ABOUT FALL FORUM
Compliance doesn’t live in one office. It runs through finance, programs, leadership, and every department that touches a grant. As the grants environment continues to evolve, building a strong internal compliance strategy is more critical than ever.
This full-day virtual training brings together industry experts and practitioners to explore practical approaches for embedding compliance into everyday operations. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies for aligning departments, communicating with leadership, and building internal tools and processes that hold up as regulations and staff change. Earn up to 6 CPE credits.
What to Expect
Fall Forum will consist of six sessions (10 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. ET) and an optional networking hour (5 – 6 p.m. ET). Sessions will equip grants professionals with the tools to strengthen compliance from the inside out, by showing you how to build the systems, workflows, and cross-departmental partnerships that make compliance sustainable across your organization.
Who Should Attend
Full-time grants managers and those who work closely with grants departments
| Agenda | |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, October 20 | |
| 10 - 11 a.m. | Panel Discussion: The Challenges of Building a Collaborative Culture of Compliance |
| 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
From Policy to Practice: Aligning Internal Controls, Policies and Procedures
Mara Ash, BFS Strategic Partners Having a policy does not necessarily mean you have an effective internal control. This practical session takes internal controls out of the audit room and puts them into everyday grants management. Participants will learn to connect compliance requirements and risks to key controls and determine whether policies, procedures, responsibilities, and actual practices support those controls. Through practical examples, participants will identify common gaps and learn a repeatable approach for strengthening alignment between documented requirements and day-to-day operations. Learning Objectives
|
| 12 - 12:30 p.m. | Lunch Break |
| 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. |
Beyond the Audit: Strengthening Grants Accounting, Compliance and Corrective Action Management
Sarah de Wolf, Guidehouse and Ashley Meyer, City of Baltimore This session explores how organizations can move beyond audit findings to sustainable corrective action. Presenters will share Baltimore’s experience assessing open corrective action plans, addressing barriers to implementation, strengthening grants accounting, and coordinating ownership across departments. Attendees will gain practical tools to improve governance, documentation, accountability, and long-term grants compliance. Learning Objectives
|
| 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. |
Onboarding and Building Capacity in First-Time Federal Subrecipients
Angie Brown, EisnerAmper and Jaisa Thomas, The Parish of Caddo First-time federal subrecipients often face a steep learning curve in navigating compliance requirements while simultaneously implementing funded programs. This session explores practical approaches to onboarding, capacity building, and compliance monitoring that help subrecipients develop sustainable grants management practices. Drawing on real-world experiences with local government and infrastructure programs, presenters will share strategies for identifying capacity gaps, communicating requirements, providing targeted technical assistance, and using monitoring as a tool to strengthen performance and reduce compliance risk over time. Learning Objectives
|
| 2:30 - 2:45 p.m. | Short Break |
| 2:45 - 3:45 p.m. |
Reducing Closeout Risk: the Importance of Monitoring and Compliance
Amanda Hoque and Helena Emenalo, Hagerty Consulting, Inc. The presenters will dive into an overview of how monitoring throughout the grant period of performance can support closeout and reduce last-minute reconciliation issues. Presenters will also discuss how to connect monitoring directly to closeout readiness, through resources like checklists, working group sessions, and one-on-one direct support. Learning Objectives
|
| 3:45 - 4:45 p.m. |
Beyond Compliance: Preparing for the Next Era of Uniform Guidance Regulations
Joey DeSantis and William Treanor, Ernst & Young Organizations do not need to wait for every regulatory detail to be final before preparing for change. This session will help grants professionals translate proposed Uniform Guidance updates into practical readiness actions. Attendees will walk through a structured approach for reviewing proposed policy changes, assessing operational impact, prioritizing updates to procedures and templates, and communicating implications to leadership and grant stakeholders. The session will emphasize how organizations can build a repeatable readiness playbook, including a practical redline-and-readiness concept that helps teams compare proposed changes, ask targeted questions, and identify where internal processes may need to evolve. Learning Objectives:
|
| 4:45 - 5 p.m. | Short Break |
| 5 - 6 p.m. | Networking Hour (optional) |
COST
$179 per person (Members)
$353 per person (Non-Members *)
*Non-member rate includes a complimentary one-year NGMA membership. Price does not change if you opt out of membership.
KEY REGISTRATION DATES
September 29, 2026 – Invoice option is deactivated. From this date forward, full payment is due at time of registration.
October 13, 2026 – Last day to register. Last day to cancel or transfer registration. Last day to provide payment or proof that payment is in process (PO, copy of check, promissory note on company letterhead) to receive the training link. Unpaid registrants who do not provide payment information by this date will have their registrations cancelled.
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
Cancellations & Transfers
All Fall Forum registration cancellation requests must be submitted by the registrant by email to info@ngma.org. NGMA will not accept requests by an employer.
- Cancellations received by 11:59 p.m. ET on October 13, 2026 will be eligible for a full refund minus a $25 service fee.
- After October 13, 2026, no refunds or credits will be issued.
- No credits or refunds will be given to no-shows.
- No credits will be given in lieu of refunds.
- Refunds by check may not be issued until the conclusion of the event.
Substitutions/Transfers Policy
Requests for transfers/substitutions must be made in writing directly by the registrant; NGMA will not accept requests by an employer. The below transfer/substitution policy applies:
- By 11:59 p.m. ET, October 13, 2026 – Transfers/substitutions may be made at no cost; should a non-member substitute for a member, the difference between fees will be due at the time of transfer.
- As of October 14, 2026 – No transfers/substitutions are allowed.
Invoice Payment Deadline
If no payment, purchase order or other proof of payment is received by NGMA by October 13, 2026, registration will be cancelled.
Code of Conduct
All attendees agree to adhere to NGMA’s virtual 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.