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Every project needs a leader, and the grant lifecycle manager guides grant-seeking teams to success. This person facilitates a wide range of tasks across the entire grant lifecycle, helping to secure funds and effectively further their organization’s mission. Whether you’re considering a position as a grant manager or want to improve your knowledge of the grant process, our guide on the role of the grant lifecycle manager will show you exactly what it entails.
As the name implies, a grant lifecycle manager oversees the entire lifecycle of a grant. Some organizations will call this person a grants manager, grant administrator or award manager. You’ll find these professionals in grant-seeking organizations, such as nonprofits and state, federal, local and tribal governments.
Their primary goal is to secure funding that supports the organization’s mission. Within that goal are many smaller requirements, ranging from building relationships with other entities to managing a team of employees and volunteers.
The grant lifecycle manager typically reports to a high-level professional, such as a chief financial officer or director. In smaller organizations, the tasks of a grant lifecycle manager might fall to another professional, like a program director.
A grant lifecycle manager covers all stages of grant-seeking, including:
Grant managers might also analyze the overall process to find areas for improvement, like process changes or new technology.
The grant lifecycle manager’s job duties include many elements requiring a diverse skill set. Below are some of the primary job duties of a grant manager.
Supervising the stages of grant management requires an overarching view of the timeline and staff. A grant manager will organize the different steps into an actionable plan, oversee a budget, help the team succeed and evaluate the program’s outcomes.
They shape the team’s direction and decide which strategy to pursue. This person may also serve as the face of the organization for tasks like accepting an award, communicating with grantors and signing documents.
Some supervisory duties that fall to the grant lifecycle manager may include:
By taking care of the nitty-gritty details, like deadlines and requirements, a grant manager paves the way for their team to focus on deeper projects, like writing a compelling story and crafting the perfect proposal. This role provides the foundation and support for the entire team.
When grant management is a one-person operation, these tasks help the individual set themselves up for success. For instance, having a clear strategy and deadlines can allow a grant professional to switch gears and focus fully on the writing process.
Applying for multiple grants means juggling many requirements. Grantors can have diverse demands that vary between programs. Grant-seekers must also meet regulatory stipulations, which can vary at state and federal levels and come from organizations like the Internal Revenue Service and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
The grant manager stays on top of these requirements, including documentation, deadlines and registration demands. For example, federal grants ask applicants to meet the OMB’s Uniform Guidance, which sets a standard to reduce administrative burden and risk for fraud and waste.
Some organizations must meet demands from industry-specific legislation, such as the Education Department General Administrative Regulations. Individual grants add further requirements, like specific outcome measurements and reporting frequencies.
These requirements apply throughout the grant lifecycle. During the pre-award phase, grant managers ensure the proposal has all the required information while being tailored to the selection criteria of a specific grant. After receiving an award, they secure compliance in areas like disbursement, expense reporting and progress reporting.
Meeting these demands helps reduce risk for the organization, preventing lost awards or fines. A grant lifecycle manager may also negotiate the details of a grant’s terms and conditions, such as reporting frequencies or budgetary restrictions.
Grant lifecycle managers monitor, evaluate and report on several aspects of a grant, including outcomes and budgets. They collect and present information to:
The grant manager also sets the stage for effective reporting by establishing processes for measuring outcomes and monitoring finances.
Maintaining good relationships with grantors is crucial for long-term success. Meeting requirements already supports healthy partnerships with grantors, but grant managers can build stronger connections through regular communications. They might send updates to the grantor or thank them in press releases, for instance.
By fostering good relationships, a grant manager can boost their chances of success the next time the grantor opens applications. A history of positive exchanges and successful programs shows the grantor that an organization is easy to work with and capable of meeting the grant’s objectives. Relationship-building is especially important for recurring grant programs.
With so many tasks to accomplish, grant managers need a broad set of skills, such as:
Building these skills usually calls for a history of experience in the field, specifically grant writing, fundraising or compliance. Most organizations also look for a bachelor’s or master’s degree in an area like public relations, nonprofit administration, business, finance or journalism. The diverse job duties of a grant lifecycle manager allow people to enter the field from many backgrounds.
Grant managers use several resources to support their day-to-day workflows and achieve the best chances of success. Since these resources usually cost time and money, using them effectively is an important part of optimizing the grant management process.
A solid understanding of the grant management process can help team members perform their jobs well. A grant lifecycle manager might implement training activities to help their staff excel and boost win rates. These trainings could range from casual meetings run by the grant manager to formal training events and certifications.
Some topics covered in grants management training might include regulatory and legislative requirements, writing skills and performance measurements. Teams often benefit from training in various parts of the process.
Before you can apply for grants, you’ll need to find them. Grant managers often turn to grant databases to help them uncover opportunities. For example, the United States government runs Grants.gov, which compiles grant opportunities for government-funded programs and projects. You can find similar websites for grants outside of government. Many industry organizations and local or state governments also list grant opportunities on their websites.
After finding potential programs, grant lifecycle managers might research potential grantors to ensure a good fit between the two organizations. They use resources like USASpending.gov, which allows you to dive into historical data on federal award spending and learn more about the funding organizations. You can find tools like these built into grant management software, too.
Since a grant manager takes responsibility for compliance and regulations, keeping up with changes in legislation is a crucial component of this person’s work. It’s especially valuable if applying for grants across many jurisdictions. Grant managers might follow industry news publications and keep track of correspondence from regulating agencies.
Having a pulse on industry trends can also help grant lifecycle managers gear strategies and tactics toward more effective initiatives, such as a popular program that can garner significant support.
Grant management teams will likely use the same pieces of information in repeated grant applications. Instead of searching for these details each time, grant managers can compile resource libraries. Some examples of these resources include prior outcomes, financial reports, templates and photos or videos from previous programs.
Like many modern business activities, the modern grant management lifecycle is mostly digital. A grant manager often uses a dedicated software platform to track and organize this detailed process. Technology facilitates these steps and creates valuable opportunities for automation, which can significantly reduce the workload of grant managers.
Some of the functions grant managers might look for in their grant management software include:
Features like these are essential for efficient, effective grant management lifecycles. They can add hours of extra time to a grant manager’s week and unlock benefits across every stage, ultimately earning more grants and advancing the organization’s mission.
With the right resources, grant lifecycle managers can successfully navigate the many diverse requirements of the job and help secure funding for their organizations.
Grant managers have a lot of duties to handle at once. From analyzing performance to leading a team, their work requires the right resources. We built IntelliGrants® IGX to support these professionals at every step of the grant management lifecycle. IntelliGrants IGX is an intuitive, highly configurable platform enabling more efficient, effective and traceable processes.
In IntelliGrants IGX, grant lifecycle managers can track applications, centralize correspondence, access robust reports and much more — all from a secure and audit-ready solution. At IGX Solutions, we have over 35 years of experience in the field, and 98% of our clients stick with us. They come from industries that range from government and nonprofit to education and healthcare.
Book your demo today to learn more about IntelliGrants IGX and its role in a grant lifecycle manager’s workflow.
