Type or paste your text just like you normally would in any word processor, and use the / key to pull up a menu with more formatting options (like bullet points, block quotes, and embeds). After you've added your text in the "Content" tab, click on the "Design" tab to customize the layout, colors, and Risk mitigation is really reputation mitigation when it comes to grants. The better you mitigate risk the better your reputation becomes.
There are two risks you must address regarding grants:
The risk of expending funds to capture a grant then losing.
Noncompliance with the requirements of the grant.
Here's how you mitigate these risks:
Use a system proven to win grants and comply with the requirements.
If you apply for a grant the awarding agency will see from your application and proposal whether or not you know the rules. If not, you put your proposal at risk and risk the investment you just made to pursue the opportunity.
Your accounting system has to be up for the task to ensure fraud is mitigated, mistakes are minimized and audits are clean. CFR's and FAR's have specific requirements to follow.
Subcontractors and subrecipients need to vetted, cleared and managed to perform successfully. Having a process in place minimizes your risk.
Federal rules are constantly changing. You have to stay on top of the changes or seek help in doing so. If you don't comply, you put your contract or grant at risk.
We help you understand complex requirements and help you put cost-effective, compliant systems in place.
The Altrivas Integrated Model (AIM) for Grants originates from my work as a Federal government contractor and grant awardee filling roles such as capture manager, proposal manager, project manager, project administrative director, grant administrator and auditor in industries such as energy, aerospace, facilities, logistics, and transportation.
The goals of AIM for Grants are capturing the greatest amount of grant funds while complying with all requirements and keeping the system going so that results are continuously achieved.
The term capture is used in some circles to describe the process to acquire new business. In grants, capture is all of the pre-work necessary to be ready to apply for a competitive grant then crafting a winning proposal. It includes (but is not limited to):
Assessing readiness for applying and/or implementing a grant.
Attending industry events, publishing papers for a technology or research where grant funding is needed.
Developing a win strategy.
Establishing policy, procedures, and templates that will be used for compliance.
Designating budget line items for match funding; and reviewing funding opportunities as announcements are released by the awarding agency.
Fixing issues that may have arisen during a previous audit.
Partners are a great example of the AIM for Grants system. Starting with capture, you should be determining who your partners are in the community. Your grant might include other recipients, research partners, local non-profits, local governments, or even contractors. In addition, determining partnerships helps establish alignment with the community (local, professional, etc.) and the awarding agency. You may even be including leveraged or in-kind funds in your budget from partners that are not subrecipients. It's important that partners are vetted, risk is assessed and management policy is established for each partner (as necessary); especially subrecipients.
Reporting is closely related to the next item (Accounting) but called out individually in the AIM for Grants model because there are typically more reporting for a grant than for accounting and project management. Reporting may also include:
Quarterly project status reporting
Quarterly financial reporting
Final report
Equipment
Other reporting (e.g., jobs)
Accounting interrelates to most other parts of the AIM for Grants model. With Federal grants, the accounting must comply with the rules established in the CFR's to ensure proper use of funds, accounting of funds used, drawdown or reimbursement (billing), and reporting.