The Art of Spinning Plates: Solo and Small Teams Grants Management-Video Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Whitney Gentry, Grants Manager for the City of Huntsville, Alabama, presents "The Art of Spinning Plates," focusing on solo and small team grants management. With a career rooted in nonprofits and experience both as a grantee and grantor, Whitney manages a $273 million grant portfolio spanning city departments and federal and state sources. Being the city's first dedicated grants manager, she shares practical insights on handling the full grant lifecycle—from project development, identifying funding, proposal preparation, to award management, compliance, and closeout.<br /><br />Key advice includes aligning grant seeking with genuine organizational needs (not creating problems just to fit grants), maintaining strong relationships particularly with finance teams, and leveraging outside consultants for large grants. Whitney emphasizes organized record-keeping, mastering fund accounting, proactive risk management, and consistent communication with funders. She encourages developing efficient time management strategies like "eating the frog" (tackling hardest tasks first) and time blocking, while advocating for self-advocacy and capacity building in organizations.<br /><br />She recognizes challenges in subrecipient monitoring and compliance but highlights the importance of these tasks. Whitney underscores the value of cultivating supportive relationships—teammates, cheerleaders, and constructive opponents—and persistently learning through trainings and peer forums. Above all, she reminds grants managers to remember their "why," celebrate successes, and seek help when needed to keep all plates spinning effectively.

Keywords

Grants Management

Nonprofit Grants

Grant Lifecycle

Funding Alignment

Compliance Monitoring

Time Management

Stakeholder Relationships

Capacity Building