1. Alexandra B. McGoldrick Director, Central Grants Office City of Bridgeport Bill Finch Mayor

2. The purpose is to research and prepare grant applications from federal, state and private sources for programs and projects within city government that are in line with city established priorities. To act as the central point of contact and coordination for all funders that award grants to the City and program managers that implement projects and services.

3. Central Grants Office Director Grant Writers Policy Analyst Administrative Assistant

4.  Elimination of federal earmarks  Replaced by competitive applications  Applications are filtered through various federal agencies – highly competitive  Still a need for legislative support  Changes at state level  Planning occurring at foundation level

5.  Challenges:  Deep cuts to municipal allocations  Enough to allocate fairly and effectively?  Struggle with criteria – target communities with least fiscal capacity; high unemployment; changes in racial ethnic composition; seed small scale programs or broader support. – no real consensus to change  Can the awarded programs adequately demonstrate success?

6.  Can we afford it?  Is it good for our community as a whole?  Planning  Community engagement  Mission and priorities of administration

7.  Not just responding to RFPs  Grants can be expensive  Grants are not always the best solution to generating revenue  Could just be a temporary solution: impetus to initiate a project or program

9.  Leveraged resources show investment in an overall initiative  i.e., Environmental Sustainability  If there is investment, it must be worthwhile. If it is successful, I want to invest in it too.  Leveraging resources increases the likelihood that a project will be funded.

10.  Developing partnerships with private entities may leverage private resources for investment and provide match  i.e., Downtown Revitalization  Shows community’s commitment to project  Win-Win

11.  Goal – serve the residents of your community.  Often times, community organizations may be more qualified and have more capacity to implement a program than a municipality.  Don’t be afraid to reach out and hand it over.  Eliminates competition within your own community and makes for a stronger application.

12.  Increase capacity of local governments and non- profits  Variety of forms depending on the needs of a given organization.  Strategic planning, org structure, board development and skill building  Can prove effectiveness and sustainability over long-term.

13.  Diverse organizations that form an alliance in order to pursue a common goal  Advocacy, outreach, education, prevention, service delivery, empowerment, community action, system change  Leverage existing and identify new resources i.e., Healthy Homes

14.  Arrangement between two or more governments accomplishing common goals, providing a service or solving a mutual problem  With the State and most municipalities struggling to provide services under this tough economic climate, there is a growing sense that regional cooperation can save money without damaging relationships  Regionalism is quickly becoming a model for state and federal grants  i.e., Emergency Preparedness

15.  What happens to the project/program after the grant money runs out?

16.  Infrastructure – capital – one time cost On-going maintenance of road or building  Program – hire staff – long term cost Maintain staff levels that run a program after grant period has expired.

18.  Data collection and evaluations: Important for both funder a municipality  can be simple or complex and conducted internally or externally depending on the scope of project  Be sure that the project has an impact on your community

19.  Ensures that you are meeting the deliverables and outcomes identified in your project scope  Be mindful of scope and budget changes  Be diligent about meeting reporting requirements

20.  Not only a requirement of funders  It is a useful tool for municipal leaders  Utilize data collected and evaluations for prioritizing, decision making and justifications