A solid understanding of the federal grants system; key resources and websites; and key practices is necessary for federal grant recipient and subrecipients organizations and/or staff to start strongly in the grants environment. We will explain the framework undergirding the myriad federal grant programs, and discuss important resources, systems, compliance directives, policies, procedures, and practices that are integral to the grants environment, allowing beginners to feel more prepared to navigate what may seem like a daunting environment. This class is focused on developing solid understanding of the basics, preparing a participant to progress to more detailed and nuanced understanding, requirements, and practices. (Upcoming date: 1/29/27)

An understanding of the Uniform Administrative requirements is foundational to managing federal grants compliantly and avoiding challenges brought by noncompliance. Participants will gain understanding of key language to 2 CFR 200 Subpart D, including important acronyms and definitions, general provisions related to using and understanding 2 CFR 200, and key pre/post-award requirements. This class will focus on building your Subparts A-D knowledge and equipping you to answer questions and solve problems. Topics covered will include pre-award topics such as navigating the Assistance Listings and Notices of Funding Opportunity, risk assessment, specific conditions, and whistleblower protections. This class will so also cover post-award topics including financial management system requirements, internal controls, payments, cost sharing, program income, budget and program changes, property, procurement, reporting, subrecipient monitoring and management, record retention, remedies for noncompliance, and closeout. (Upcoming dates: 2/3/27, 8/16/27)

Operating as a pass-through entity, meaning an organization that subawards part of its federal grants funds, requires detailed processes and nuanced policies, procedures, systems and understanding of federal requirements. In this class, we will review various key requirements and best practices associated with subawarding, including requests for applications; application review, negotiation/clarification and selection; risk assessment and specific subaward conditions; subaward document components; grantee oversight and technical assistance; report review, corrective action, and subrecipient closeout. Participants will leave with more skill and understanding related to the subawarding environment. (Upcoming dates: 5/20/27, 11/8/27)

A grantor-grantee relationship can flourish when both parties are invested in its success. We will discuss best practices, practical ideas and tips for building relationships in the grants environment that yield strong results for the grant project. In addition we will consider key relationships and interactions that are important for optimal grants management success, including relationships between grantee finance, program, and other key staff; and relationships with stakeholders, partners, subrecipients, similar organizations, beneficiaries, beneficiaries, and auditors. (Upcoming date: 2/26/27)

Operating from a strong framework of internal controls is integral to success in grants, financial and program management. We will undertake a detailed look at internal controls requirements and best practices equipping organizations to operate using plans, methods, policies, procedures, and other mechanisms to fulfill key operations, reporting, and compliance objectives. Content will focus on practical steps and areas an organization can focus on to more effectively operationalize internal controls, including strong leadership, clear and thorough job descriptions, setting important objectives (including around grants and financial management), risk assessment, policies and procedures, information security, using data for decision making, strong communication, a self-monitoring practice, and aggressively remediating deficiencies when they become know. We will grapple with common challenges related to an organization’s internal control framework and consider useful approaches toward resolution. (Upcoming dates: 2/11/27, 8/26/27)

Costs charged to federal grants must be allocable, meaning they are assigned to benefiting grants in accordance with relative benefits received by those grants. In this class, we will dig into key concepts, policies, procedures, and methods to ensure costs are charged based on benefit received. We will cover details of cost allocation plans/cost policy statements, indirect cost rate proposals, negotiated indirect cost rate agreements, and central service cost allocation plans, describing the nature and key steps associated with these. We will reinforce key concepts such as setting up a chart of accounts to track an indirect cost pool, tracking true indirect costs even if you have a negotiated rate, having uniform policies and procedures for federal and non-federally financed activities, practicing consistent treatment of direct and indirect costs, and ensuring costs of a nature or type that would be unallowable on federal grants are not included in pools of cost allocated in part or whole to those grants. We will also discuss the many potential ways allowed under 2 CFR 200 to claim indirect cost on federal grants, including the de minimis indirect rate, a rate negotiated with a federal agency or pass-through entity, and a public assistance cost allocation plan, or the direct allocation method. (Upcoming dates: 2/10/27, 8/27/27)