Finding Funding - National Trust for Historic Preservation

Finding Funding for Local Projects: d
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What, When, Where, and How?
Megan Brown, NPS
Liz Williams, City of Alexandria, VA
Roxanne Elfin, Maine Downtown Center
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WHAT DO FUNDERS WANT?
Grant Guidance from the Federal Perspective
Guidance for Grant Funding
1 Understanding
1.
Understanding what grant what grant
programs can and cannot fund
2. Completing the application itself
3. Moving through Federal regulations
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1. Understanding what Grant Programs can or cannot Fund
• Federal agencies often have several f di
funding mechanisms that fund very h i
th t f d
different types of projects
• Make sure your project is the right fit by matching it to the correct program –
p
g
if you are not sure y
consult with the funding agency –
do not just apply
Examples of Different Preservation Programs of NPS
• Save America’s Treasures – bricks and mortar for N ti
Nationally significant resources
ll i ifi t
• Preserve America – tourism planning for local communities
• Battlefield Protection – acquisition of land and planning
• HBCU HBCU – bricks and mortar for HBCUs only
bricks and mortar for HBCUs only
• NCPTT – technical preservation study
• CLG – local government funding, varies by state
• Tribal – various types of cultural preservation for Federally recognized tribes
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Choosing the right program
• Make sure your project is:
– Eligible to apply
– Meets threshold criteria
– If you are unsure, ask the grant staff
• Look at examples of previously funded projects
• Is the proposed project the next logical step?
• Has the necessary pre‐planning taken place?
2. Completing the application
• Start early – plan plenty of time for review
– Read the entire application and the guidelines th
thoroughly
hl
– Do not assume knowledge if too close to the project
– Have an outside person review
• Be complete and concise
– Put yourself in the reviewers’ shoes
– Application should stand alone and not depend on supplemental information
– Follow the format of the application
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– Answer each question, they ask for different information, don’t repeat yourself
– Address the Threat/Need or Purpose of the project clearly
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The application….
• Understand the funding requirements
– Include only eligible expenses
– Know what can and cannot used for match
– Demonstrate the match is in place or there is a clear plan for raising it
• Repeat applicants
– Ask for reviewers
Ask for reviewers’ comments on previous comments on previous
applications
– Re‐write the application based on comments
– Ask even if successful!
Supplemental Information
Should enhance the application but not take the place of it.
• Letters of support
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– How important are they? Some programs more than others
– Know whose letters of support make a difference
• Letter of resolution or upper level approval
– Often required and considered threshold criteria
– Allow time to secure
• Photos
– Should tell the story, show the threat, support the application
– Must be clear and include good captions
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3. Moving through Federal Regulations
• Know what is going to be required BEFORE applying for the grant
BEFORE applying for the grant
• OMB Circulars – be familiar with the overall requirements for Federal Funding
– Debarment and Certification
– Assurances for Construction and non‐
Construction
– Audit requirements
A dit
i
t
– www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars
• Remember that matching funds must follow the same rules
Major Federal Hoops
• COMPETITIVE SELECTION
COMPETITIVE SELECTION
– Consultants, contractors, equipment, supplies…
• REVIEWS/APPROVALS – Send information early, get input
– Required to receive reimbursement
• REQUIREMENTS
– Reports, signs, photos, restrictions, easements, audits, time limits
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Good Grantees might get funded again!
• Maintain a close relationship with your grant manager keep them
your grant manager, keep them informed, respond to them quickly
• Complete reporting on time, request extensions in advance, know your deadlines and what is required
• Have a back up for your project manager
What do Funders Want?
10. Deadlines – they’re not just suggestions, they are real!
9 Keep
9.
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it simple
i l – although
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h fancy
f
binders
bi d
and
d clips
li do
d make
k
nice office supplies for us!
8. Are you using the current application form? Oops!
7. 2+2=5? Check math, proofread, review – don’t be the only
eyes!
6. Don’t assume knowledge, explain everything!
5. Is yyour p
project
j
eligible?
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Logical
g
next step?
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4. Less is more – would you want to read all this - times 70?
3. Good photos but bad photos – and really we don’t need to
see the toilet!
2. Start Early, Start Early, Start Early!!
1. No, you can’t bribe a grants manager, but being nice to them
will go a LONG, LONG way!
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Visit our
Booth!
Megan J. Brown
Megan J. Brown
Certified Local Government National Coordinator
State, Tribal, Local Plans and Grants Division
National Park Service
NPS, 1201 Eye St NW (2256),
Washington DC 20005
Like us on Facebook! https://www
https://www.facebook.com/HHPreservItNPS
facebook com/HHPreservItNPS
Follow us on Twitter! @HHPreservItNPS
http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/hpg/
202-354-2062 phone 202-371-1794 fax
megan_brown@nps.gov
Finding Funding for Local Projects: i di
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What, When, Where, and How? Liz Williams | @wizzerfly 8
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum
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Historic Ice Well
Ice Well Restoration Project
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Funding To‐Date
Need
24%
Raised
76%
Funding To‐Date
•
Grants
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•
•
•
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•
•
•
•
•
General Assembly Appropriation, Commonwealth of Virginia
CLG Grant Commonwealth of Virginia
CLG Grant, Commonwealth of Virginia Save America’s Treasures Grant, National Park Service
1772 Foundation | Roller‐Bottimore Foundation
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Alexandria Association | Historic Alexandria Foundation
Donations: Mail solicitation, donation box
Donations:
Mail solicitation, donation box
Friends Group Commitment
Special Events
Ice Melt Contest
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Spring2ACTion
What is Spring2ACTion?
Spring2ACTion is one extraordinary day to support the organizations that make Alexandria amazing. Nonprofits have the opportunity to win up to $30,000 in grants and prizes. What is the Goal?
The vision of Spring2ACTion is a community where every citizen contributes to benefit our Alexandria nonprofit organizations. There are three goals:
•Grow supporters by educating the community on the positive impact on their lives because of Alexandria's nonprofit organizations
fit
i ti
•Grow philanthropy in Alexandria by bringing new donors to our nonprofit organizations
•Grow revenue for nonprofit organizations serving Alexandria by creating a new funding stream
Spring2ACTion
• Fundraising Platform = Razoo
• Managed through our 501(c)3 Friends group
www.razoo.com
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Spring2ACTion: 2011
• Three days • 47 organizations
47 organizations
• Strategy:
•
•
•
•
•
eNews
Facebook
Twitter
Emails to friends
Emails to friends
Postcard mailer w/ QR code
• Raised $1,000+
Super hero
p
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Spring2ACTion: 2012
• One Day • 72 organizations
g
• More grant opportunities
• Individual fundraisers encouraged
• Strategy
•
•
•
•
eNews
Facebook
Twitter
Event
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Spring2Action: 2012
Spring2Action: 2012
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Razoo Information
Razoo Information
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Lessons Learned
• Donor buy‐in
Alert everyone
• Alert everyone
• Multi‐phased & multi‐channel strategy
• Training & Time
• Specific Project
• Keep it Simple
Spring2ACTion: 2013
• Two Days from now! April 17
• 96 organizations
• Tavern Ladies vs Tavern Gents
• www.Spring2Action.org 17
Liz Williams
Assistant Director
Assistant
Director
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum
E: liz.williams@AlexandriaVa.Gov
T @J h G d b
T: @JohnGadsby
F: GadsbysTavernMuseum
Fi di F di f L l P j t
Finding Funding for Local Projects:
What, When, Where and How
Roxanne Eflin, Senior Program Director, Maine Downtown Center
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Collective Impact
is the commitment
is the commitment of a group of actors from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a complex social problem
social problem
The language of Distributive Leadership
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Telling stories that tugs at the heartstrings
THIS!
THIS!
NOT
The mission of the Maine Downtown Center:
To foster downtown revitalization that is
dynamic and community‐based, and results in economic development, business growth,
job creation, historic preservation, housing revitalization and cultural enhancement. 20
The Ts of What This Takes
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Team (diverse skill sets)
Training (take a class; read; online)
Timing (start early!)
Tracking (timely reporting crucial)
Tenacity (never give up! Research!)
Tell Them What They Need to Know
Target your needs, not the funder’s
Build your Application
Problem Statement
Methodology
Project Description
Project Objectives
Timeline/Activities Organizational Capacity
Collaborations/Partnerships
Executive Summary
Budget
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•
The Problem Statement defines the fundamental problem that the applicant is addressing, and provides a compelling logical reason why the applicant’s proposal should be supported. The Big 8 Basics!
1. Conduct your research to determine those grantmakers who provide
those grantmakers who provide support to your type of organization and the geographic area your organization serves. 2. Visit the grantmaker’s Web site or p
make contact to obtain specific guidelines. Do not submit an application without first reviewing the grantmaker’s guidelines.
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The Big 8 Basics!
3. Review the List of Grantmakers A
Accepting the CGA to determine the ti th CGA t d t
i th
appropriate application format.
4. A suggested page format includes 1‐inch margins, at least 10‐point font, and single line spacing.
,
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The Big 8 Basics!
5. Submit the number of proposal copies requested by the grantmaker.
i
t d b th
t k
6. If there are questions which do not pertain to your organization, please enter ‘not applicable’ or ‘N/A’ on the application form.
pp
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The Big 8 Basics!
7. Do not include any attachments other than those requested by the th th th
t d b th
grantmaker.
8. Once again, be sure you have carefully reviewed the grantmaker’s g
guidelines!
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A few examples of A
few examples of
successful multi‐year grant award to the Maine Downtown Center…
USDA‐RCDI grants help rural downtowns!
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Quebec
New Brunswick
______
_
New
Hampshire
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From concept to award‐
winning completion in Bath!
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Snapshot of Maine…
• Oldest state in the nation and getting older (only growing demographic is 60‐70)
• Highest % of GDP expenditure in health care expenditures in New England (22.4) (US Avr.14.9%)
• 90% of all businesses have under 20 employees
• Workforce development huge focus of the MDF and state agencies
g
• This year we crossed important threshold: positive upward reversal in % of Maine population living in service centers – they are moving back into town!!
Case Sample:
Healthy Maine Streets!
 $1.64 million Community Transformation Grant through the Centers for Disease Control
 2 year unique pilot program to strengthen 2 year unique pilot program to strengthen
downtowns from the heart
 20 downtowns/200 small businesses (solopreneurs to under 20 employees) involved in worksite wellness
 Person‐centric focus creating downtown leadership and value added programming for Main Street organizations
 Sub‐grants provide operations support and Sub grants provide operations support and
funding for special projects, training and marketing materials
 Leadership Team engages new statewide and local collaborators
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USHHS
Centers for Disease Control
Community Transformation Grants
NEW CTG Initiative
Community Health/Small Business focus
Healthy Maine y
Streets Program –
Maine Development Foundation/Maine Downtown Center and MCD Public Health
A Genuine Partnership
• Maine Development Foundation
• Main Street Maine Communities
• Maine Downtown Network Communities
• HMS Leadership Team
• MCD Public Health
• Community Partners
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If Food Were Health Care…
If food prices had risen at the same rates as medical inflation since the 1930’s, we would be paying an astronomical amount for common grocery items as evidenced below
amount for common grocery items as evidenced below.
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1 dozen eggs $ 80.20
1 pound apples $ 12.23
1 pound sugar $ 13.70
1 roll toilet tissue $ 24.20
1 dozen oranges $ 107.90
1 pound butter $ 102.07
1 pound bananas $ 16.04
1 pound bacon $ 122.48
1 pound beef shoulder $ 43.57
$
1 pound of coffee $ 64.17
Total: 10 items = $ 586.56
Source: American Institute for Preventive Medicine, 2007
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The Cost of Unhealthy Lifestyles
• The U.S. spends the most amount of money on health care per capita than any other industrialized country in the world
country in the world. – 50% more the next leading country, Norway.
• The U.S. spent $2.3 trillion on health care in 2010
– This makes up roughly 17.9% of the U.S. GDP
– The average cost per person in the U.S. is $8,650
• Based on our current trend, economists are projecting the U.S. will spend $4.6 trillion by 2020
– The average cost per person in the U.S. would be $13,710
– This would make up 20% of the U.S. GDP
Source: CDC
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The four primary focus areas for Healthy Maine Streets
Organization
Healthy Eating
Tobacco C
Cessation
ti
Physical A ti it
Activity
The Main Street Four Point Approach®
Organization: All
Hands on Deck
Economic
Restructuring:
Strong Businesses
Promotion:
Building the Buzz
Design: Heritage
and Aesthetics
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Things you can do to increase Physical Activity
• Flex Time Policy to allow
Policy to allow employees to incorporate physical activity during the workday
• Fitness Center Reimbursemen
t Program
• Make Stairwells appealing
appealing (paint/decorate) to encourage people to take the stairs instead of elevators
p
• Develop and distribute hiking and walking maps with distance labeled
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Things you can do to improve Healthy Eating
• Healthy Eating policy at Worksites
• Healthy Food policy for Vending Machines
• Provide subsidy / Provide subsidy /
reimbursement for purchase of Farm Shares
• Create an employee
employee vegetable garden
• Bring restaurants together to label and increase offerings of
offerings of healthy food choices Things you can do to reduce Tobacco Use
• Smoke Free • Tobacco Cessation W k l
Workplace SSupport Groups
tG
Policies
• Post signage and • Tobacco Free refer tobacco users Worksite
to the Maine Tobacco Helpline
p
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Wellness Program ROI
• Based on more than 120 research studies, the National Business Group on Health reported that, within five years of program implementation, overall benefit‐to‐cost ratios (return on investment) of:
– $3.48 in reduced health‐care costs per dollar invested
dollar invested.
– $5.82 in lower absenteeism per dollar invested.
Promotion and Marketing: Supportive Collateral Material
• Worksite Wellness. Community L d hi D
Leadership. Downtown Vitality. t
Vit lit
• Activities: blog, FB, weekly call; external: PR, events, marketing ops
4.1.2013
Norway Downtown Kala Ladenheim
MCD Public Health
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What Success Looks Like
Downtown Organizations/Efforts
Small Business Directed
• Strengthen overall Strengthen overall
• Strengthen
Strengthen Local Local
community economy Leadership one small healthier • Sustain Main Street business at a time
Downtown • Positively redirect Organizations
limited financial • Provide needed Provide needed
resources into the support to developing business and downtown groups
property Together, we’re on the right road!
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What is Grants.gov?
• A Federal portal that allows users to electronically find, apply for, and manage Federal Grant Opportunities – a common Federal Grant Opportunities a common
Store Front
• Grants.gov is THE single access point for over 1000 grant programs offered by 26 Federal Granting Agencies.
• It is part of the President’s Management Agenda and E‐Government Initiatives.
– Further mandates are found in P.L. F h
d
f
d i PL
106‐107
• Grants.gov can be accessed via www.grants.gov
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Final suggestions…
Go Get a Grant!
• Yes, it takes time which you MUST account for Keep track of your time
account for. Keep track of your time.
• Don’t undersell your value or your overhead expenses. Find ways to pay yourself (e.g. project manager)
• Do not do this alone. Engage volunteers.
• Meet the funders! Call them. Ask questions. Engage their minds and experience. Ask for their advice.
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Never underestimate the power of friends! 41