Monthly Webinar | Grant Pro-isms: Catchy, Succinct, and Clever Ways to Explain Grants-Video Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The NGMA Grants Management Virtual Learning session titled "Grant Pro-isms: Catchy, Succinct, and Clever Ways to Explain Grants," presented by grant professional Jonna Rogers, offered a lighthearted yet insightful approach to understanding and communicating about grants. Jonna stressed that many people—even intelligent colleagues—often do not understand what grants are or how to manage them, creating a challenge for grant professionals to effectively educate others.<br /><br />Key takeaways included the metaphor of a grant as a "coupon," illustrating that grants rarely cover all expenses and should be viewed as funding to enhance existing programs. She emphasized that grants are essentially "term papers for money," requiring clear, focused proposals rooted in solid ideas and compliance. Clever catchphrases, or “grant pro-isms,” help simplify complex concepts, such as the difference between supplementing (adding to a program) and supplanting (replacing existing funding, which is usually prohibited).<br /><br />Jonna also highlighted practical advice: always "answer the mail" by responding directly to funders’ questions in order, avoid "love letters" in support documents by ensuring letters of commitment add substantive value, and recognize that "sole source is a unicorn"—sole source procurements should be extremely rare. She encouraged using resources like the NGMA network and usaspending.gov for peer support and funding info, advocating for “phoning a friend” before contacting program officers.<br /><br />Finally, Jonna urged grant professionals to know their audience—their bosses, program officers, and auditors—and to be mindful of ethical considerations while managing grants. Overall, the session combined humor with practical wisdom, reinforcing best practices in grant writing and management for better funding success and compliance.

Keywords

NGMA Grants Management

Grant Pro-isms

Jonna Rogers

grant education

grant metaphor coupon

term papers for money

supplement vs supplant

answer the mail

sole source unicorn

grant writing best practices