Annual Grants Training


 

 

NGMA Annual Grants Training

Annual Grants Training  (AGT) is a multi-day, in-person event ideal for grants management professionals at all career levels. It is the largest grants management-focused training event in the nation. In 2024, AGT had more than 1,600 registrants from every region of the U.S. and other countries.

The AGT agenda includes:

  • Keynote speakers
  • Plenary panels
  • 50+ breakout sessions (+ opportunities to earn up to 18 CPEs)
    Session levels: Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced | Overview
  • Corporate Alliance Partnership Program (CAPP) Expo
  • Networking opportunities

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RATES

Registration rates for 2025 Annual Grants Training have not been determined.
FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY
, below are 2024 rates.

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION
$969 Members | $1,143 Non-Members

REGULAR REGISTRATION
$1,099 Members | $1,243 Non-Members

LATE REGISTRATION

$1,099 Members | $1,273 Non-Members

Non-Member rates include optional one-year membership to NGMA. Price does not change if you opt out of membership. 
 

Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. 
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HOTEL INFORMATION

Annual Grants Training is held at:

Washington Hilton | 
1919 Connecticut Ave. NW | Washington, D.C. 20009

The Washington Hilton is located within blocks of Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan. It is six (6) miles from Reagan National Airport and within walking distance of the DC Metro subway system. Learn more about the hotel 

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2024 AGENDA (2025 agenda TBA)
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Time Session Level
3-4 p.m. Navigating Grants Management: Essential
Tips for Early Career Success

Melissa Campbell, Guidehouse and LaKeisha Boyle,
U.S. Department of Treasury

Basic
  Using AI as a Vehicle for Equity in the Grants World
James (Jay) Black, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Andrea Brandon, Department of Interior
Intermediate
  What is a Grant Actually Costing You- Do You Know?
Nicolie Lettini and Kathleen Kizior, Cherry Bekaert
 Basic
  Roundtable Discussion: Higher Education Sector Meeting     
Moderator: Lashon Brown, CGMS, Valencia College
 
4:15-5:15 p.m. Congratulations, You Received a Grant. Now What?
Ariel Lybarger and Zulma Perez, Moss Adams, LLP
Basic
  Ethics- It SHOULD Be the Easiest Part of Our Job
Kathy Martins and Kelly Glossup, Alameda Couny Sheriff's Office
Basic
  Secret in the Sauce? Data.
Using Data to Identify Compliance Risks

Andrew Holzer, Cotton, a Sikich Company
Intermediate
  Roundtable Discussion: Developing Your Personal Brand         
Moderators:
Kim Joyce, GPC and D’Laun Oubre, Kim Joyce and Associates LLC
 
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Time Session Level
8-9:15 a.m.

Opening and Keynote Address
Grants Compliance: It Takes a (Very Large and Very Complicated) Village

Ken Dieffenbach, Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations at the U.S. Department of Energy OIG

Virtually everyone agrees that it is important to mitigate fraud and other compliance risks in grant programs.  But how?  In this session we will explore the grant oversight framework including the roles and responsibilities of the inspectors general, grantor agencies, grantees, and other stakeholders.  We’ll discuss various oversight and compliance tools and strategies, as well as practical steps each attendee can take to directly contribute to a more robust and resilient framework.

Learning objectives:

  • Understand the mission and focus of the federal inspector general community.

  • Be aware of the current “hot” grant-specific oversight issues such as data analytics, the mandatory disclosure rule, and whistleblower retaliation prohibitions.

  • Be better equipped, as a grants community, to help prevent and mitigate grant fraud and other compliance issues through risk assessments, fraud awareness training, proactive disclosures, strong program design, increased awareness of certain PRAC and OIG products, the use of integrity monitoring and third-party payors, and other measures.  

  • Be reminded of the critically important roles all stakeholders play in mitigating grant fraud and other compliance risks, to include ways to influence others to recognize the importance of compliance.

Basic
9:30-10:30 p.m.

OMB Update
Deidre Harrison

OMB Official will highlight the activities and policy directives in the grant areas, focusing on the implementation of the 2 CFR 200 Revisions, the federal government roll-out of COVID -19 and Infrastructure Investments funds and the directives of the President’s Management Agenda related to grants.

Learning Objectives:

  • Review the progress of the 2 CFR 200 revisions, its implementation issues by federal agencies & recipients and frequently asked questions

  • Know the agency implementation and resources regarding the massive COVID-19 and Infrastructure Investments Funds, including OMB interactions with the audit & oversight communities

  • Become knowledgeable on the overall objectives and directives of the 2022 President’s Management Agenda and how it will impact grants management

Overview
10:45-11:45 a.m. Building and Maintaining a Best Practice Model of
Grant Management and Compliance

Joseph D'Alessandro, Ashley Glasgow-Crockett, and
Christina McCollum, School District of Philadelphia

Intermediate
  Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging for Grants Management
Bridget Shea Westfall, HHS, Administration for Children and Families
Advanced
  Indirect Costs - Exploring the Dawn of a New Day
Andre Hylton, U.S. Department of Education; Meghan Benson, National Science Foundation; Doris Jensen, U.S. Department of Interior; and Mark Stout, U.S. Department of Interior
Basic
  Keep Calm and Closeout Strong:
Award Closeout Requirements and Best Practices

Darren Wallace and Brette Fishman, U.S. Department of Treasury
Basic
  Measuring Program Outcomes
Geoffrey Magon and Meghan Hicks, CohnReznick
Basic
  Roundtable Discussion: Independent Consultants –
Developing Your Business               
Moderator:
Carmen (Mely) Torres, OnPoint Strategy
 
1:15-2:15 p.m. Assessing and Improving Equity in Grant
Management and Program Development

Michael Miranda-Moore and Megan Otto, Moss Adams, LLP
Overview
  Broadband: The New Kid On The Block--Takin' It Step By Step
Tammy Smith, Peninsula Fiber Network; Rebecca Silva and Jennifer Woolcock, Falcon Sanchez; and Mercedes E. Quintero-Mendez, PROMB
Intermediate
  Data Analytics and Emerging Trends in Grant Fraud
and Other Compliance Issues

Ken Dieffenbach, U.S. Department of Energy
Basic
  Implementing and Adopting a Grant Management System:
The State of Rhode Island's Experience

Steve Thompson and Laura Sullivan, State of Rhode Island
Basic
  Unlocking Success: Mastering the Art of Leadership and
Teamwork in Grants Management

Vicky Cooper, Lee County Utilities
Intermediate
  Roundtable Discussion: Tribal Sector Meeting                               
Moderators:
Maria Howeth, CGMS, Chickasaw National Industries; DeMakus Staton, CGMS, D&G Associates Consulting Group LLC
 
2:30-3:30 p.m. Ethical Challenges in Grants Management: Risks and Opportunities
Brian Kamoie and Kelley Grow, Deloitte
Intermediate
  Exploring the Revisions to the Uniform Guidance
David Clark, BDO
Basic
  From Neural Networks to Networked Funding: AI Meets Grant$
Jason Mistlebauer, Witt O'Briens
Basic
  Getting Googled! Subrecipient Monitoring Using the
Google Suite 

Angelyn Mayes, Wyoming Department of Health  
Overview
  Internal Controls, Single Audits and Grants Management—
Making the Pieces Fit Together

Sarah Hluchan and Thomas Devine, Management Concepts
Intermediate
  Roundtable Discussion: Nonprofit Sector Meeting                      
Moderators:
Damien Bowen, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center; Brent Ramsey, CGMS, SCORE
 
4-5 p.m. Everything Everywhere All at Once:
How to be A Successful Solo Grants Manager

Tiffany Kesslar, The Bruman Group, PLLC, and Lashon Andrea Brown, Valencia College
Intermediate
  Federal Financial Reporting 101: 
How to succeed in SF-425 reporting

Catherine Schumer, DHS - FEMA
Basic
  From Concept to Reality: Establishing a Centralized Grants Management Office
Stacie Massey, State of Ohio Office of Budget and Management
Intermediate
  Subrecipient and Contractor Monitoring
Carson Phillips and Abby Rollins, CohnReznick
Basic
  Three Years After COVID-19 Grant Awards:
Preparing for Audits and Investigations

Mindy Pava and Edward "Ted" Waters, Feldesman Leifer LLP
Basic
  Roundtable Discussion: K-12 Education Sector Meeting           
Moderators:
Steven Spillan, Esq., CGMS and Madelaine Cleghorn, Esq.,
The Bruman Group
 
Thursday, February 29, 2024
Time Session Level

8:00-9:30 a.m.

 

Plenary Panel Discussion: Membership Meeting and OIG Panel—Recent Findings and Hot Topics

Panelists:
Kathleen Sedney, Assistant Inspector General for Audits, Inspections, and Evaluations for the U.S. Department of Interior OIG
Jaishiri Mehta, Senior Counsel, Dept of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General
Chuck Ward, Assistant Inspector General for Audit Operations and Special Reviews, OIG, U.S. Department of Transportation
Pamela Van Dort, Acting Deputy Inspector General, AmeriCorps OIG

Moderator:
Marc Meyer, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations and Senior Executive for the Front Office, USAID OIG

Representatives from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) with experience at four agencies will provide attendees with an update regarding the top issues in grants management, recent findings and the top concerns with a look-ahead.

 
9:45-10:45 a.m.

Plenary Panel Discussion: Centralized Grants

Panelists:
Patrick Ballinger, Grants Coordinator, Pasco County BCC
Stacie Massey, State of Ohio Office of Budget and Management
Andrea Sampanis, Grants Quality Service Management Office (QSMO)
Corrin McWhirter, Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Moderator:
Andrea Brandon, Budget, Finance, Grants and Acquisitions (BFGA), DOI

What are the benefits and impacts of centralized grants? How do you get everyone on board (especially those at the top)? This panel will discuss lessons learned while trying to navigate the centralization process.

Learning Objectives:

  • Strategy approach

  • Challenges and lessons learned

  • Centralized policies

 

11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Be Audit You Can Be: Using the Annual OMB
Single Audit Compliance Supplement

Brette Fishman and Nasr Fahmy, U.S. Department of Treasury
Overview
  Getting to the Finish Line - Strategies for Grant Closeout
Glenn McCormick
Basic
  One Size Does Not Fit All - Subawarding Federal Funds to
Inexperienced Partners: Challenges and Opportunities
Susan Durham, Louisville Metro Government
and Matt Hanson, Witt O'Briens

Intermediate
  The Indirect Rate DEBATE! De Minimis or Negotiate?
Dan Durst, BDO USA
Intermediate
  Strategic Decision-Making for Grant Success: Mastering Team Collaboration and Funding Achievement
Carmen "Mely" Torres, On Point Strategy
 Basic
1:30-2:30 p.m. Addressing Fraud Risk in Government Grant Programs
Daphne Cheeks, Sallie Cooper, and Justin Starkman, Guidehouse
Intermediate
  Making Sense of Your Data: How Grantmaking Intelligence
and Impact
Measurement Help Improve Decision Making
Tammy Marinac, Fluxx and Vinay Mullick UpMetrics
Intermediate
  Mastering the Art of Subrecipient Monitoring
Jennifer Keller and Troy Rector, Clark Nuber
Basic
  We Saved You a Seat: Becoming the Federal Disaster Grant
Procurement Expert Your Team Can't Do Without
Shelley Vineyard and Rob Hogan, Disaster Recovery Services LLC
Basic
  Why Do I Certify? Time and Effort, the Report
That Can Cost You Millions!

Tiffany Kesslar, The Bruman Group, PLLC, and
Lashon Andrea Brown, Valencia College

Basic
  Roundtable Discussion: Federal Sector Meeting                          
Moderators:
Christian Jones, Andrew Bockover, Rebecca Miller Russo - Department of State
 
2:45-3:45 p.m. A Department of One: Tips and Tools to Enable Solo Grants
Administrators to Navigate and Streamline Productivity
Jacqui May, City of Stuart
Basic
  Addressing the $247 Billion Elephant: Fraud Prevention and
Improper
Payment Remediation in the Grants Community
Sarah Stricevic and Brette Fishman, U.S. Department of Treasury
Overview
  Discover, Design and Deliver: Building an Internal Controls Grant Monitoring System
CA Cruthird and Solomon Tention, Dallas College
Overview
  Whose Property Is It Anyway? What You Should Know About the Federal Interest, Before, During, and After the Federally Funded Project
Edward "Ted" Waters and Nicole M. Bacon, Feldesman Leifer LLP
Intermediate
  Strategies to Building a Team of New Grant Managers
Angie J. Brown and Ashley Rome, EisnerAmper; Danielle Johnson and Teresa Croon, The Water Institute of the Gulf; and Eric Russell, ENJ, PLLC
Intermediate
  Roundtable Discussion: Effectively Managing Performance Outcomes            
Moderator:
Heather Morgan, REI
 
4:15-5:15 p.m. I'm a Grant Manager, Why Do I Care About Financial Concepts?
Kelly Bucci, Crowe LLP and Kalika White, University of Maryland
Basic
  Infrastructure Projects and Recent Changes to Grants Management Requirements--What Funders and Awardees Need to Know
Rachel Werner and MJ White, MyFedTrainer
Intermediate
  Match Making: Finding & Tracking
Matching Funds in Federal Grants

Johna Rodgers, Johna Rodgers Consulting, LLC
Basic
  Rent, Utilities, and Printing, Oh My!: Distributing Direct Costs Shared by Multiple Funding Sources
MaryAnn Avendano, Workforce Connections
Basic
  Transitioning a Grants Management Team
from Subrecipient to Prime Recipient

Terri Bennet and Jennifer Upton, Sandy Hook Promise
Intermediate
  Roundtable Discussion: Managing Up and Beyond –
Helping Stakeholders Understand the Importance of Compliance      
Moderator:
Mara Ash, BFS Strategic Partners Solutions
 
Friday, March 1, 2024
Time Session Level
8-9 a.m. Allocation Methodology: A Reflection on Cost Allocation
Megan Mesko and Soghra Raza, Sikich
Intermediate
  Implementing System-Wide Internal Controls and Socializing Change

Jillian Neimeister, CGMS, Head of Customer Success, AmpliFund
Intermediate
  Purpose-Driven Grant Administration
Robert Hogan, DRS
Intermediate
  Spotting Red Flags: Preventing and
Detecting Fraud in Grant Funding

Mike Nurse and Jennifer Keller, Clark Nuber, PS
Basic
  When the Music Stops: The Consequences of Funding Termination Under Federal Grants and Cooperative Agreements
Phillip A. Escoriaza and Rosie Dawn Griffin, Feldesman Leifer LLP
Intermediate
  Roundtable Discussion: State and Local: Ask a Consultant     
Moderator:
Matthew Hanson, CGMS, Witt O’Brien’s
 
9:15-10:15 a.m. Buy and Comply: Successfully Navigating
the Federal Procurement Standards

Edward Girovasi, Graduate School USA
Overview
  Equity in Grants: It All Starts with Data
Yuliana Bruister and Renee Cooper, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Chelsea Cole, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Jennifer Tyson, U.S. Department of Justice; and Laura Watson, U.S. Department of Labor
Intermediate
  Financial Reporting (SF-425)
Jon Muckey, U.S. Department of Energy
Basic
  Future of Grants: The Role of Advanced Analytics
and AI in Grants Management

Joseph Conti, Maria Swineford, and Azadeh Meshkaty,
Deloitte & Touche LLP

Basic
  How to Manage the Disaster After the Disaster--
A Grant Management Perspective

Billie Pearsall and Lisa Bullard-Paynter, ICF
Intermediate
10:30-11:30 a.m.

Plenary Panel Discussion: Grants Attorney Q&A Panel
Hosted by the American Bar Association, Grant Law Committee

Panelists:
Soren Lagaard, Esq., General Attorney, U.S. Department of Eduation
Melissa Prusock, Esq., Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Scott Sheffler, Esq., Partner, Feldesman Leifer LLP
Andrew Victor, Esq., Attorney Advisor, Acquisition & Assistance, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

Moderator:
Tiffany Kesslar, Esq., Partner, The Bruman Group, PLLC

Attorneys from the American Bar Association Public Contract Law's Grant Law Committee will discuss the top questions they have seen as well as answer the questions you have related to compliance under the Uniform Grants Guidance, stimulus federal funding, and other grants concerns!

Learning Objectives:

  • Learn the current top legal issues facing granting agencies and recipients in today’s environment;

  • Gain an understanding of industry trends; and

  • Listen and learn from questions your peers are asking practicing grant attorneys

 
11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Closing Remarks
NGMA Staff & Leadership
 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Who Should Attend
 
Grants professionals, including Grants Specialists, Administrators, Managers, Program Officers, Grant Officers, Auditors

 
Program Level
  Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced
 
Delivery Method   Group Live
 

Cancellation / Transfer / Substitution Policy
 

Cancellations

2025 AGT Cancellation Policy TBA. 

Substitutions/Transfers

2025 AGT Substitutions/Transfers Policy TBA. 

 

Technology Consent
 
Registration, attendance at, or participation in any NGMA-sponsored activity constitutes an agreement by the registrant to the use and distribution (both now and in the future) of the registrant or participant’s image or voice in photographs, videotapes, electronic reproductions and audiotapes of such activities by NGMA and other third parties, including but not limited to the event app or other software utilized. Your registration may include technology that monitors your activities, such as session attendance, public chats, Q&A during sessions, and booths visited.

 

Data and
Usage Disclosure
 
By registering for Annual Grants Training, you agree to allow your data to be collected by NGMA and be transferred securely to and stored by third-party technology providers and/or event partners, including but not limited to meeting app providers (Personify and Conference I/O), payment processors (Payscape), the host hotel (Washington Hilton), and CAPP partners.


The purpose is for the fulfillment of the service(s) related to event registration and attendance; these may include but are not limited to processing payments, confirming hotel reservations/rooming needs, tracking session attendance and continuing professional education (CPE) credits. Additionally, NGMA CAPP partners may rent attendee data for marketing purposes under a single-use agreement.

All third-party providers and/or event partners have their own privacy and collection practices; NGMA is not responsible for their independent policies.

If you wish to opt out of any data collection regarding your Annual Grants Training registration, email [email protected].


 
Communicable
Disease Policy
  All attendees agree to adhere to the NGMA’s Duty of Care, Waiver and Release of Liability for Communicable Disease.  

Code of Conduct

 
All attendees agree to adhere to NGMA’s In-Person Meeting Code of Conduct.
 

 

 
 


National Grants Management Association is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State Boards of Accountancy have the final authority on the acceptance of individual course for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.