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Partnering with Municipalities to Get

Grants: Things to Know

John Izzo & Cheryn Wojcik

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Today’s Speakers

John IzzoCo-Founder,

Community Grants Associates, Inc.

Hosting:

Sam Frank, Synthesis PartnershipAssisting with chat questions:

April Hunt, Nonprofit Webinars

Cheryn WojcikGrants Director,

City of Springfield, MA

Partnering with Municipalities to Get Grants:

Things to Know

Offered by

Community Grants Associates,

& The City of Springfield, Massachusetts

Office of Grants Management

August 17, 2011

Topics Today

Why partner

Background: Determining the Desirability of a Grant

Why would a city and non-profit want to partner together

What do Cities look for in a Grant Partner

What your Mother told you is True: It is Important to Play Nice with

Others

What to Expect in Working with a Municipality

Common Misconceptions on Both Sides

Why Partner?

• Cities have large administrative capacity

• Non-profits can do things cheaper & faster

(often) without the need for lawyers

• Non-profits can do things that cities find

hard to do well

Determining the Desirability of a Grant:

Eligibility

• Defined

• Eligible does

NOT always

means

desirable

• Mission

Consistent

Determining the Desirability of a Grant:

Funding & Matching

Funding

• Number of Awards

• Time and Effort vs. Award (i.e. time can actually

equal money)

• Match with City & Non-Profit Priorities

Matching

Matching Requirements

• Cash Matches (who provides it)

• In-Kind Matches– Cities are usually good with providing things &

administrative services

– Non-profits usually good with volunteer hours

Determining the Desirability of a Grant:

Partnering

• Collaboration/Partnering requirements

• How many partners– Previous relationships count

– Non-profit as honest broker

• Time Frame Considerations– Sign off procedures for cities can sometimes

require council approval

– If city is the lead applicant, then council usually must approve the award

Determining the Desirability of a Grant:

Lead Time

Lead time

• Six weeks is good, three weeks is almost essential. Two

weeks or less will likely not work.

• The development of grant applications can take

anywhere from 20 – 80 hours. If there is a partnership,

this timeframe almost always should be 3 weeks or 80

hours depending on the complexity of the application the

familiarity of the relationships;

Examples

• Negative News Travels Faster than

Positive News– E.g. it is all on the Internet or in the rumor mill.

– Social media is a positive and negative tool

• Can you keep a secret and work to solve

problems professionally– A former municipal client worked with a non-profit (once) that

consistently went to media and city council behind the back of

the city agency

Determining the Desirability of a Grant:

Experience

Track Record

With the Funder AND the Municipality

Past Practice Matters!

Clarity of Expectations

• Do all parties understand what is expected

– Be clear who is doing what up-front

– Understand the process

– Understand the obligations

Administrative Burden: Pre-Award

Administrative Burden

• Drafting the application

• Winning - reporting requirements

Make sure that you and/or your partner(s) have

the resources to effectively manage the grant if

you are the lead applicant(s).

Administrative Burdens: Post Award

The Paperwork Monster

• #1 complaint of city agencies is that non-profits

have tremendous disdain for paperwork.

• #1 complaint of non-profits is that cities require

too much paperwork and time to move on an

issue

E.g. City may know an of issue but regulatory

process may prevent immediate action

Paperwork Problems

• Why an issue for

cities

– Jeopardize

relationships with

agencies

– Could lose out on

millions of dollars if

reputation tarnished

– New Federal Rules

Scenario

• Non-profit does not file paperwork as required

• Grant is audited

• Audit Results Negative – Published in Paper

– Headline: Auditors find problem with <City name>

grant.

What do Cities look for in a Grant Partner

• Mission Alignment

• Geographic or Population Focus

• Reputation and Results

• Ability to Perform All Tasks in a Timely Manner

• Ability to Break Down Silos & Be an Honest Broker– E.g. ability to talk to different groups (e.g. often school districts

and cities have difficult relationships)

Geographic Location

If the grant requires a partnership with a public

housing authority, school, community-based

agency, etc. does the entity fulfill one of those

requirements?

Areas of Need

-An increasing strategy for cities is to target

neighborhoods or defined areas

History with the Municipality & Funder

– Does the entity have experience working with the

municipality?

• If not, does some relationship exist?

– If not – why?

– Does the entity have measurable experience and

outcomes associated with other businesses and

organizations that have impacted their targeted

neighborhoods

– Does the entity have relationships with all partners?

Capacity

To deliver programming - evidence-based practices are

becoming more sought after

• start tracking your data credibly!

• Once tracked – use it!

Exceptional leadership at an executive and board level

– But not totally driven by one person

To follow-through with reporting back to the funder

To accept and perform role assigned in collaborative

Sustainability

• What happens after the $$ is spent

• It is OK to talk about fundraising

– Nobody likes to pay for everything

• City should not be automatically expected

to pick up future cost at the end!

Evaluation

A well- written proposal should generate data

Qualitative vs. Quantitative Measurement

Hiring and Outside Evaluator

Credentials = Data/Statistical Expertise

The evaluator should be involved in writing the proposal

You cannot your be own evaluator

Costs

Evaluator can cost up to 10-15% of project budget

Negotiate up front

Evidence-Based Models

• Almost all larger grants now require

evidence-based models – Approach is sometimes directly identified in application

• E.g. Ceasefire model

• Also a good litmus test for an organization– Both in terms of professionalism and capacity

Best Practices

• Best practices- either defined by

government agency or show your own

data – Some agencies: E.g. HHS SAMHSA have identified

best practices

– There is a growing rating and measurement of

practices in academia and by funders

– Using your own data supported model is hard but

often more interesting to funder, especially if it builds

off an existing model

Is the Project a Good Fit for all Parties?

• Project Staff

• Appropriate people doing appropriate things

• Percentage of time dedicated to the project

• Cultural Competency (includes geographic

competency)

What your Mother told you is True: It is

Important to Play Nice with Others

• This is a business relationship – treat

it as such.

• Mutual Benefit is Necessary

• It is about the people served!

What to Expect in Working with a

Municipality

• Slower Timetable

– Process Driven

– Contracts & Liability Issues

– Often Involves Legal Review

• Procurement Process: Some states & municipalities

have rigid procurement rules

• Political Dimensions to Decisions

– That is not necessarily a bad thing

Culture Clash

“The reasonable man adapts himself to

the world; the unreasonable one

persists in trying to adapt the world to

himself. Therefore all progress

depends on the unreasonable man.”

-George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman (1903) "Maxims for

Revolutionists“ Irish dramatist & socialist (1856 - 1950)

Culture Clash- Part II

Cities

• Slow moving

• Formal & Legalistic

• Bureaucratic (for a

reason)

Non Profits

• Quick on their feet

• In-formal

• An aversion to

bureaucracy and very

little regulation

Common Misconceptions

City

• Non-profits are

dangerous

• Non-profits understand

the bureaucracy

• Non-profits are not

sophisticated

Non-Profit

• Doing good means never

to having to say you are

sorry

• Cities are looking to

dominate relationships

with non-profits

• City agencies have tons

of $$ available

Solving the Clash

City

• Highlight effective ways to

work with the city (workshops

etc.)

• Have a means in place to

move beyond the usual

suspects (do not work with

same non-profits all the time)

• Help non-profits navigate the

bureaucracy

Non-Profit

• Positive Dialogue (do not just

show up when you need

something)

• Provide information to city

agencies on what you do and

the results

• Share the success

Solving the Clash

• Cities are now standardizing the

collaborative process– Many have meetings (often poorly attended) on how

to work with the city

– There are forms (cities love forms)

http://www.springfieldcityhall.com/finance/grants.0.html

– There are community meetings

– Creating of an ombudsman type position both

officially and unofficially

Best Ways to Partner

• City Agencies– Always looking for partners

– Recognize non-profits partners are

vital; especially in current economy

– Wary of always being asked to pay

for things

– But have lots of non-cash resources

to offer

Best Ways to Partner

• Non Profits• Match mission with city priorities and

agencies

• Meet with appropriate department

early and often

• Share information with the city

regularly

• Be available at city sponsored events

• Respond to requests for help/aid

Takeaways

• Cities and non-profits need one another

• Non-profits must do better highlighting

themselves as a better partner

• Cities must do a better job cutting red tape

• Credibility Cycle

Contact Info

• cwojcik@springfieldcityhall.com

• john@communitygrantsnow.com

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