KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL GRANT WRITING BY TERESA McCALLION EMT B

10 KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL GRANT WRITING BY TERESA McCALLION, EMT-B The regional communications center in Lackawanna County, Pa., was funded largely through grants. oney may not grow on trees, but with a little diligence, grant money can be just as prolific. According to government sources, nearly $450 billion in federal assistance is awarded every year, mostly in the form of grants. Although the federal government is the largest source of grants, funding is also available through states and private foundations. Grant money helps to support national infrastructure programs in homeland security and criminal justice, funds scientific studies and promotes cultural enrichment. The key to successful grant writing is to convince grantors to fund your agency’s projects. Thomas K. Dubas, director of Emergency Services for Lackawanna County, Pa., and a particularly savvy grant writer, used grants to help fund an $18 million regional communications center. The county secured grant money to pay for gear and M equipment inside the building. Initially, Dubas applied for federal grants, then using those grants as seed money, he built on that foundation. “We were fortunate that our state was in the process of funding wireless communication,” he says. The combination of state and federal grants paid for the equipment the center needed. He says the Department of Emergency Services had also planned updates of new equipment to coincide with the new facility. Grants paid for the new phone system, backup systems and new hardware and software. Dubas says it’s easier to ask voters to approve a bond when, for example, they’re informed that an agency has already secured $6 million in grants to pay for a third of a project. According to Dubas, the big buzzword in grant applications these days is interoperability. “Getting a few players in on a project makes it a lot more attractive to get grants,” he says. WWW.APCOINTL.ORG Lackawanna recently partnered with local EMS systems, area hospitals, emergency management agencies, communications centers and medical command from eight other counties to obtain $2.3 million in grants to build a microwave system for enhanced communications on a regional and state level. “You have to learn how to build in the sense of what you get from one grant as a step to another grant,” he says. “You may go to four or five different [grant] sources.” Sources for grants may include federal, state, regional or local agencies. Generally speaking, there’s less money available in the private sector for public safety projects, but grants through philanthropic foundations, corporations or community-based organizations can be among the easiest to secure. Grants can make a big impact on an agency, but some organizations can get “grantitis,” greedily gobbling up available grants WWW.APCOINTL.ORG without calculating the cost in staff time, upfront expenses and fixed deadlines. How can you make sure a grant is worth the effort? 1 Identify the Grant, Then the Need: Like dating, successful grant writing is about finding the right match. Dubas recommends working backward. Instead of looking for grants to fund a particular project, look at grants and see if there’s anything the agency needs. Roger Edington, medical services officer for the Tacoma (Wash.) Fire Department agrees. He has been particularly effective in winning grants for his department by making sure he knows what grantors are willing to fund. Instead of attempting to justify a need, he recommends finding a grant that matches it. “Align your agency’s needs with a national priority,” he says. Dubas, a former police chief, says he has seen state legislators shift their priorities from driving under the influence to domestic 36 PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS APRIL 2008 APRIL 2008 PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS 37 COURTESY LACKAWANNA COUNTY REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS CENTER SEED MONEY violence to school violence. Part of his job is forecasting the next trend. “The challenge is to shift to where the money is,” he says. fund a local project. So he forged an alliance with the rest of the counties in the congressman’s district to apply for and receive a sizable grant. “You have to do your homework and be creative sometimes,”’ he says. Edington says that instead of wasting time trying to justify the purchase of something that is considered a low priority for a grant, match the agency’s needs to what the grantors are willing to fund. For instance, there are many grants currently related to radio interoperability. The largest is the Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) Grant Program, a cooperative effort between the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The PSIC grant encourages the use of innovative and cost-effective technological solutions that allow police, fire, EMS and dispatch agencies to communicate with each other by voice, data and/or video during large-scale incidents, such as natural disasters or terrorist attacks. The money can be used for the acquisition and deployment of and training for interoperable communications systems that will utilize reallocated public safety spectrum in the 700-MHz frequency band for radio communication. The grant encourages local agencies to work with their state governments to apply for their piece of this $1 billion, one-timeonly grant. Using several current programs designed to identify the needs of various communities, the grant is intended to shore up interoperable communications programs within the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the four U.S. territories, bringing the entire country up to a certain baseline. This approach allows jurisdictions within each state and territory to develop the solutions that will work best for them rather than adopting or adapting a federal plan. for products or services and then apply for reimbursement, a process that could take up to 90 days. Some reimbursement grants require matching funds. Because of the typical upfront outlay, it’s important to work within the financial guidelines of your agency and include projects funded by reimbursement grants in the budget. Example: An agency in Alaska was awarded a grant to hire additional firefighters. However, the agency had to commit to funding for several years before it could be reimbursed. The city manager determined that it would cost the city too much money up front, and the agency was forced to turn down the grant. Federal grants are dispersed in one of two ways. Discretionary or project grants allocate the money directly to the agency awarded the grant. Block or formula grants are distributed to state and local governments that then forward the money to successful applicants. deserves a particular grant. Knowing what the grantor is looking for and aligning your agency’s needs with the grantor’s priority improves your chances of successfully landing the grant. All of that information is found in the guidance associated with the grant. The guidance not only describes the intention of the grant, but serves as the blueprint all applicants are expected to follow during the application process and beyond. “The key to being successful in obtaining grants is to read the guidance,” Edington says. Those new to grant writing often misinterpret or even fail to read the documentation that comes with every grant, ensuring their proposal’s demise. Some application requirements can take a good deal of time to complete. Be sure to adequately plan for gathering information and data from various sources, including statistical and demographic data. Check and double check to make sure all data are accurate. Incomplete or inaccurate data are cause for rejecting a grant application. Edington recommends paying particular attention to the guidance that explains how applicants will be rated and concentrating on thoroughly explaining how your agency meets those expectations. One necessary item is a DUNS number, a nine-character identification number assigned by Dun & Bradstreet as a standard business identifier for federal electronic commerce. The government uses DUNS numbers as a contractor identification code for all procurement-related activities. If your department doesn’t have a DUNS number, it will need one to apply for any federal grant. Call Dun & Bradstreet at 800/333-0505 or visit the Web site http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/ displayHomePage.do. Allow up to two weeks to receive your number. keeping,” Edington admits. Once a grant has been identified, Edington says he assembles a team of subject matter experts to help write the grant’s narrative. The team also reviews the draft as it’s being developed and provides input. Begin by reviewing all of the associated grant documents. Then use the inverted pyramid approach to the narrative. The first paragraph should be a short, precise summary of the project. Subsequent paragraphs should flesh out the details. The grantor needs to know up front that you understand the purpose of the grant and have a worthy project. A poorly written or confusing proposal can get your application eliminated faster than you can say, “The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.” If you have questions, don’t hesitate to call and get clarification. Edington also has someone who’s particularly good in grammar edit the final document. Misspellings, awkward sentence structure and poor grammar can torpedo even the most admirable project. Avoid excessive formatting. Just because your computer can produce “word art,” doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for a grant proposal. Limit fancy typefaces, keep the use of bold and italic typefaces to a minimum and avoid exclamation points at all costs. Clear and professional is your goal. Finally, Edington suggests having a representative from finance serve as a member of the team. Agencies that can provide matching funds have better leverage when bidding for a grant. Further, grants that include actual budget quotes are more likely to succeed. By weaving budget quotes from a manufacturer into the grant application narrative, the agency avoids over- or underestimating the project’s cost or purchase. Overestimate, and your application is less competitive. Estimate too low, and your agency may have to make up the difference. 2 Find the Money: With the advent of the Internet, locating grants has never been easier. Grant sources can be found at variety of Web sites (see box below). The secret is in diligent searches. Use keywords that will get the information and eliminate a lot of the useless Web sites. Another potential funding source is state legislators. Ask about pending legislation or make a suggestion for a competitive grant. Legislators are often looking for grant opportunities because it’s easier—and less politically precarious—to distribute money via a competitive grant than to assign it. Edington suggests talking to federal, state and local representatives, including FEMA. “Sometimes they know about federal grants that aren’t available yet,” he says. Sometimes agencies can help create their own grants. When Lackawanna County was looking for money to purchase new radios, Dubas learned that a local congressman on an appropriations committee had yet to 3 Understand the Types of Grants: There are two types of grants: upfront grants and reimbursement grants. Upfront grants, which are less common, provide money ahead of the project. The vast majority of grants are the reimbursement grants, which require the agency to pay vendors 4 Follow the Grant Guidance: Because most grants are competitive, it’s important to make a good case for why your agency WEB RESOURCES • www.grants.gov: The name says it all. Search for federal grants by word, category or agency. Apply for grants and even track your application online. Be sure to sign up for Succeed, a quarterly e-mail newsletter, and register to receive e-mail notifications of new grant postings. • www.dhs.gov/xgovt/grants/index.shtm: This page on the DHS site offers links for state homeland security contracts and grant information. You can also sign up for e-mail updates. Links for grant guidance and other resources are listed at the bottom of the page. Click on the Grants button for additional resources. • www.fema.gov/government/grant/ index.shtm: The FEMA site includes grant searches by audience, type and alphabetical listing. • www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/grants/ index.shtm: This site contains information on financial assistance available from the U.S. Fire Administration and other federal agencies for fire departments and other first responders. • www.tsa.gov/join/grants/index.shtm: The Transportation Security Administration offers grants to improve the security of vital transportation systems through screening travelers, providing more law enforcement and making small investments, such as in new chain-link fences at a local trucking company’s terminal or new locks at a warehouse storing dangerous chemicals. It includes application information for the Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Reimbursement Program. • www.cfda.gov: The online Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance is a database site for federal programs available to state and local governments, as well as the District of Columbia; federally recognized Indian tribal governments; U.S. Territories (and possessions); domestic public, quasi-public and private profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions; specialized groups; and individuals. • www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Benefits. shtml: This site includes official information on grants, but links are mixed with information about loans, financial aid and other benefits from the U.S. government. • http://hazmat.dot.gov/training/state/ hmep/hmep.htm: The Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness grant program provides financial and technical assistance, as well as national direction and guidance to enhance State, territorial, tribal and local hazmat emergency planning and training. • www.rurdev.usda.gov/rd/index.html: The USDA Rural Development Program funds projects for rural area facilities, including essential public facilities and services. The program has an $86 billion dollar loan portfolio and will administer nearly $16 billion in program loans, loan guarantees and grants. • www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/funding. htm: The Office of Justice Programs is dedicated to improving public safety in communities throughout the nation. In 2007, the Office for Victims of Crime awarded more than $535 million to states to support local victim services and stateadministered victim compensation programs. BJA awarded an additional $11 million to develop and enhance statewide-automated victim notification programs. • www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/ funding/index.html: This Web site offers an overview of programs available to help fight drug abuse. • www.hud.gov/grants/index.cfm: The Housing and Urban Development site offers information about available grants, funding announcements and explanations of HUD’s grant system. • www.loc.gov: The Library of Congress Web site is an excellent source for background data. • www.npstc.org: The mission of the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council is to improve public safety and interoperability of communications. The Web site is an excellent source of information on such topics as broadband, software-defined radio, rebanding and technical education. • www.federalgrantswire.com: Federal Grants Wire is a free resource for federal grants, government grants and loans. It currently offers more than 1,800 federal grants and loans organized by sponsoring agency, applicant type, subject area and a convenient directory. 5 Assemble the Right People: Edington discourages agencies from assigning one person the responsibility of applying for grants. “A lot of public safety agencies get tunnel vision and want one person to write the whole thing,” he says. “It’s not a good strategy.” But assigning one person responsibility for the project is a good way to ensure its timely completion. That person is in charge of written reports, correspondence and oversight of the project. “It’s a lot of paperwork and record 6 Pay Attention to Details: A quick way to derail any grant is to fail to pay attention to details that will automatically disqualify an application. According to Edington, approximately one-third of federal FIRE Act Grants don’t make it through the initial qualification process. Most of these grant applications are rejected because they lack the required documentation or signatures. The guidance for most grants is very 38 PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS APRIL 2008 WWW.APCOINTL.ORG WWW.APCOINTL.ORG APRIL 2008 PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS 39 SEED MONEY specific, usually right down to the size of the type and the margin settings for the page. This is a case where failing to dot the “i’s” and cross the “t’s” can cost both money and time. guidance) differ depending on the grant. Although some grantors expect a monthly progress report, all require a closing report. Grantors are primarily interested in how the funds were used to meet your organization’s needs. Grants are similar to a contract for deliverables, so grantors will also want a full accounting of how you spent the grant money, including inventory reports and tracking, often in a particular format. To help streamline the administration process, some grantors are turning to the Internet for automated financial tracking and reporting. The Ohio Department of Public Safety offers an online grant management system that features online submissions and automated tracking of Highway Safety grants. As the technology develops, expect to see more grants managed by way of the Information Highway. Regardless of the reporting method, expect federal grantors to audit the paperwork. As some agencies have learned, misappropriation of grant money is considered theft and is subject to criminal and civil prosecution. Last spring, an agency in Florida was forced to return $378,800 in homeland security grants after it charged personnel costs that didn’t exist. A legal investigation is underway. ways to educate yourself before applying for that first grant—or first successful grant. Online tutorials are available, or you can attend any of a host of classes or workshops offered by private institutions or government agencies. The Foundation Center (www.foundationcenter.org), for instance, offers online resources plus free assistance at any of its offices in five major metropolitan areas. 7 Meet All Performance Period Deadlines: Anticipating how long it will take to complete a project funded by a grant is an important part of planning for the grant. It takes time to get city council approval or consent from a contract and awards board. Building realistic timelines into the performance period is essential because once a grant has been awarded, the agency must meet the performance period deadline. An agency that does not live up to its contract may be responsible for repaying the money awarded as a grant. Sometimes grant deadlines can be extended, but others are fixed. If an agency finds it will not be able to meet its deadline, Edington recommends contacting the grantor as soon as possible. “They’re much happier to work with you on [an extension] than if you miss your performance period deadline,” he says. 10 8 Don’t Forget Reporting Requirements: Nearly all grants require recipients to report on progress, and that’s the problem for agencies that overreach their ability to administer the grants they receive. Reporting requirements (listed in the grant Ask Around: Some sources say a mere 10% of agencies that apply for grants are successful in obtaining funding. The best way to improve those odds is to get tips from agencies that have already been awarded grants. Most agencies are willing to share their grant-writing success stories. Use the Internet to search for agencies that have applied for similar grants and ask for suggestions. FEMA, for instance, touts success stories on its Web site (www.firegrantsupport.com/afg/stories/). Grant money isn’t free. It comes with its own set of costs in terms of staff time. And applying for grants is not for the faint of heart or the easily discouraged. However, as many tax-supported entities have found, an aggressive grant-writing effort demonstrates good stewardship of public money and a genuine effort to reach out to find alternative funding sources—something tax-weary citizens can appreciate. PSC 9 Go to School: Grant writing isn’t hard, but it can be daunting. If you feel particularly overwhelmed, there are a number of TERESA McCALLION, EMT-B, is a freelance public safety writer living in Bonney Lake, Wash. Contact her via e-mail at t_mccallion@hotmail.com. IN ACTION In late 2007, the Department of Justice awarded the City of Tacoma, Wash., and the City of Lakewood, Wash., police departments funds to develop an approach to target violent crime with active crime data monitoring. When implemented in 2008, the Crime Early Warning System (CEWS) will provide strategic and tactical analysis of crime spikes (hot spots) and deliver alerts and geographical information to an officer’s laptop. In Tacoma, the Law Enforcement Support Agency (LESA) is a joint city and county agency with a staff of 165 that provides emergency communications, records management and information technology to 95% of Pierce County’s 795,000 residents. The center’s 25 IT-developers, programmers and support professionals have developed and implemented more than 100 applications that FUNDING support the records management system, which creates paperless reporting, and are used by field officers on MDCs. On behalf of its 14 law enforcement agencies, LESA has also received more than $2 million to fund projects, including CEWS and the research and development of a rapidly deployable mobile wireless video system (RADMO), which will allow officers and the comm center to observe and respond to activity in chronic trouble areas. LESA received a $968,700 grant from a Byrne earmark grant for the RADMO project. FYI: www.lesa.net Note: The editors thank LESA Director Thomas R. Orr for sharing this grant success story with APCO members. 40 PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS APRIL 2008 WWW.APCOINTL.ORG