How Safe is Your Grant from Conflicts of Interest?

Good grants management requires grantees to use their federal funds in the best interests of their federal grants and not have a conflict of interest. But when the people put their personal best interests before the best interests of the federal program, the result can shatter trust-both with the funding agency and within the organization. […]
The Shocking Truth about $2.3 Million Payback of Grant Funds

How would you like to write a $2.3 million check to the US Treasury because your grant was mismanaged? Sound painful? An Office of the Inspector General report recommended that $2.3 million in grant funds be repaid to the Federal government. The award was made by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the state […]
7 Ways to Spot a Subrecipient Relationship

One of the grant management questions we get the most emails on is, “What is the difference between a subrecipient and a vendor?” Subrecipient vs. Contractor: What’s in a Name? The distinction between the terminology causes no end of confusion because the terms subrecipient, subgrantee, and subawardee are used interchangeably by federal grant recipients and […]
Grant Monitoring Plan: 7 Things Your Program Officer Needs to Hear You Say

“What is your monitoring plan to avoid grant fraud?” Are you prepared for the day when your program officer asks the grant management team at your organization this question? Ah…well…you know… Ouch! (Hint: You should be prepared to tell your program officer what you are doing to reduce the risk of grant fraud.) Tips for […]
Three Secrets Grant Writers Need to Know About Grant Management

I was leading grant management training in Jackson, Mississippi, and was pleasantly surprised to have some people in the room who are involved with proposal development for federal awards. Now it wasn’t just professional courtesy that made me so happy to see them, but because some changes baked into the grant regulation 2 CFR Part […]
How to Create a Financial Management Manual from Scratch

When it comes to financial management with federal grants, it seems like you have to become a Uniform Guidance “Master” to determine the requirements. Even if you consider yourself a problem-solver, 2 CFR Part 200 is “peppered’ with an overwhelming list of documentation requirements centered around payment management, property management, record retention, and a long […]