grant application preparation nancy reish epa region 8 environmental justice program 1 2011region 8...

Grant Application Preparation

Nancy Reish

EPA Region 8

Environmental Justice Program

12011 Region 8 Environmental Justice Program

How Do I Begin?

– Internet• http://www.grants.gov• http://www.CFDA.gov• http://epa.gov

– Newspapers• Public Service Announcements• Classified• Life

– Library• Federal Register• Catalogue of Federal Domestic

Assistance

2011 Region 8 Environmental Justice Program 2

• Project

• Research

• Requests for Proposals (RFP)

• Eligible?

Getting Started

• Identify a clear purpose for your project– Develop a new activity or program

– Improve the quality of an existing program

– Establish a sustainable community involvement program

– Collect data that has not been evaluated in the past or do primary data collection

» .


What’s Next?

• Read Guidance– Request for Proposals – evaluation criteria

• Understand goals of agency

• Follow Directions

• Complete ALL requirements

2011 Region 8 Environmental Justice Program Slide 4

Federal Announcement

Sections

I. Funding Opportunity

II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

IV. Application & Submission

VI. Award Administration

VII. Agency Contact information

VIII. Other Information


Initial Application Package


Elements of a Work Plan

There are five elements to your plan:

I. One-page summary

II. Introduction

III. Concise project description

IV. Environmental Results

V. Appendices



Element One –

I. One-page summary

– A synopsis of your project proposal– Can be shorter; but not longer– Concise and compelling– What – How – When – Who – Measure of success



Element Two

II. Introduction

– Nature of your organization– Past success– Project Purpose– Community Statistics– Timeframes



Element Three

III. Detailed project description

– Problem solving

– Partnerships

– Public participation

– Potential impacts


Problem Solving

• Identify successful approaches

– Review past projects & literature

– Determine how your project will address the concerns of the community and focus on environmental results

– Determine how your target audience will be involved in problem-solving techniques

– Develop timeline with milestones and associated costs


Identify a methodology to address the issue identified in your project

Problem Solving Examples

• Inadequate outreach to rural communities

– educate and empower rural residents about environmental issues and threats to human health

• Lack of coordination on issues

– Provide training to improve communications among environmental and other community groups

• Inadequate long-term progress

– Reinvigorate a past project which has stalled


Partnerships

• Critical to success– Recognize and initiate partnerships that will add

value to your project early in the planning process– Identify new relationships and existing

relationships that can be strengthened– Enlist project involvement from partners and

stakeholders in the affected community


Partnerships

• The Right People on Your Team– Select people or organizations that will add

value to the project– Clarify key roles – Ensure long term commitment


Public Participation

• Be sure to include the public!

– Develop a strategy to communicate to all stakeholders– Get input early in the process– Emphasize collective benefits, long-term activities, and positive

relationships– Encourage activities that can be sustained by the community after

the funding ends– Get Feedback– Be Creative!


Potential Impacts


• Identify how project will– Address specific community environmental

concerns– Involve community stakeholders– Identify and address potential impacts and

benefits– Evaluate actual impacts of your project

Potential Impacts Examples

• Diesel Best Practices Manual • Helps fleets reduce air toxics

• Rail line research • Will assist community in planning for possible spills

• Research on watershed • Will assist community in protecting drinking water



Element Four -

IV. Environmental Results

– Specify what will be different once your project is completed?– New community linkages will be established– Analytical results will be available from a research project to help develop an action

plan for the community– Environmental concerns identified in a study are priorities for the community's future– Improved community health and reduced exposure to risk through studies and

training



Element Four –

IV. Environmental Results– Anticipated Outcomes (with targets)

• Short-term• Interim• Long-term

– Baseline



Element Five

V. Appendices

– Resumes

– Letters of commitment


Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPP)

• A QAPP will be required if you are doing any type of data collection.

– Primary data collection • sampling wells for water quality

– Secondary data collection• bringing together data from the State Health Department,

EPA, and Local Conservation District to see where data gaps need to be addressed


Grant or Cooperative Agreement

• Grant – EPA has limited involvement in the implementation of

the grant– grantee is expected to contact EPA with questions or

concerns, if needed

• Cooperative Agreement – EPA will be directly involved in some of the tasks in

the project


D&B D-U-N-S # Required

• A DUNS Number is required for all organizations who apply for grant funding from the Government.

• It only takes one day to get a number.

• Website: www.dnb.com

• Phone #: 1-866-705-5711


• Personnel

• Fringe Benefit

• Travel

• Equipment

• Supplies

• Contractual

• Other/In-Kind

• Indirect Cost Rate


Budget Categories

Sample Budget Detail


I. Personnel0.5 FTE Bilingual Community Outreach Worker at $12.00/hour $9,600.00

0.2 FTE Project Coordinator at $12.00/hr 4,600.00

14,200.00

II. Fringe Benefits at 17%

0.5 FTE Community Outreach Worker 1,632.00

0.2 FTE Project Coordinator 782.00

2,414.00

III. Local Travel at $0.26/mile 500.00

IV. Equipment 0.00V. Supplies

Projector Rental 500.00

Postage 500.00

Paper & Printing 1,800.00

2,300.00

TOTAL $19,914.00

Costs Allowed

• Reasonable– “incurred by a prudent person”– “necessary for the operation”

• Allocable– “benefits received”

• Allowable– Circular, law, T&C, local regulation – Food under certain conditions


Sub-grants & Contractors

• Sub-grant– “a non-Federal entity that expends Federal awards

received from a pass-through entity to carry out a Federal program, but does not include an individual that is a beneficiary of such a program. A sub-grant may also be a recipient of other Federal awards directly from a Federal awarding agency.”

• Contractor– “a dealer, distributor, merchant or other seller providing

goods or services that are required for the conduct of a Federal program. These goods or services may be for an organization's own use or for the use of beneficiaries of the Federal program.”


Funding Restrictions

• Grant funds CANNOT be used for:– Matching other federal grants– Construction– Furniture– Lobbying– Personal gifts (such as t-shirts, buttons, hats, etc.)– Litigation– Intervention in Federal Regulatory or Adjudicatory

Proceedings

(list is not inclusive)


Common Strengths

• Broad based community support• Identifies who will be involved• Good outline of a complex problem• Budget for each goal• Identifies outputs• Innovative ideas and creative thinking• Clearly describes project• Follows Request for Proposal (RFP)


Common Weaknesses

• Left out something critical• Community members not included• Not specific enough in budget• Applicant is not eligible to apply• Program is too ambitious• Activities are not appropriate for the type of grant


Did you…?

1) Conduct the final quality control checka) All changes have been made

b) All application requirements are addressed

c) Application materials are complete

d) Sign the application

2) Check and meet the submittal

deadline


Grant Management


Non-Profit Mandatory Training

www.epa.gov/ogd/training/index.htm

• Applying for a Grant• Demonstrating Management System

Capabilities• Accepting a Grant• Carrying out Grant activities• Closing the Grant


Grant Award

• Recipient and Project Manager• Dollar Amount• Project and Budget Periods• Approved Budget Breakdown• Terms and Conditions• Official Signature Page


Grant Management

• EPA will assign regional project officers to assist recipients with project management

• Post-award monitoring by the EPA project officer will be conducted sometime during your grant period


Grant Management

• Discuss project budget, schedule status, final report requirements

• Review project milestones• Anticipate/address potential issues (activities,

schedules, outcomes)• Document agreement on any changes to project

activities, schedules, or outcomes


Reporting Requirements

• Project progress reports will be specified in the terms and conditions

• All recipients must submit a final report package which includes the following

– Final technical report– Final Financial status report– Described in the grant award agreement



Request for

Initial

Proposals

Applicants

Submit Initial

Proposals

Program

Requests

Complete

Applications from

Selected Applicants

Request

For

Applications

Applicants

Submit Complete

Applications

Program

Review and

Final Selection

Congressional

Notification

(5 working days)

Award

Mailed

Recipient

Acceptance

(within 21 calendar

days of receipt)

Grants

Review

Award Made

Notification

Withheld

White House

Notification

(up to 10 calendar days)*

Post

AwardCloseout

Request for Initial Proposals

Program

Reviews

Initial

Proposals

Request for ApplicationsNon-Competitive

Applicants

Submit Complete

Applications

Applicants

Submit Complete

Applications

Award

Recommendations

Grant Award Process

EPA Grant and Information Resources

EPA Region 8 homepagewww.epa.gov/region8/

Non-Profit Resources www.usa.gov/Business/Nonprofit

Federal Grantswww.grants.gov

EPA Grants & Debarmentwww.epa.gov/ogd


EPA Grant and Information ResourcesTechnical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) Projects

www.epa.gov/brownfields/tools/tab_bifold.pdf

Brownfields Inventory Tool (BIT)www.tab-bit.org

State and EPA Targeted Brownfields Assessmentswww.epa.gov/brownfields/grant_info/tba

Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (ARC) EPA Competitive Brownfield Grantswww.epa.gov/brownfields/grant_info/index www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicatwww.epa.gov/region07/cleanup/brownfields/index


Environmental Finance Centerefc.boisestate.edu/efc/

www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/mmatters

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grantswww.rurdev.usda.gov


EPA Grant and Information Resources

Thank you!Questions?

Nancy Reish

[email protected]

EPA Region 8

Environmental Justice Program

Slide 42 2011 Region 8 Environmental Justice Program

grant application preparation nancy reish epa region 8 environmental justice program 1 2011region 8...

Documents

project slide

environmental issues

environmental results

project proposal

work plan element

concise project description

existing program

award information