September 12, 2011
UMUC Conference Center at Adelphi, Maryland
7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
The day will begin with a continental breakfast at registration. The Opening Session (Plenary) will include elected state and federal representatives discussing federal funding issues that will impact all grantees. Then attendees will choose from multiple breakout sessions throughout the day that address different topics. You might opt for a full day of grants management sessions or perhaps you are interested in the sessions about how to find and win grants. Either way, we have an impressive array of speakers to address your every concern. You will be asked to choose your sessions when you register, so here is the agenda (subject to changes):
Concurrent Morning Sessions #1
1) Grant Writing Basics: Chairwoman Jennifer Jones of the Prince George's County Commission for Women will provide expert advice on grant writing skills, supported by Mary Beth Stapleton, Harford County Public Schools and the Maryland Chapter of the Grants Professional Association.
2) The Nuts and Bolts of the A-133 Audit: Graylin Smith, Managing partner, SB and Company, LLC. SB is the lead firm conducting the Maryland Single Audit. Graylin will review the most recent single audit findings related to federal grants, and how to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
3) DUNS/CCR/FFATA/FSRS Management and Reporting: Kathleen Oliver of the Central Contracting Registry (CCR) and staff of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget will review the many core functions that are required before any entity can apply for a federal grant.
4) Anticipating Federal Grants: Staff of the Federal Fund Information for States, Trinity Tomsic, Melissa Loeb, and Steven Pennington will provide agency-specific tips on the best places to gather information on upcoming federal grant opportunities, before they show up in Grants.gov, along with information on the best resources for program guidance.
Concurrent Morning Sessions #2
1) Grants Monitoring and Oversight: Gil Tran, U.S. Office of Management and Budget, is the primary federal official responsible for these issues for all federal grants; Gil has always been a popular speaker for his keen wit and ability to demystify these topics for the average federal grant recipient.
2) Working with U.S. Congressional Delegation Staff: Staff Representatives from the Maryland delegation - - Bart Kennedy, Sen. Mikulski's office; Myra Kidd, Congressman Bartlett's office; Jodi Schwartz, Sen. Cardin's office; and Dana Thompson, Governor O'Malley's Federal Office director - - are making a return appearance at this year's conference to discuss the added value that can be provided through your member of Congress, but this time their advice will reflect the drastic changes in earmark procedures and federal budgets.
3) Foundation Center Resources for Grants Research: The single best resource for researching foundation grants is available from the Foundation Center's database, available at no-charge at the 12 Cooperating Collection libraries throughout Maryland. Kim Patton of the Foundation Center in Washington, D.C., will explain how best to use this tool. Kim will be joined by Gretchen Greiner-Lott of the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers, who will talk about grantmakers in suburban Washington, D.C.
4) Preparing for Non-Profit Success: Columbia Foundation Director Beverly Francis, will draw on both her foundation experience and her previous experience working for non-profits, to provide guidance on how your non profit can thrive in this difficult economy; Beverly will be joined by CEO Darryl Jones, Maryland Non Profits.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER (Seated Lunch): Controller Danny Werfel, U.S. Office of Management and Budget's Office of Federal Financial Management. Then after lunch, you are invited to talk one-on-one with representatives from 15 different Maryland State agencies about their grant programs.
Concurrent Afternoon Sessions:
1) OMB Circulars Review: Frank Roth, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will review the U.S. Office of Management and Budget Circulars, highlighting the reasons why mastering these documents is the key to successful management of any federal grant.
2) Maryland Foundations as a Source of Funding. The panel includes top executive staff of private funding organizations: Rachel Monroe, The Weinberg Foundation; Karen Campbell, The Verizon Foundation; Tamara Zavislan, The Community Foundation of Harford County, and Adam Donaldson of the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers (ABAG). The panel members will discuss specific their organizations' grants offerings and how best to work with family, corporate, and community foundations.
3) Local Government Strategies for Success: Lore Chambers of the City of Salisbury, Colleen Baumgartner of Carroll County, and George "Happy" Mayer, City of Federalsburg, have been recognized by the grants industry as displaying Maryland "Best Practices" in grants management for their local governments. Michael Sanderson of the Maryland Association of Association of Counties will join our panelists to dispense advice for counties and municipalities wanting to make improvements in their grants practices.
4) Performance Measurement: Evie Barry of the Association of Government Accountants will demonstrate latest performance measurement tools and data to enhance your grant application and all aspects of your grants reporting.
The fee for the whole day of sessions, food and parking is only $99.00, Thanks to the help of this year's sponsors, the Governor's Office of Service and Volunteerism; the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board; the Grants Professionals Association, and the Association of Government Accountants. There will be some exhibits during the conference.
You will be able to pay by check, InterAgency Transfer (for State government) or Credit Card (PayPal) at the registration site. Click on the link below to get started!
