INDIAN RIVER COUNTY —Kelly Brown, grant coordinator for Indian River Habitat for Humanity, has earned a nationally recognized credential in the grants field. The recognition is conferred by the Grant Professionals Certification Institute, Inc. (GPCI, pronounced “gypsy”), an affiliate of the Grant Professionals Association (GPA).
Brown is one of 331 certified grant designers and managers who were conferred the “GPC” title as Grant Professional Certified. The credential recognizes proficiency in standards that include tenure in the profession, education, demonstrated achievement and a commitment to service for public and private philanthropy.
“The past decade of activity by the American Association of Grant Professionals shows this field now requires skills far beyond just the staff-level ‘writer’ role,” said GPCI Past President Marcia Ford. “Today, grant professionals are held accountable not just by their employers, but especially by charitable and corporate foundations and governments. They are called upon to negotiate elaborate collaborations between groups that can leverage more productivity than a single agency or advocacy group could manage on its own. They come from many walks,” she said, “and are more likely to have nonprofit management and program development skills than the typical proposal writer from the last generation.”
Beyond meeting eligibility requirements, GPCs have mastered nationally standardized competencies that are defined by nine skill sets. In partnership with the University of South Florida’s Tampa-based Institute for Instructional Research and Practice (IIRP), the GPC exam was established within the strict rigors and standards of psychometric testing.
The exam, which took seven years since inception, is the result of numerous interactions with grant professionals, employers, the funding community, and other stakeholder groups throughout the country.
Credentialed individuals agree to uphold GPA’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Practice. GPCs receive certification for a three-year period. In order to maintain the status, conferees must continue documenting their education, practices and contributions to the field, or pass the same examination as new GPCs.
The new national standards for the grants field are becoming the basis for current professional development, no matter what organization is offering the training. These standards are design to illuminate the grant professional and provide guidance for the community as to who is capable to provide principled and skilled assistance in developing opportunities for the grant funding.
To date, 42 states may boast GPCs; distribution of certifications by the states can be found at the GPCI website.
