The National Grants Management Association recently went public with its credential as a certified Grants Management Specialist (and by recently I mean within the last few months). Already NGMA is hearing that employers are giving preference to those who have the degree. So if you’re already involved in grantmaking and looking to get a promotion or change a job, this may be a good way to get an advantage, since so few people now have that credential, and it takes a few courses and an exam to get it.

For more information, check out the CGMS page on the NGMA site.

And related to that, if you want to get a taste of the kind of ongoing training you will need as a Certified Grants Management Specialist, the first training luncheon of the 2012–2013 season is September 19, where the Government Accountability Office will be presenting on its role in grants management. See the NGMA training schedule for information on registering for this and other classes.

You can get even more respect if you teach courses for CGMS. NGMA is looking for people to do that, too. Contact the NGMA for more information.