Becoming a Certified Grant Writer:

After making the acquaintance of a number of Certified Grant Professionals who wowed me with their savvy, confidence and ability to bring home results, it became clear that it was time to formalize my credentials. So I bought some note cards and a four-color clickable pen and dove into studying for the exam offered by the Grant Professionals Certification Institute, an arm of the national organization for grant writers, the Grant Professionals Association.

 

It had been a very long time since I'd taken a test. But one blustery day in March I used every one of the 330 minutes allotted to demonstrate extensive knowledge of the grant writing field over eight compentency areas and to submit a grant narrative written on the spot using the supplied prompt.

 

Long, long anticipatory pause and...... a couple months later was notified that my knowledge and experience in the field of grantsmanship was sufficiently demonstrated to join the ranks of Certified Grant Professional. That's Elaine Finn, GPC from now on!

 

Grant certification is a little like warranty protection for my clients. GPCI, a nationally recognized, independent professional organization, has vetted my experience, knowledge base, professionalism and ethics, and can now recommend me as highly qualified in the field of grant writing. 

 

If you'd like the peace of mind of hiring a seasoned, knowledge-tested, successful grant writer, look up a GPC.

 

 

About That Picture: The day I received my certificate, I decided to commemorate the occasion by setting up a little still life of mementos I keep on my desk to add some fun to the big social media announcement. Clockwise from top right - my desktop wallpaper is a photo of a tall ship in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, snapped during lunch break at my first GPA conference, the event that launched my consulting business; a token from my first boss in the grant writing field who taught me so much and then motivated me to Believe in myself; the GPCI certificate - ta-da!; a Mother's Day gift from my grown daughters, thanking me for reading to them as little ones; a thank-you gift from a client, photographed in person deep, deep in rain forests of Africa.