How We Pioneered the Profession of Grants Management (and Got Into Good Trouble Along the Way)

We’ve reached our “seasoned” years in philanthropy. The term OG has been used among PEAK members to describe us. Looking up the term, we discovered OG is slang for original gangsta. We cringed, but we kind of knew it was said with support and respect! Then we were told it described someone who is exceptional, authentic, someone who is an expert at something. Ok, still not how we would describe ourselves. Although, being lifetime grants manager buddies and because we are lifelong learners, we will say that we have always been experts at getting into “good trouble.” We are now tasked to share how we managed to get into good trouble for over 28 years. Here’s our recipe for how we contributed to equity and the evolution of PEAK.

Building a reputation with unique attributes

In the early 1990s, our group of 12 grants administrators began to meet with the goal of evolving our “back office” roles to positions that actively contributed to grantmaking. Our aim was to establish strategic roles that drove equity. We started by identifying the unique qualities that defined our contributions:

• Graciousness
• Service-driven mindset
• Ability to engage with multiple generations
• Patience
• Collaboration
• Coaching
• Deep knowledge of regulations in grant lifecycle execution
• Passion for troubleshooting
• Teaching skills
• Creativity
• Continuous learning

Transforming competencies into superpowers

Realizing that our unique competencies alone were insufficient to change perceptions, we transformed these qualities into superpowers that distinguished our roles in grantmaking:

• Creating order in data management and process chaos
• Being the calm during storms
• Being tech-savvy and innovative by integrating all stakeholders’ needs into systems development and vendor interactions
• Teaching and sharing accessible ways for grant partners to navigate complicated systems
• Addressing resistance to knowledge and change management
• Maintaining a wide-lensed view of grantmaking
• Troubleshooting, identifying issues, and implementing solutions

Your role as a social change activist

Join us in advancing good trouble in grants management, and you can lead the way in driving equity strategically at your organization. Here are recommendations for how to be a part of the movement:

• Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the nonprofit sector, especially in philanthropic boards and leadership.
• Enhance impact measurement products to highlight DEI, increasing visibility and value of investment opportunities.
• Ensure your perspectives are heard at decision-making tables (e.g., attending and presenting at departmental meetings and board meetings).
• Get involved and build peer networks outside your organization.

What PEAK’s OGs value most

Professional development: Connect with a subject-matter expert to solve issues. The rapid changes in the field during the tech boom of the mid- to late 90s led members of PEAK (then called Grants Managers Network) to quickly build their tech skills. Recognizing that IT and finance teams needed to be strategic allies—as evidenced through the formation of organizations such as Technology Association of Grantmakers, Financial Issues Stewardship Ministries—the network provided the experience and knowledge to generate enough market pressure on grants management system vendors to accelerate the development of systems to improve process automation for clients, rather than serving vendors’ bottom line. PEAK is a powerful network that drives the introduction, development, and cost-benefit acuity of systems, helping funders maximize investment and engender buy-in and trust throughout internal management.

Community: All knowledge workers such as us are fortunate to have been connected to PEAK long enough that we have truly made dear friends of colleagues. However, the power of PEAK is substantial. This work is all about relationships, which PEAK celebrates in every interaction with its members by providing greater skills development, deepening knowledge, expanding education, and modeling compassion so that we can improve conditions for those on the ground who are doing the work.

Mentorship: There is nothing more rewarding than sharing something you hope is useful to someone else. We are both fortunate to have worked with the late—but never forgotten—Orneata Prawl, whom the PEAK’s pilot mentorship program honors. Being a mentor keeps each of us tied to the community and the continuum of augmenting our presence, knowledge, and experience so we can learn as much from new members and mentees as (we hope) they learn from us. At this point, we have the vantage point and hindsight to see the bigger long-term picture as we all continue to develop our ability to focus, learn together, and be of service.

Image: Margaret Egan and Ursula Stewart were recognized as the inaugural PEAK Emeritus Fellows at PEAK2024. Photo by Julie Harmsen.