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Time and again, you hear about the idea of “professional development.” You might work for organizations that encourage “professional development.” The annual budget may even have a line for “professional development.” But how do you make the time for new learning, and where do you begin to find resources or options?
There are multiple ways to stay on the professional learning track, as well as attempting to keep your job fresh and new. The Grants Managers Network (GMN) is the perfect place to begin your search for these ideas. GMN offers committees, both regional and national; an annual conference, which provides excellent access to peers and session presenters who provide invaluable information to grants management professionals; and an online community for sharing job-related information, in addition to new career opportunities.
Before identifying what professional development options are right for you, it is important to have plenty of choices while keeping certain considerations in mind. Some opportunities include the following:
- Getting involved in either a regional or national GMN committee
Joining a GMN committee will give you the opportunity to gain new skills and make yourself more marketable. Volunteer committee positions can enhance your leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills. Depending on a committee’s purpose or the position you choose, volunteering can improve upon other abilities such as financial or strategic planning, technologic, or project management. In addition, committee work provides the perfect avenue for networking. You gain insight into the grantmaking work of your colleagues, as well as their respective foundations. Not to mention the personal and professional relationships you are able to build. Moreover, volunteer committee work is a great way to add to or enhance your resume.
- Going on site visits
Grants managers can bring unique contributions to site visits that benefit both grantees and foundations. Do you conduct site visits? Whether a site visit is being conducted for due diligence or evaluation purposes, participation by a grants manager can provide a better understanding of the project or program, as well as the grantee organization. Grants managers may ask specific legal (IRS) or financial questions when participating in a site visit; they bring a different skill set and perspective to the process. There are other situations where grants management staff is part of the grantmaking team and can take on a programmatic-type role. Moreover, if grant evaluation work at your organization involves you, you might want to consider attending site visits for these purposes. You will receive a first-hand look at the project or program that was funded and its outcomes. It is sometimes hard to determine successful projects on paper alone. Lastly, if you are not currently part of a formal, site visit team, you should consider inviting yourself along. These meetings can provide you with a better, overall sense of the grantmaking process.
- Attending or participating as a presenter at the annual GMN conference
Attending the conference is a great way to learn more about your field and meet fellow grants managers. Keynote speakers’ thoughtful messages, hands-on professional development sessions, and presentations on applying the latest IRS regulations will all enhance your understanding of the field and let you bring home some ideas to implement. Best of all, you get to network with 600 or more fellow grants managers and learn tips from them, swap ideas, and develop a support network that you can rely on when you are back home.
Is there a task or goal that you accomplished for your organization – such as a migration to an online application process or the development of a workflow that solved some slow processing times? While the 2009 conference schedule is firm, you might want to consider developing this experience into a future meeting topic at the regional level or as a conference session at the 2010 annual conference (contact the GMN 2010 Program Committee Chairs). Collaborating with others and public speaking are great options for professional development.
Longer term considerations should also be given, such as:
- Evaluating your professional goals
At some point in all of our careers, we will feel “at a crossroads” and will need to ask ourselves some very important questions related to work. Perhaps you have already been through this process once, maybe twice. It is inevitable: there is going to be a time when you wonder what your next professional step should be. Is it time to find a new job? Should I leave the field? Is an advanced degree the right option? Can I retire and still feel fulfilled? Change is usually difficult for people so it is helpful to have some tools to work with in order to ease the transition. In addition to seeking professional advice from a human resource consultant, you can consider the following:
1) What is holding you back? Are you not ready for the change? Have you gotten too comfortable in your current position?
2) Are you still learning and feeling satisfied?
3) What do you really care about now? Have other things or desires grown more important than work in your life?
4) Are you being honest with yourself?
Lastly, there are many exercises available online or from Human Resources professionals that can help you identify your personal and professional values. One example is the Twenty Year Journey® Assessment that was shared at the 2008 annual GMN conference in a session given by consultant Nina Segal. This tool looks at your past, present, and future with respect to your career, family life, health, relationships, community, etc. In order to effectively set goals, it is important to reflect on what you have experienced and how you prioritize your current and future needs. We all have basic needs, and at times we must examine and reprioritize them in order to maintain a fulfilling balance between our professional and personal lives.
- Seeking an advanced degree or taking courses at your local university
There are several universities that offer advanced degrees in nonprofit management and/or philanthropy. Below are links to some degree programs that geographically relate to GMN regions. If an advanced degree is more than you have time or have budgeted for, consider a certificate program. Finally, a college-level course – in finance or database management, for example – is a great way to develop skills and strengthen your resume.
Indiana University:
http://www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/
Harvard:
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/hauser/learn/index.html
USC:
http://www.usc.edu/schools/sppd/philanthropy/
Regis University (Colorado):
http://www.regis.edu/regis.asp?sctn=cphss&p1=ap&p2=mnm
Minnesota:
http://www.hamline.edu/gsm/academics/manm_degree/index.html
Florida:
http://www.fau.edu/spa/mnm/index.html
Seattle:
http://www.seattleu.edu/artsci/npl/
Boston:
http://www.cps.neu.edu/gradcert_nonprofit/
* - Twenty Year Journey® Assessment, version 3.0, 1996-2007 MasteryWorks, Inc. |
