It has been a pleasure for the Kansas Professional Grant Association (KPGA) to provide grant writers, developers and funders throughout the state of Kansas a better understanding of grant development and to enable individuals with the skills to successfully pursue and manage grant funding. After 27 years of services, KPGA’s Executive Board has decided to dissolve this association.

We will be having a Closing Celebration on Thursday, April 20, 2023– go to our Meetings page to learn more.

Over the years, KPGA has served thousands of grant professionals in advancing in professional development; creating networking opportunities for collaboration; and providing support. We believe that theses services are now being provided by other nonprofits and have chosen to offer our members the opportunity to receive partial scholarships to one of the two agencies the board has chosen. The national Grant Professionals Association (Overland Park) and the Kansas Nonprofit Chamber (Wichita) have agreed to work with us on the dissolution of KPGA and in providing partial “scholarships” to interested members. These “scholarships” will be for our members’ first year membership to their chosen organization.

  • The Grant Professional Association is an “international membership association for everyone in the grants industry. GPA helps grant professionals seek to continually improve the professional knowledge and skills and grant research, professional development, and post-award grant management”. The national Grant Professionals Association (Overland Park) and the Kansas Nonprofit Chamber (Wichita) have agreed to work with us on the dissolution of KPGA and in providing partial “scholarships” to interested members. These “scholarships” will be for our members’ first year membership to their chosen organization.
  • The Kansas Nonprofit Chamber “serves as a catalyst for individuals and organizations to engage in creating and implementing solutions for the biggest challenges faced by communities across Kansas… They support nonprofits across Kansas in fulfilling their missions, building capacity, and becoming sustainable”.

At the Closing Celebration, we will learn about both organizations from a representative. If you are an interested KPGA member (past or present), please let us know as part of the RSP for the event (see our Meetings page). Please feel free to email us at [email protected] with questions.

KPGA welcomes any and all individuals who have an interest in grant fundraising

The Kansas Professional Grant Association (KPGA) exists for the purpose of promoting our vision and achieving our mission though advancing the professional development of its members, creating networking opportunities for collaboration, and providing support. Founded in June of 1996, this association serves to promote a better understanding of grant development and to enable individuals with the skills to successfully pursue and manage grant funding. This Association shall encourage its members to uphold the highest standards of their professions and shall promote public understanding of the role of grants for charitable and research purposes in the national economy. This Association-wide strategic plan identifies the overarching and universal goals and strategies from which the board will be able to develop annual operating and business plans as well as customized initiatives, tactics, and metrics.

Vision: To build successful grant writers to meet Kansan’s needs.

Our mission is to serve Kansas grant writers through education, collaboration, and support.

Code of Ethics

Adopted October 27, 2009

The Kansas Professional Grant Association (KPGA) is a 501(c)6, non- profit membership association, committed to serving grant professionals and the public by practicing the highest ethical and professional standards.

Membership in KPGA promotes positive relationships between grant professionals and their clients. Professional development through learning opportunities and provision of a networking environment for grant professionals to expand their knowledge, are among the benefits of membership. KPGA provides to the general public information by recognizing the unique value of grant services to the community through partnerships with public and private funding entities.

Principles of KPGA Members:

  • To practice their profession with the highest sense of integrity and honesty;
  • To adhere to all applicable laws and regulations in all aspects of the grants profession;
  • To continually improve their professional knowledge and skills;
  • To promote positive relationships between grant professionals and their clients;
  • To value the privacy, freedom of choice and interests of all those affected by their actions;
  • To ensure that funds are solicited according to program guidelines;
  • To adhere to reasonable means of compensation for services performed;
  • To provide work to the non-profit community on a pro bono basis;
  • To treat every individual with dignity and respect ;
  • To become leaders and role models for future generations of grants professionals;
  • To encourage colleagues to practice the KPGA Code of Ethics.

Standards of Professional Practice

As members practice the above principles, any breach of standards outlined in the Code are subject to disciplinary sanctions, including expulsion from KPGA, to be determined by the KPGA Board of Directors.

Professional Obligations:

• Members shall act according to the highest ethical standards of their profession.
• Members shall obey all applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
• Members shall avoid the appearance of any criminal offense or professional misconduct.
• Members shall disclose all relationships that might constitute, or appear to constitute, conflicts of interest.
• Members shall not be associated directly or indirectly with any service, product, individuals, or organizations in a way that they know is misleading.
• Members shall not abuse any relationship with a donor, prospect, volunteer or employee to the benefit of the member or the member’s employer/client.
• Members shall recognize their individual competence and are forthcoming and truthful about their professional experience, knowledge, ability and expertise.
• Members shall continually strive to improve their personal competence.

Solicitation and Use of Grant Funds:

  1. Members shall ensure that all solicitation/application materials are accurate and correctly reflect the employer/client mission and use of solicited funds.
  2. Members shall ensure that grant funds are used in accordance with the grant’s intent.
  3. Members shall ensure proper use of grant funds, including submission of timely reports on the use and management of funds to the grantor.
  4. Members shall obtain explicit consent by the grantor before altering the conditions of grant awards/agreements.

Disclosure of Grant Information:

  1. Members shall not disclose privileged information contained in grant solicitations/applications to unauthorized parties.
  2. All information acquired from the member’s employer/client is confidential unless verbal, written, audio and/or video signed and dated disclosures are received by the member.
  3. Members shall not plagiarize in any professional work, including, but not limited to: grant proposals/applications, journal articles/magazines, scholarly works, advertising/marketing materials, websites, scientific articles or any other published works for public consumption.
  4. Members are responsible for knowing the confidentiality regulations of their employer/client and are to adhere to those terms without exception.
  5. Members shall use accurate and consistent accounting methods that conform to the appropriate guidelines adopted by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) for the employer/client.

Compensation:

  1. Members shall work for an established salary or fee as set forth in a written contract as an independent grants professional or in written offer of employment for a business, corporation, organization or agency.
  2. Members may accept performance-based compensation, such as bonuses, provided such bonuses are in accordance with prevailing practices within the members’ employer/client organizations.
  3. Performance-based compensation may not be based on a percentage of awarded grant funds.
  4. Members shall not accept or pay a finder’s fee, commission, or percentage of compensation based on grants; and shall discourage their employer/client from making such payments.
  5. Compensation for grant services shall not be written into grants and included in the grant solicitation/application budget, unless allowed by the funder.
  6. Members are encouraged to refer to the American Association of Grant Professionals (AAGP) 2008 Salary Survey for basis of compensation.

The KPGA Code of Conduct was based and written in part, from the American Association of Grant Professionals (AAGP)

Code of Ethics (www.grantprofessionals.org).