Grants Recipient Certificate Program

Financial Administration of Federal Grants Course

• Explain recipient financial management responsibilities under 2 CFR 200
• Establish and maintain financial systems that meet federal standards
• Distinguish allowable, allocable, and reasonable costs in practice
• Manage budgets, expenditures, and cash drawdowns accurately
• Apply procurement and internal control requirements to financial transactions
• Maintain documentation that supports cost allowability and allocability
• Identify financial red flags that lead to audit findings and questioned costs
• Respond appropriately to monitoring reviews and audit inquiries
• Prepare for financial closeout and record retention requirements
• Demonstrate financial administration practices that protect federal funds and organizational credibility

Managing and Monitoring Subawards Course

• Distinguish subrecipients from contractors under federal regulations
• Apply pre-award risk assessment to subrecipient selection
• Draft and manage compliant subaward agreements
• Design risk-based subrecipient monitoring strategies
• Interpret financial and performance information from subrecipients
• Identify early warning signs of noncompliance or performance failure
• Respond appropriately to subrecipient findings and issues
• Document monitoring activities and decisions defensibly
• Coordinate corrective actions, technical assistance, and enforcement
• Manage subaward closeout and record retention requirements

Grant Performance, Outcomes, and Results Management Course

• Design performance frameworks that align activities, outputs, and outcomes
• Distinguish between compliance reporting and results management
• Identify and prioritize material performance risks
• Develop performance measures that are credible, measurable, and decision-useful
• Use performance data to inform oversight, technical assistance, and corrective action
• Respond to underperformance in a structured, defensible manner
• Document performance decisions in ways that withstand audit and oversight review

Negotiating Award Terms and Special Conditions Course

• Explain the legal and regulatory authority governing award terms and special conditions.
• Apply risk assessment findings to determine when special conditions are appropriate.
• Differentiate between standard terms, agency-specific terms, and risk-based special conditions.
• Draft clear, enforceable award conditions that address documented risks.
• Evaluate common drafting failures that weaken enforceability or audit defensibility.
• Translate risk categories into proportionate and monitorable award controls.
• Apply negotiation strategies that balance collaboration with federal oversight authority.
• Document conditioning decisions clearly to support consistency and defensibility.
• Monitor and manage special conditions throughout the award lifecycle.
• Modify or remove special conditions based on evidence and defined exit criteria.

Federal Grant Law and Policy Framework Course

• Identify the primary legal authorities governing federal grants and cooperative agreements
• Explain the relationship between statutes, regulations, and policy guidance
• Distinguish grants from cooperative agreements and procurement contracts
• Interpret key provisions of the Uniform Guidance
• Apply legal and policy requirements to grant program design and administration
• Recognize areas of discretion and limitation in grant management decisions
• Identify common legal and policy misinterpretations that create risk
• Support defensible decision-making under audit and oversight review
• Communicate legal and policy requirements clearly to stakeholders
• Demonstrate compliance grounded in legal authority rather than custom or habit

Audit Prep Workshop for Federal Grants Course

• Explain the purpose and scope of federal audits affecting grant recipients
• Identify audit standards and requirements applicable to federal awards
• Assess organizational readiness for audit
• Organize financial, programmatic, and compliance documentation
• Respond effectively to auditor requests and inquiries
• Identify common audit findings and their root causes
• Support auditors while protecting organizational interests
• Develop corrective action plans that address audit findings
• Track and document corrective actions and follow-up
• Demonstrate audit readiness as part of ongoing grant management

AI for Federal Grants Management Course

• Explain AI fundamentals and responsible use principles in a federal grants management context
• Use AI to research and interpret 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance) and agency-specific grants regulations
• Apply AI tools to analyze grant applications, budgets, and financial reports for compliance and risk indicators
• Leverage AI for grants monitoring, site visit preparation, and recipient risk assessment
• Construct effective prompts for grants-specific scenarios including closeout review and audit resolution
• Verify AI-generated grants analysis against authoritative sources (2 CFR 200, agency policy, SAM.gov, GrantSolutions)
• Recognize when AI output requires review by grants officers, legal counsel, or program experts

Developing a Federal Grant Application Course

• Analyze funding opportunity announcements and application instructions
• Interpret eligibility, selection criteria, and program priorities
• Translate program concepts into responsive application narratives
• Develop compliant budgets and budget justifications
• Align performance measures with program objectives
• Integrate compliance, risk, and capacity considerations into applications
• Identify common application errors and disqualifying issues
• Coordinate roles across program, fiscal, and leadership staff
• Prepare applications that support successful award management
• Submit complete, organized, and compliant federal applications

Internal Control for Grants Course

• Define risk in the context of grants management and oversight.
• Explain legislative and administrative requirements for internal controls.
• Describe how risk and internal controls are connected throughout the assistance lifecycle.
• Translate internal control frameworks into practical grants management activities.
• Design, document, and test controls that promote compliance and performance.
• Apply best practices for monitoring and oversight through case-based exercises.
• Link Green Book principles to grant management by ensuring control activities align with compliance requirements, allowable costs, and program objectives.
• Apply risk assessment to identify vulnerabilities in grant spending, reporting, and subrecipient monitoring.
• Document and monitor control activities (e.g., approvals, reconciliations, and segregation of duties) to strengthen accountability for grant funds.
• Use ongoing evaluation and corrective actions to address internal control deficiencies and demonstrate compliance with federal standards.

Detecting and Preventing Federal Grant Fraud Course

• Conduct fraud-focused risk assessments in the context of federal grants.
• Design monitoring processes that emphasize prevention and include actionable steps.
• Evaluate internal controls to identify gaps and vulnerabilities.
• Apply fraud detection techniques through case-based exercises.
• Analyze real-world scenarios to identify how fraud could have been prevented or detected.
• Build a practical toolkit for reducing fraud risk across awards and subawards.

Auditing Grants Course

• Understanding the grants management process and regulatory requirements.
• Developing audit objectives and procedures for compliance and performance.
• Applying cost principles and performance measurement techniques.
• Providing constructive feedback and recommendations for corrective actions.
• Conducting audits through case studies and practical exercises.