Long-time Hera Hub Carlsbad member, Valerie A. Grant was recently published as a co-author of a study in volume 20 of the peer-reviewed Journal of the Grant Professionals Association.

The Grant Professional Credential (GPC) has been available for qualified grant professionals to earn since 2007. The GPC is earned through a rigorous application process and passing the two-part exam, which includes multiple-choice questions and a written essay. As Valerie and colleague Keri McDonald were studying for their GPC exam, they discussed the potential difference(s) they might expect for each of their consulting businesses if they earned the GPC. Over the past decade, one of the authors asked several certified grant professionals if the credential had made a difference in their business. The responses were fairly streamlined, with a hard yes or definite no. There did not seem to be any middle ground in these informal conversations.

After receiving the GPC credential, Valerie and Keri continued to discuss the payoff of earning their GPC. Did the business growth experienced by the now-certified authors have to do with being only two of several hundred people across the globe with this professional credential, the economy, or the pandemic? Or were there other factors in play? Inquiring minds want to know, so Valerie and Keri conducted a research study. The effects of the pandemic and the current economic climate were not included specifically in this study.

2022 GPA Journal

Currently, over 400 people around the United States have earned their Grant Professional Certification (GPC). The authors were concerned with the extent to which obtaining the GPC credential had impacted consultants and, more specifically, their earning power. To measure impact, two surveys were developed – one for consultants with 45 respondents and another for non-profit organizations that hire consultants with 27 respondents.

The study results indicate that earning the GPC did have a positive impact on the majority of respondents, and their revenue increased after earning the credential. A high number of respondents also indicated that they took the exam because of the prestige associated with the credential. Of the non-profits who completed the survey, most were not aware of a credential that was specific to the grants profession, but some did indicate that certification is impactful in deciding whether or not to hire a consultant.

The authors concluded that taking the GPC has tangible and intangible benefits for many consultants’ practices. These include the tangible or quantifiable result of increased revenue and intangible benefits such as increased confidence in grant writing abilities.

Valerie A. Grant, GPC, is a grant professional with 25 years of experience and founded Grant Consulting Services, LLC, 22 years ago. Grant Consulting Services, LLC helps make the world a better place for everyone. We engage in the fight against systemic giants of injustice, assist in remedies of inequality, and collaborate to empower the disenfranchised. Working with organizations across the globe that help people, Grant Consulting Services, LLC assists in feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, cultivating the arts, student learning, and combating the effects of global warming. We give a voice to the unheard and inspire the compassion and unity of all people.

Valerie is the Co-Founder and immediate past President of the Grant Professionals Association, San Diego Chapter. She is recognized in the community as a grant development expert.

Website: grantconsultingservices.com

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Twitter: twitter.com/Grantwriter