New, Notable, and Coming Soon

Maximize Your Online Community Experience
GMN members are invited to join GMN's Community Managers on September 22, 2010 at 1:00pm ET to learn everything you every wanted to know about GMN's online member community.  Click here to register and receive connection information.

Join the Body of Knowledge Discussions After over two years of development involving a dozen subject matter experts and input from over 200 practitioners, GMN is proud to release the first official version of its Body of Knowledge (BOK).  The BOK’s twelve domain areas establish a framework of the knowledge needed by grants managers to accomplish work at almost any grantmaking organization in the United States.  At 30+ pages, the BOK is not intended to be read like a study guide, it is a resource that helps identify and organize resources, ideas, discussions, and innovative practices.  The BOK will help individuals assess their own development needs and identify resources and learning opportunities.  The BOK will also help GMN identify new best practices and adapt its programming as the profession evolves.  The BOK can serve as a reference for developing future conference sessions, publications, electronic media, regional meetings, and a grants management curriculum.

Discuss, debate, and advance the body of knowledge through the BOK In-Depth campaign.  Each month we’ll focus on a single domain in an online discussion of: 

1. What should be included in the domain?
2. What resources and training do you use to stay current on these areas?
3. Are there gaps in the available information and training that GMN should fill?

All GMN members who make qualifying comments to the In-Depth discussions will be entered into a raffle to be held on July 1, 2011 for a new Apple iPad. You have up to twelve chances to win for each of the twelve domain discussions that you participate in.

Click here to participate now in the September discussion of Grantmaking Practices.

First Ever GMN Regional Summit Took Place!
GMN’s Regional Chapter Leaders braved Washington, DC’s July heat to convene for a two-day summit focusing on building stronger relationships between GMN and its regions, as well as across the regions, all in an effort to continue supporting grants management professionals across the country.  Regional Leaders exchanged best practices and innovative ideas for future meetings and programming, and brainstormed new ways to create volunteer opportunities and engage members at the local level.  In the midst of this collaboration, there was still time to take in the sites of our nation’s capital.  Look for further updates – coming to a regional meeting near you in the coming months!

Read the GMN 2009 Annual Report
Join us in celebrating our achievements, reflecting on challenges, and planning for the future in GMN’s 2009 Annual Report: Expertise in Giving.  The report highlights and thanks the volunteers and funders that make GMN’s work possible. 

New Project Streamline Tools on the Way
Stay tuned for the September launch of the latest Project Streamline guide on due diligence.  Due diligence can cause anxiety for grantmakers and grantseekers, in part because it’s not well-understood.  This guide clarifies legal requirements, dispels five due diligence myths, and helps grantmakers streamline their due diligence processes.  All members will be alerted when the guide becomes available.  In the meantime, please make sure to review the Project Streamline guides on budgets and financial reporting, right-sizing grant requirements, and online grants management systems at www.projectstreamline.org.

In October, be on the lookout for the Project Streamline Assessment Tool.  Developed in partnership with the Center for Effective Philanthropy, this simple (and free!), online tool will enable grantmakers to assess their current practices against the flaws identified in the Drowning in Paperwork report, and benchmark their practices against their peers.  It will provide users with data and a report that can be used to advocate internally for change and track a grantmaker’s improvements over time. 

Green Your Grantmaking Practices
Beyond the Recycling Bin: Greening Practices of Grantmakers is coming in October!
As a field committed to building social awareness while balancing the need to stretch each dollar and maximize mission achievement, philanthropic organizations should be at the forefront of the greening movement.  Beyond the Recycling Bin reports on the state of greening in grantmaking institutions and what grantmakers can do to become more environmentally friendly.