial controls to ensure accountability. The Finance Committee

constantly strives to improve the association’s overall financial health.

Below are some of the activities undertaken since the last annual report:

• Development and approval of the 2010 Association Budget.

• Development and approval of the 2010 Conference Budget.

• A monthly review of all financial statements.

• Enhancements of financial statements to show annual comparisons.

• Discussion of all financial matters via quarterly conference calls.

• Revenue and expenses forecasting.

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Financial Statement

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Annual Conference

Since seven grant professionals first convened in 1998 to set the stage for what

was to become AAGP, a national conference has been the centerpiece of our association’s yearly calendar. Beginning

in 1999 in Chicago, with a total of 22 attendees, the annual conference has

grown to 586 attendees at the 2010 St. Pete Beach (FL) Conference.

The 2010 Conference was a unique co-hosted event with

CharityChannel and our most profitable. Members from each

organization attended all workshops to further their understanding of

grants and fundraising.

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Annual Conference

Our national conference is

generally in the fall and

represents an opportunity

to elect Board Members,

conduct association

business, network, and

most importantly, learn

about national trends

impacting our profession.

The grants profession can

be a very isolating career

for many, and this personal

camaraderie helps put a

face on the profession we

are becoming.

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Ethics

The Grant Professionals

Association (GPA), a non-

profit membership associa-

tion, is committed to serving

the greater public good by

practicing the highest ethical

and professional standards.

Ethics refer to the rules or

standards governing the con-

duct of a person or members

of a profession.

Members have joined forces

to be the leading authority

and resource for the practice

of grantsmanship in all sec-

tors of the field. Membership

in this association promotes

positive relationships be-

tween grant professionals

and their stakeholders, pro-

vides a vehicle for grant pro-

fessionals to gain profes-

sional growth and develop-

ment, and enhances the pub-

lic image and recognition of

the profession within the

greater philanthropic, public,

and private funding commu-

nities. Members’ foundation

is stimulated by the rich di-

versity within the grant pro-fession.

The full Code of Ethics, to

which all members agree to

conduct themselves, can be

found at

grantprofessionals.org. These

ethics govern professional

obligations, solicitation and

use of funds, presentation of

information, and compensa-

tion. Any members found in

infringement or breach of the

standards as outlined in the

Code are subject to discipli-

nary sanctions.

“The GPA Code of Ethics re-

flects only the highest stan-

dards in professional behav-

ior and incorporates the

standards promulgated by

American Fundraising Profes-

sionals and other professions

dedicated to serving the

greater public good.”

• Practice their profession

with the highest sense of

integrity, honesty, and

truthfulness to maintain

and broaden public confi-

dence

• Adhere to all applicable

laws and regulations in

all aspects of grantsman-

ship

• Continually improve their

professional knowledge

and skills

• Promote positive rela-

tionships between grant

professionals and their

stakeholders

• Value the privacy, free-

dom, choice and inter-

ests of all those affected

by their actions

• Ensure that funds are

solicited according to

program guidelines

• Adhere to acceptable

means of compensation

for services performed;

pro bono work is encour-

aged

• Foster cultural diversity

and pluralistic values and

treat all people with dig-

nity and respect

• Become leaders and role

models in the field of

grantsmanship

• Encourage colleagues to

embrace and practice

GPA’s Code of Ethics and

Standards of Professional

Practice.

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Membership Benefits

GPA Membership offers a

wide range of benefits, in-cluding:

Conference GPA’s annual fall conference has become the

PREMIER grants event of the year, offering more than 50

workshops featuring the nation’s top experts, round-table discussions, funder

presentations, exhibitors, and the popular individual

proposal review sessions. GPA’s annual gathering brings together grant

professionals eager to share best practices, stay abreast

of trends in our field, and network with peers from across America and abroad.

Members receive a discount on conference registration.

Chapters As new chapters continue to form in every region of the

country, members have the opportunity to be a part of GPA at the local level. Chap-

ters offer members a local venue in which to

network and to exchange ideas, methodologies, and resources. National

membership is a prerequisite for membership in a chapter.

Credentialing GPA member's receive dis-

counted rates to take the GPC exam offered by our af-filiate, The Grant Profession-

als Certification Institute (GPCI).

E-Newsletter The quarterly “Take It For

Granted” newsletter keeps members informed about GPA’s accomplishments, up-

coming events, news, services, and resources.

Journal The GPA Journal, published

since 2004, is an annual publication. It is a great

benefit for members, provid-ing a forum for scholarly ex-

amination of the profession. Submissions come from grant professionals around

the world. The Journal peer review process is double-

blind. Authors receive feed-back about their arti-cles' scores, content, and

structure. All archived issues of the Journal are available

to non-members as well as members; the current issue of the Journal is available to

GPA members only. GPA members may receive their

copies of the Journal by mail or electronically as a benefit of their membership.

Members Only Section

on the GPA Website

Members, via password, have access to “behind the scenes” at the GPA website.

Additional information, re-sources and a complete

member directory are only a few highlights of our Members Only page.

Consultants’ Directory GPA members who are

independent consultants can post their contact informa-

tion and a description of their services at GPA’s

Consultants’ Directory.

Consumer Discounts and

Other Special Offers GPA is pleased to offer sig-nificant savings and other

special benefits to our mem-bers through its affiliation

with providers of high-quality, high-value profes-sional services and products.

Some of the companies that we have partnered with to

provide discounts include: GrantStation (Free Member-ship), Streamlink Software

(AmpliFund), American Funding Innovators, GPA

Health Programs and Office Depot, and many others.

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2010 Committees

Committees

Authority & Research

Bylaws

Chapter Advisory Task Force

Conference

E-Newsletter

Ethics

Executive

Finance

GPCI Affiliate

GPFoundation Affiliate

Human Resources

Journal

Long Range Planning

Membership

Nominating

Professional Growth & Development

Training Task Force

Committee Chairs

Dena Hartigan

Sandra Van Horn

Gail Vertz

Gail Vertz

Eden Freeman

Bonnie Houk

Bill Smith

Linda Butler

Jodi Pearl

Danny Blitch

Debbie DiVirgilio

Amy Lamborg & Barbara Roberts

Doris Heroff

Teri Blandon

Wendy Asman

Cheryl Kester

Eden Freeman

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Chapters Chapter

AL - Birmingham

AL - Montgomery

AR - Arkansas

AZ - Arizona

AZ - Yuma

CA - Inland Empire

CA - Los Angeles

CA - NorCal

CA - Orange County

CA - San Diego &

Imperial Counties

CA - Ventura County

DC - National Capital

Area

FL - Broward County

FL - Miami

FL - West Central

GA - Metro Atlanta

IL - Chicago Area

IN - Central Indiana

IN-Northeast Indiana

IA - Iowa

KY - Kentucky

LA - Louisiana

MD - Maryland

Chapter President

Herb Patterson

Not currently Active

Caran Curry

Janeen Gaskins

Nancy Ngai

Hattie Byland

Lynn Jenkins

Marie Beichert

Ann Ronan

Terri Williams

Carrie Roberts

Jesse Buggs

Cathy Harlan

Lisa Chutjian

Teresa Hill

Eden Freeman

Nathan Medina

Amy Shankland

Not currently Active

Not currently Active

Tina Sharp

Martha Collins

Mary Beth Stapleton

Chapter

MA - Massachusetts

MO/KS - Heart of

America

MO - St. Louis

NE - Nebraska

NJ - New Jersey

NV - Nevada

NY - Mohawk/Hudson

NY - New York City

OH - Central Ohio

OH - Greater Cincinnati

OH - Miami Valley

OR & SW Washington

PA - Southeastern

Pennsylvania

SC - South Carolina

SD - South Dakota

TN/AR/MS-Mid-South

TN - Tennessee

TX - Austin

TX - Rio Grande

Valley

TX - Southeast Texas

VA - Central Virginia

Puerto Rico

Chapter President

Lisa Glickstein

Mark Dunlap

Mary Neal

Jaimie Anderson-Hoyt

Stacey Abate

Kelly Thomas-Boyers

Brigette Koziol

Not Currently Active

Scott Williams

Laurel Humes

Andrea Hoff

Rick Horton

Cynthia Jobe

Gail Widner

Dmitiri Melius

Nancy Liebbe

Alan Baran

Christine Marcum

Not Currently Active

Jerri Monbaron

Dawn Farrell-Moore

Not Currently Active

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State Representatives

State

Alabama

Arizona

Arkansas

Florida

Indiana

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland/Virginia/Washington DC

Michigan

Nebraska

Nevada

New Jersey

New York

Ohio

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Washington

Wisconsin

State Representative

Jeffrey Bastuscheck

Cecilia Young

Cheryl Kester

Christine Heft

Cynthia Oda

Johna Rodgers

Jennifer Bergeron

Theresa Barrett

Jeanne Donado

Susan Stratta

Wendi Gephart

Dena Hartigan

Mary Tufts

Crystal Jones

Steve Harrington

Lisa Kilawee

Jeffery Elkins

Yvonne Lane

Roxanna Johnson

Laura Lundahl

Marcie Pfeifer-Soderbloom

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Growth

INTO A BRIGHT FUTURE

GPA believes local chapters are an engine for present and future growth. Chapters offer our members a local venue in which to network and exchange ideas, method-

ologies, and resources. Chaptering ensures local involvement and self determina-tion of its members, and guides the national office toward an organizational plat-form that truly reflects the membership and the profession. Local chapters and the

national office share a common goal and support each other’s initiatives. By work-ing together at both the local and the national level, we can better grow the asso-

ciation and move our profession forward. In the spring of 2004, the first local chapter was formed by members in Birming-

ham, Alabama. Since that time, the number of chapters has grown phenomenally, as the listing on the Chapters Page illustrates. It is our goal to continue to estab-

lish GPA chapters across the country, to serve all of our members within a short commute from their job or home. Five new chapters formed this year, bringing the total to 39 active chapters at the end of 2010.

GPA 2010 ANNUAL REPORT -GROWTH

GPA has experienced remarkable growth since 1997. That growth was built upon the dedication and vision of seven grant professionals. The seven became 77 by

1999, demonstrating the need and interest in an association. Membership then grew significantly, gaining 1,373 new members by the end of 2005. We continued to grow steadily for the next four years. In 2010 we gained 534 new members

and finished the year with 1,683 active members. GPA clearly continues to fill a much-needed role for grant professionals throughout the world.

New Members by Join Year

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Join Year

New Member Count

Series1 7 7 63 60 95 212 210 361 435 592 573 632 529 534

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

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Grant Professionals Certification Institute

Well, 2010 was another good year. We were able to confer GPC status to a total of 65 pro-

fessionals during the year. Congratulations to all the grant professionals that received

their GPC in 2010! I know another group of 31 GPCs are waiting to receive their GPC cer-

tificates as we go to press. We have GPCs in 41 states, Washington DC, and Ecuador and

look forward to continuing our growth. Just as important to us is maintaining and retaining

our GPC into the future. 2011 has begun our renewal process and we hope all GPCs will

continue their certification.

In late 2010, we spent a significant amount of the researching, reviewing, and updating

the GPCI conflict of interest policy. We need to make sure board members and other vol-

unteers have the tools available to them to understand their role in maintaining the integ-

rity of the GPCI exam. Soon we will be sharing with our volunteers new information about

the policy and how they can help us to ensure the GPC credential is always above re-

proach.

Also in 2010, we held an item review, where every question on the exam was reviewed for

a second time for needed updates, and to ensure the questions reflect current technology

and grant development trends. Exams were held in New Jersey, Florida, Kansas, Georgia,

Washington DC and Indiana. In 2011, we presently have exams scheduled in Tennessee,

New Jersey and Nevada. We anticipate there will be additional exam sites announced dur-

ing the year.

For the future, GPCI is working to develop an electronic exam. With an electronic format,

accessibility will be nearly unlimited. Individuals from all around the country will be able to

access the exam. It is the goal of the GPCI Board to move this effort forward and have an

electronic exam available as soon as possible.

GPCI wants to thank the GPA membership and Board for another magnificent year of con-

tinued support. 2011 will be a year of exciting new challenges, and we all look forward to

the joy and delight that can be a found in the new discoveries of the future.

Lisa Jackson, President of GPCI .

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Grant Professionals Foundation

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