2008 Conference Scholarship Recipients were announced August 25, 2008!
The scholarships are funded through designated conference sponsorships and funds received from the AAGP proposal review program. Congratulations to the 2008 AAGP Foundation Conference Scholarship recipients!
The AAGP Foundation Board of Directors would like to thank all our donors and partners:
- The American Association of Grant Professionals (AAGP)
- Conference Proposal Reviews - 2007
- Central Indiana AAGP Chapter
- Chicago-Area AAGP Chapter
- Bernard Turner Consulting
- Grant Professionals Certification Institute (GPCI)
The V.C. League AAGP Conference Scholarship: Central Indiana Chapter Grant Professionals
Scholarship provided conference registration
The Central Indiana AAGP Chapter awarded its first ever $450 scholarship to cover the registration fee to attend the National AAGP Conference in Long Beach, CA in October, 2008. The scholarship is in honor of Indianapolis resident and AAGP founding member Vincente Conrad "V.C." League, who died December 7, 2005.
V.C. inspired hundreds of Indiana prevention professionals over several decades with his grantsmanship expertise and his ability to teach others to write successful grant proposals. His expertise included program planning and proposal writing, management, organizational development, diversity training, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and violence prevention.
V.C. taught courses at the Indiana Prevention Resource Center and conducted trainings and seminars across the state and nation. In his final years he worked with Vincente and Associates and the Black United Fund of Michigan, Inc. to evaluate the $100 million federally-funded City of Detroit (MI) Empowerment Zone. He played a major role in Indiana’s successful application for a Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant, the largest preventon award in Indiana history. The grant, which totaled $11.7 million for five years, was received in 2005.
The Dawn Bluhm AAGP Conference Scholarship: Illinois Grant Professionals
Scholarship provided conference registration and three nights of lodging
Dawn Bluhm, the “Queen of Logic Models,” was a dedicated and involved AAGP member. Dawn, who died June 22, 2007, was a founding member of the AAGP Chicago-area Chapter and served as the newsletter editor. Dawn also gave her time to the national AAGP as a member of the Long Range Planning Committee and convention presenter.
The Chapter established this first Chapter Scholarship to provide registration and three nights of lodging to the 2008 AAGP Annual Conference in October. To be eligible, applicants one must be a resident of Illinois and employed by a non-profit.
Dawn, who worked for CJE SeniorLife, made a significant impact through the projects she won funding for, the office she brightened with her cheerful smile and organizational skills, and most important – her successful and thriving children.
The following are those selected for the 2008 AAGP Annual Conference:
Lisa A. Balduf, Mason City, Iowa
Lisa is the owner of Grant$, etc., a sole proprietorship she began a year ago in the heart of rural northern Iowa. Her town, Mason City, has a population of 30,000 and is the largest city within 60 miles. The AAGP conference will help her stay linked to current trends, national leaders in the grants field, and provide helpful tips and guidance. Besides volunteering for several organizations, Lisa is focused on professional growth: her own and those in the community. She will share information and resources gathered at the conference with North Iowa individuals and organizations both individually and through course instruction.
Theresa Cummings, Kansas City, Missouri
Theresa has two goals for use of the Conference experience: to gain additional training and resources that she can bring back to benefit the local mental health non-profit community, and to help grow and enhance her local AAGP Chapter, for which she is the Chair. As the Director of Program Development for the Jackson County Mental Health Fund, she plans to use AAGP conference information to assist other non-profits in the mental health community to further develop their own grant writing and administration capabilities. For the Heartland AAGP Chapter, she hopes use the conference experience to explore more training and technical assistance opportunities for local members.
Judith R. Duncan, Indianapolis, Indiana
Central Indiana Chapter V.C. League Scholarship recipient (Central Indiana Chapter V.C. League covers conference registration, AAGPF covers lodging)
As the Executive Director of the Franklin Township Education Foundation, Judy was surprised to learn how vastly different the world of funding for education is from her previous experience writing grants for a non-profit health agency that provided adaptive equipment and emotional support to individuals and families touched by neuromuscular disease. The Franklin County Education Foundation is currently funded by special events dollars and the interest from a restricted endowment. The AAGP conference will provide new insights into finding funds and writing successful proposals.
Robin Hertlein, Coupeville, Washington
A resident of Whidbey Island in Puget Sound, Robin will use information from the conference to benefit the organizations she consults with through Hertlein Grant Writing, her consulting company of one year. Many of her clients are small rural organizations that need significant support to successfully access grant funding. She has worked with a range of organizations, from the Ferndale Food Bank to the Washington Assistive Technology Association to the Coupeville Arts Center and Port Ludlow Fire & Rescue.
Rebecca Neu, Chicago Illinois
Dawn Bluhm AAGP Conference Scholarship recipient (full scholarship provided by the AAGP Chicago-area Chapter)
As a Master of Social Work from Loyola University of Chicago, Rebecca examines challenges and issues from a ‘bio-psycho-social perspective,’ knowing that her macro-level view allows her to affect many people at once through grantwriting. Rebecca looks forward to growing personally and professionally through her conference attendance, benefitting her work with Jewish Child and Family Services through workshops that increase her knowledge and networking with some of the finest grant-writing professionals in the country.
Michelle L. Smith, Redwood City, California
Bernard Turner Consulting Conference Scholarship recipient (Bernard Turner Consulting provides conference registration; AAGPF covers lodging)
This first-time conference attendee is looking forward to being able to share experiences with like-minded professionals. Michelle, the Grants Manager for Friends for Youth, whose mission is to create quality mentoring relationships for youth who need them most, began as Mentoring Services Director. Moving into the grant role, she has successfully received funding from a variety of sources, broadening to grantwriting for Family & Children Services and volunteering for Mobius Kids. She looks forward to expanding her technical expertise and network of grants professionals.