Let’s play a game…. Most people say to me when they hear that I work in the field of grants, “Ugh, I would never want that job!” Encouraging, right? Really, most people feel like the process is too detailed, too complicated; they would prefer to be granted funds to do their projects, without any strings attached. Ah, but as they say… there is no such thing as a free lunch. Lucky for me, (most days), I enjoy the grant writing process and have often joked that my inner gambler has been the driving force for my interest in and desire to work on grants. You dig in, create a plan and roll the dice with your submission….. when you receive an award, it’s like hitting a jackpot, it’s a win! Some personal satisfaction + the ability to help support the needs of your organization, THAT is what makes grant writing great! In the last Grantology blog, I discussed what a LOI is and the benefits there can be for applicant as well as funder. For this edition, let’s think of grant writing or specifically, completing an LOI, as a game… that sounds more like fun, right? Remember The Game of… Continue Reading The Game of Life – Innovation Edition!Read More
What Is an LOI? A letter of intent (LOI) can be thought of as an appetizer, if you are ok with a food metaphor. An LOI can really be a first step in the grants process and is designed as a tool to generate interest (or get an appetite going, if we are staying with the metaphor). The idea is to generate interest from a grant provider, based on the requested initial information. LOI’s can be requested when a funder is seeking to support projects in key specific priority area, such as the local Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia LOI process for projects related to Community Vibrancy, Education and Youth, or Health. Our own Educational Foundation offers a LOI process as well for the Bright Ideas Innovation Grants. Are LOI’s commonly requested? The utility of an LOI for both submitter and funder seems to continue to increase, and the concept of providing initial detail seems to be gaining traction, as I have recently also seen this utilized at the federal level. Monday I was reviewing a National Science Foundation (NSF) solicitation for Regional Innovation Engines. This solicitation gives the opportunity for Big Asks, with a potential of over 10 years… Continue Reading Why Try An LOI?Read More
Finding your peer group. I recently returned from my first National Grants Managment Association conference, called AGT, the Annual Grants Training offers continuing education on all things grants. Less about research and writing proposals, as the associations name reflects, this conference content is more about “managing” grants. And…. I found ”my people!”, across many disciplines, higher education, non-profit, local, state and federal government, disaster relief, conservation and on and on. All sizes of staffing, from a one-person shop, like myself, to departments that included teams of grant professionals focused on writing, administering and financial management of awards. It was awesome, it was Grant Nerd Shangri-La! Compliance is Key A large part of the conference centered around over-all compliance. The opening keynote sessions were entitled “Grants Compliance: It Takes a (Very Large and Very Complicated) Village” offered by the Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations at the US Department of Energy, and an update from the Deputy Controller for the Office of Mangement and Budget (OMB) on federal policy directives for grants, and a teaser on the upcoming 2 CFR 200 revisions that should be coming out in the next several months. I know you just can’t hardly contain your excitement… Continue Reading Grant Nerds Unite!Read More
About Shelley
Shelley Lyons is glad to be back on campus as she is a Virginia Western alum, and has served as the Administrative Officer for Grants Administration at Virginia Western since early 2022. Prior to VWCC, her career focus was within the Human Services and Arts fields. She wrote her first grant in 1996 on a whim and has continued to plan and learn since that time. She most enjoys seeing a well-planned project come to fruition, where funder, project manager and beneficiaries can all feel success and see impact.
Recent Posts
- The Game of Life – Innovation Edition! August 29, 2024
- Why Try An LOI? May 10, 2024
- Grant Nerds Unite! March 12, 2024
- The Power of Collaboration November 17, 2023
- Time to Innovate October 4, 2023