There are 574 federally recognized tribes, each unique in size, resources, languages, and cultures. Native people are the essence of our tribal nations. Culture and traditions, new and old, sustain our societies, language, family, art, and lifeways. The land is our connection to a physical and spiritual place, which helps define who we are as a people. Tribal nations and their governments vary from tribe to tribe based on unique histories, cultures, and world views.

Like local governments, tribal governments must secure funding to provide government services to their people, such as policing, justice systems, social service programs, language preservation, land preservation, housing, and more. State and local governments fund most of their services through property and sales taxes. Tribal governmental activities are generally funded through the tribe’s enterprises, grants, and contracts. While enterprises provide funding in lieu of property tax, federal funds are still the primary source of revenue for most tribes. Tribes are eligible to receive federal funding because of treaties and other agreements from ceding land and other resources. Tribal governments began having the ability to manage their funds and apply for federal grant opportunities in 1975, long after state and local governments. We oftentimes are playing catch-up.

Due to the responsibility placed on tribal nations, their leaders, staff, and tribal citizens share the burden of providing needed services to their people and community. Because most tribal governments rely on federal funding, knowledge of grants management is vital to their success. Access to grants and successful grants management is necessary to provide those services. Unfortunately, Indian Country lacks professionals dedicated to the field of grants management. Below are a few examples of the struggles I have seen in Indian Country.

Professional grant writers in Indian Country are minimal. The lack of grant writing professionals dedicated to Indian Country oftentimes results in tribes simply not being able to apply for the more competitive funding opportunities. And with the shortage of grant writers, other factors hinder securing a grant writer. For example, if tribes have the financial means to hire an on-site position, geographic location, cost of living, and pay rate play a role in the hiring process and retention. Oftentimes, these positions go unfilled. If tribes have the means to contract out, they often secure grant writers who are unfamiliar with tribes or histories and have no ties to their land and people. This causes the potential for extremely hindering the success of submitted grant applications.

Once a grant is obtained, a new level of knowledge must be present: how to manage the funds. One notable struggle seen often is the work environment and immediate expectations placed on new hires. For example, directors of tribal programs are hired because of their expertise in fields such as education, criminal justice, human services, and environmental sciences, to name a few. One doesn’t learn grants management in high school or college. Grants management is a hands-on, day-by-day, and lifelong learning journey. This often leads to our experts being placed in sink-or-swim situations, which may cause stressful work environments if they cannot get the support and guidance necessary to succeed in their roles.

To address these challenges, below are notable efforts being made:

1. Experts are creating consulting services to enhance their ability to support Indian Country and their grants management needs.
2. Tribal governments are taking grant-writing training to the next level and providing community training opportunities to enhance knowledge of the field.
3. Tribal governments are investing back into their staff to ensure they accomplish their professional development needs in grants management as many are coming to understand that grants management is a lifelong learning journey.

Despite the many grants management challenges Indian Country has faced for so many years, progress is being made. As both the needs of tribal communities and recognition of the grants management profession are becoming more widely known, more funds are being allocated towards tribal communities and, hopefully, additional qualified and experienced grants managers will be available to successfully manage the funding Indian Country citizens need to flourish.

Sabrina Renteria is a Relationship Manager at FSA Advisory Group, an American-Indian and women-owned firm that provides financial advisory services in Indian Country.

As a grant management consultant, our daily work is broad and specific tasks will depend on the client’s needs and the project’s scope. We provide expertise and guidance to organizations or individuals throughout the grant lifecycle. Common tasks include:

• Providing technical assistance to clients to develop policies and procedures to guide how funds are managed, how applications are reviewed, how funds are allocated and how their performance is monitored.
• Monitoring performance to ensure that the funds are being used per the agreement and that the grantee meets the grant’s objectives.
• Conducting site visits to organizations to ensure that they are using the funds properly and to assess their progress in meeting the grant’s objectives.
• Staying up-to-date with relevant regulations and guidelines and ensure that the organization’s programs are in compliance.
• Providing training and support to grantee organizations to help them understand requirements and how to manage their programs.
• Project formulation: Assisting clients in defining the scope, objectives, and requirements of a project outlining the tasks, deliverables and resources needed for the project.
• Project planning: Developing detailed project plans, including the timeline, milestones, tasks, responsibilities and budget.

Your primary focus is ensuring that the organization’s programs are well-managed and that the funds are being used effectively to achieve the desired outcomes.

What Has Worked for Me

Setting realistic expectations is essential to achieving success as a grant management consultant.

• Before planning or executing a plan, you must define the client’s goal. I always ask my clients, “What do you want to achieve?”
• You must complete a realistic assessment. Consider what you can realistically accomplish with the skills, time and resources you have.
• Consider external factors that may affect your ability to achieve your goals, such as the availability of resources and unforeseen circumstances.
• You must recognize that your expectations may need to be adjusted as circumstances change. Flexibility is vital, and you must be willing to adapt your goals and expectations based on new information or changing circumstances.
• Maintain a positive attitude and focus on what you can do rather than what you can’t. Remember that setbacks are a normal part of the process, and use them as an opportunity to learn and grow.

By following these tips, you can set realistic expectations and increase your chances of achieving your goals.

What Hasn’t Worked for Me

Multitasking. While sometimes multitasking may be necessary, it’s essential to recognize the limitations of this approach and to focus on prioritizing tasks and working on one thing at a time whenever possible. This can help improve productivity, reduce stress and improve overall performance. Additionally, managing many tasks at once may lead to feeling overwhelmed and stressed, which leads to burnout and decreased job satisfaction.

Additional Tips

Being a grants management consultant can quickly make you feel overwhelmed. Below are more tips to help you succeed and achieve your grants management project goals:

• Break down your goal into smaller, more manageable steps. This can help you make progress toward your goal without feeling overwhelmed.
• Prioritize work and focus on essential tasks to meet your deadlines.
• Measure and track progress throughout the engagement.
• Communicate regularly with the client. Discuss progress and any challenges or issues.
• Be transparent about your qualifications, experience and approach to consulting. This includes being honest about your limitations and what you can realistically achieve for your clients.

Despite it being a challenging career path, the outcome of effective grants management consulting, whether indirectly or directly, can significantly impact the success and sustainability of grant-funded programs and the organizations and communities they serve, giving you a sense of purpose and meaningfulness in the work you perform.

Brian Perez is a Certified Grant Management Specialist (CGMS) and an engineer with experience in grant management with various federal programs. As a consultant, he assists clients in managing their grants effectively and in accordance with the 2 CFR 200 and applicable regulations.