Congratulations on being the Member Spotlight of the Month! Can you tell us a little about yourself, your position, and the organization you work for?
I have worked in the non-profit sector for more than eight years. I previously held the position as Director of Health Education and HIV Services at a community health center in East Harlem for more than five years. I have recently left the non-profit sector as my full time employment to work in the public sector. I am currently employed at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene as a Grants Manager in the Office of Grants Administration. This new position gives me the opportunity to continue to work with non-profits and the community as a whole in an administrative capacity. Since the Division of Mental Hygiene does not provide direct service, we solicit for and receive funding from the state, city, private and federal agencies. Once we receive the funding we then contract services out to the community and monitor the implementation, process and outcomes of programs and how it impacts the health and well being of New Yorkers. As a Grants Manager in the Division of Mental Hygiene I am responsible for tracking grant-related activities including submission and reporting deadlines, conducting site visits data collection and research to analyze program performance of awardees, developing systems and tools to measure process and outcome data and oversee program budgets, research potential funding sources for ongoing and new program initiatives, prepare requests for proposals, reports and correspondence related to the responsibilities of the office, develop new and renewal grant submissions, including development and/or review of program narrative, line-item budgets and budget justifications, monitor/review grant-related expenditures and grant closeouts and provide technical assistance to resolve project implementation and sustainability barriers related to grant projects. I chose to venture into the public/government sector at this point in my career because when I was full-time employed in the non-profit sector I saw many agencies struggle with contract compliance and to keep their programs/agencies active because of loss of funding and not enough help from funding agencies to keep their programs/agencies thriving. This position gives me the opportunity to work with non-profits in an administrative capacity helping them to build infrastructure in order to sustain programs and receive funding from, city, state, private and federal entities as well as to plan strategically for the future.

You have been a Director, and now you are a Grants Manager, how do you keep your skills renewed?
Well I think it’s important to continue to educate yourself. With that said I take as many administrative/management trainings as possible, continuing education classes and try to attend at least one public health related conference a year. I think that it is important for professionals not to get complacent with receiving their Master’s or doctorate degree and assuming that is enough. Things change daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and it’s important, that you keep the learning process going even if you are not enrolled in school.

In terms of educational and personal development, what resources have you used?
I have used agencies such as Rockhust University to enhance my management skills and team building skills. I have used National Seminars Group, for trainings on dealing with difficult staff I also attend conferences such as the American Public Health Association annual conference, conferences given by the state and federal government such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute. In terms of personal development I currently serve as a board member for the Public Health Association of New York City (PHANYC), member of the HIV Health and Human Services Planning council of New York finance committee, member of the American Public Health Association (APHA), an of course membership in the Young Non-Profit Professional Network of NYC (YNPN-NYC). Participation in these educational and professional resources has kept me well rounded and informed.

Are there any new resources that you would like to see being developed in this particular field?
I would like to see more funding available for city governments and non-profit agencies for programs such as senior isolation, HIV/AIDS, depression, obesity, and alcohol and other substance use disorders. I would also like to see more technical assistance available for non-profits in developing governmental grants and cooperative agreements, strategic planning and quality assurance.

We know how vital grants administration is to the non profit sector, from your experience, what are some of the issues and what new things would you like to see happen?
I would like to see more technical assistance for non-profits around grants administration. I would like to see more opportunities for grant managers as myself to provide technical assistance and share expertise to non-profit agencies at conferences, local lectures and workshops. I would like to see a how to manual for non-profit agencies around grants administration strategic planning and program development.

As a grants manager, what are some challenges that you face, and how do you handle them? One thing I have noticed not only as a grants manager, but as a Director in the non-profit sector that can be seen as challenging is sustainability of programs beyond funding streams. In working with non-profits a lot of agencies assume that because they have been receiving a particular funding stream for years, that they are entitled to continue to receive that funding even if they are not performing at 100%. This presents many challenges in the non-profit sector as well as in my position as a grants manager because no one wants to see agencies lose vital program services for clients and even see agencies close completely because they did not think critically and be proactive about sustainability. The only way that funding challenges can be addressed is by conducting ongoing research revisiting your agencies mission, vision and goals, putting a development strategic plan in place and working continuously year round on diversifying your funding streams.

For all the readers out there who are thinking of having a career in grants administration, what insight would you offer them?
One thing that I feel that is most important is that you have want to keep learning. Government regulations change, agency policies change, funding opportunities are presented and deleted daily. You have to enjoy conducting research, have a strong interest in development, public speaking, excellent negotiating skills and you have to want to build working relationships with city, state, federal and private funding entities.

Any last words?
Perseverance is the key to success. When choosing a career any career especially a career that involves you having responsibility for sustainability of organizational programs make sure that you believe in the mission and vision of that organization. Career advancement can be challenging but challenges can lead to success and having a successful and enjoyable career is one of the best professional growth opportunities you can have.