All the small print: Government grantmakers redefine their role in 2025

Tip Tucker Kendall, CAE, is the Executive Director of the National Grants Management Association (NGMA), where she leads a team of ten staff members. Under her leadership, NGMA has experienced significant growth and change, including a 200% increase in membership, an expansion of its educational programs, and improvements to its certification, the Certified Grants Management Specialist (CGMS).

Starting her career in 2000, Tucker Kendall has worked for professional associations supporting arboriculture, basketball, equine veterinary medicine, and travel. She speaks regularly on nonprofit issues and currently serves as chair of the Stall Staff Professionals Advisory Committee of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).

Tip resides outside of Atlanta with her partner and son.

Lashon Brown is the Assistant Vice President, Grants Development & Compliance at Valencia College (FL). She has over 20 years of professional experience in state and higher education, including business operations, monitoring, compliance, and grants management. At Valencia College, Brown developed the grants management system and process for the college, including written procedures and internal controls. She also created the Project Director's Orientation to Grants Management and developed curriculum design, assessment of knowledge and managed the training launch. Lashon has served on the NGMA Board since 2020 and previously held board officer roles of secretary and vice-president. She is a Certified Grants Management Specialist (CGMS) and a Grants Management Body of Knowledge (GMBoK®) trainer with NGMA.

Sam Caplan is the Vice President of Social Impact at Submittable, a platform that foundations, governments, nonprofits, and other changemakers use to launch, manage, and measure impactful granting and CSR programs. Inspired by the amazing work performed by practitioners of all stripes, Sam strives to help them achieve their missions through better, more effective software.

Sam formerly served as founder of New Spark Strategy, Chief Information Officer at the Walton Family Foundation, and head of technology at the Walmart Foundation. He consults, advises, and writes on social impact technology, strategy, and innovation.

Connect with or follow Sam on Linkedin, listen to his podcast Impact Audio, and subscribe to his bi-weekly newsletter The Review.