and Welcomes Two National Partners
Monrovia, CA – November 3, 2009 – American Funding Innovators, Inc (AFI) announces the launch of its GrantNavigator product line. GrantNavigator is an end-to-end grant research and management solution designed to adapt to any organization’s needs and assist everyone involved in the grant life cycle by reducing workload, simplifying collaboration efforts, and providing a central location for critical information, files, tasks and performance measurement.
“These are challenging times and communities are in great need of the vital services grant funding makes possible," offers Scott Frost, CEO. “AFI’s goal is to provide the tools necessary to easily identify opportunities for new funding and enhance efficiencies by supporting and promoting best practices. That can only be achieved if our systems are simple enough to be broadly adopted by the end-user, and affordable for every municipality, non-profit, school district or other grant-active organization, regardless of their size or the size of their budget.”
While an effective grant management system can have a significant impact, AFI recognizes that true success is realized when powerful systems are used by experienced grant professionals. Unfortunately, not every community has enough trained and experienced professionals to meet the increasing demand. AFI, therefore, is not only committed to developing cutting edge systems, but also to furthering the development of a connected, broader grant community – bringing together the best grant professionals across the country with the organizations that desperately need their expertise.
A first step in building a broader community was to identify and build partnerships with “best of breed” professional and municipal associations that understand the critical relevance of grant funding. AFI immediately recognized the American Association of Grant Professionals (AAGP) and the Alliance for Innovation (Alliance) as two premiere organizations that could play a pivotal role in the evolution of a national grant community.
AAGP is the only national association focused on the growth and development of grant professionals. Through their work with the Grant Professional Certification Institute (GPCI), AAGP has set the standard for professional development with the only accredited certification program in the industry. Their membership consists of thousands of professionals in the areas of grant writing, program evaluation, compliance and other key facets of the grant life cycle. "We are always looking for the right resources to benefit our members, " states Gail Vertz, CEO for AAGP, “building a relationship with AFI offers all AAGP members, whether they work internally for a single organization or as consultants for several, easier access to critical funding information and a system designed to provide the tools they need to navigate the complexities of grant management.”
The Alliance is a group of forward-thinking city and county professionals committed to identifying best practices and innovative technologies that drive the evolution of local government. “The Alliance for Innovation is delighted to welcome American Funding Innovators as a new corporate partner," offers Karen Thoreson, President of the Alliance. “We have tested their innovative software which is designed to assist local governments become more efficient and successful in garnering grants. It is easy to use – to both find, manage and report on potential and active grants. This new partnership will provide a variety of ways for Alliance members to attract new revenues to their community.”
AFI is proud to launch GrantNavigator, a simple solution to the complex problem of researching and managing grant funds. As well, AFI is extremely pleased to be working together with our new national partners in our mutual efforts to support communities across the country by promoting a broader, national community of grants professionals.
About American Association of Grant Professionals: (http://grantprofessionals.org) The American Association of Grant Professionals, a national, nonprofit membership association, builds and supports an international community of grant professionals committed to serving the greater public good by practicing the highest ethical and professional standards. AAGP is the premier national professional organization representing the needs and concerns of grant professionals in the education, government, nonprofit or private sectors. Annually the Association sponsors a national conference and publishes the AAGP Journal, both offering an exploration of best practices and examination of the evolving state of the profession. The Grant Professional Certification Institute (GPCI), an affiliate organization of AAGP, was formed to oversee the development of critical standards within an ethical framework to help define the future of grantsmanship. Since its inception in 1998, AAGP has supported over 4,000 members and currently has 39 active local chapters across the country.
About Alliance for Innovation: (http://transformgov.org) The Alliance for Innovation is a network of local government professionals seeking innovation and governmental excellence. Created from a partnership between International City/County Management Association (ICMA), Arizona State University (ASU) School of Public Affairs, and The Innovation Groups (IG), the Alliance is the largest innovation based network serving local governments. The unique partnership was created from a shared mission to transform local government and advance community excellence through the discovery and application of leading ideas and practices. The strengths that ICMA and ASU bring combined with the Alliance’s structure creates a special collaborative forum for learning, measured risk taking, exploration and discovery, and sharing of knowledge and experience.
About American Funding Innovators: (http://www.afisystems.com) American Funding Innovators, Inc. (AFI) is a developer of innovative, web-based software solutions targeting the needs of the grant community. With over 35 years of experience in the technology and grant industries, AFI management understands the needs of grants organizations. Through on-going collaboration with stakeholders at all levels of the grant community, the company is dedicated to delivering simple solutions to complex problems at affordable prices. Under the AFI Partnership Program, partner organizations have chosen to provide AFI’s GrantNavigator PE to nearly 4,000 grant professionals across the US and Canada.
