Call for Presenters - 2026 Regional Chapter Conference

The St. Louis Chapter of the Grant Professionals Association (St. Louis GPA) is accepting proposals for sessions at our regional chapter conference, which will be held on Friday, October 2, 2026. The event will be held in person at T-REX, 911 Washington Ave., St. Louis, MO 63101. Presenters may choose between in-person or virtual presentations via Zoom. Parking will be provided.

Theme: Grants in Transition: Staying Strategic & Competitive in Today’s Landscape

Attendees: Attendees will include grant and fundraising professionals of all experience levels from the Greater St. Louis region.

Instructions: Those who are interested in proposing a session for the conference should submit the following information (please limit to two pages).

1. Main contact name, email address, and phone number

2. Name of the presenter(s)

3. Brief bio of the presenter(s) (Please limit to 300 words per presenter.)

4. Title of the proposed session

5. Brief description of what will be covered in the session (note: plan for 45 minutes of content with 15 minutes of Q&A)

6. Identify the intended audience(s): Early-career, Mid-career, Advanced career, or All career levels

7. Identify which Grants Professional Certified (GPC) competency(ies) your presentation will address (see below).

In addition, please include the following three statements with your proposal indicating your agreement/confirmation if selected as a presenter at the conference:

• The named presenter(s) will be available to present the topic on Friday, October 2, 2026.

• The named presenter(s) has/have reviewed the GPA Code of Ethics and confirm that the presentation will not include any information or guidance in conflict with the Code of Ethics.

• The named presenter(s) is willing to present via a virtual platform (e.g., Zoom) if requested.

Compensation: St. Louis GPA values the time and expertise of presenters and can provide a modest stipend for selected presenters. If interested, selected presenters will have the option to waive compensation in exchange for sponsorship benefits.

Preference may be given to proposals that are aligned with the Validated Competencies and Skills of the Grant Professionals Certification Institute (GPCI).

Applicants may submit more than one session proposal but please submit each separately. Proposals will be accepted until August 7, 2026, by email only. Please submit proposals and/or any questions to stlouisgpa@gmail.com.

Possible Session Topics: The conference planning committee has identified a list of potential session topics for consideration. We have provided this list below for reference, but also welcome session proposals outside of these topics.

• Finding good/reputable data

• Using AI (tools and strategies for using AI, particularly for grant readiness and staying competitive; ethical use considerations; AI literacy/prompting)

  • Note: If we receive multiple AI-focused session proposals, we may choose to offer a panel discussion instead of multiple stand-alone sessions. Therefore, if you are proposing a session related to AI, please indicate in your proposal if you would be willing to participate as a panelist for a discussion in place of offering a session.

• Strategic grant-seeking/prospecting (especially due to increased competitiveness and decreased transparency among funders)

• Relationship-based grant-seeking

• Effective grant management/navigating the maze of potential CRM software

• Strong grant teams (both during application and post-award management; building teams/internal trust and relationship-building)

• Strong partnerships and/or challenges related to partners jointly seeking grants

• Collaboration in grants/collaborative grants

• Federal funding updates (Uniform Guidance, Sam.gov, etc.)

• Consulting practices for independent grant professionals

Validated Competencies and Skills of the Grant Professionals Certification Institute (GPCI)

1. Researching, identifying, and matching funding resources to meet specific needs

2. Organizational development as it pertains to grant seeking

3. Strategies for effective program and project design

4. Crafting, constructing, and submitting an effective grant application

5. Post-award grant management practices sufficient to inform effective grant design and development

6. Methods that cultivate and maintain relationships between fund-seeking organizations and funders

7. Nationally recognized standards of ethical practice by grant professionals

8. Practices and services that raise the level of professionalism of grant professionals

9. Ability to write a convincing case for funding