The US Fire Administration’s (USFA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG or AFGP) is one of the most accessible and most transparent federal grants. It provides funds for turnout gear, training, communications, vehicles, technology, wellness programs, and a host of other needed improvements, such as multi-jurisdictional standardization of training. Fire departments and EMS agencies can submit up to three applications, one each in the categories of Operations and Safety, Vehicle Acquisition, and Regional Projects.

Like what you see?  Become a part of FUNDED by submitting a guest blog post.

May 2012

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program has been a staple in the public safety landscape since it was created in 2005. With its range of program areas including law enforcement, planning, evaluation, technology improvement and crime victim and witness initiatives it is a program that is appealing and accessible to grantseekers. JAG is the leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions.

With the U.S. Government's increasing focus on streamlining resources and engaging in whole-community and regional approaches to education, law enforcement, and healthcare, collaboration is a critical component of several federal grant programs.  Many organizations are already engaged in valuable and mutually beneficial collaborative projects that fit seamlessly within the guidelines of the grant to which they're applying for funding.  However, sometimes a grant's requirements might lead you down a new path of collaboration.  While there are obvious benefits to working with other organizations to accomplish a project—additional personnel and support, additional resources, broader project impact—there can also be pitfalls that result from miscommunication, different organizational objectives, and the failure of one or more partners to fulfill their responsibilities, all of which can threaten the success of the project.  There are several steps you can take in the beginning to ensure that your collaborative efforts will be more likely to result in a successful project period, increasing your likelihood of building on a successful partnership and receiving future grant awards for continued impact in your community.

In today's competitive grants market, there are a variety of sure-fire ways to get your grant proposal tossed into the rejection pile.

You need not look any further than the recently released nursing education grants from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) to know that a major shift has occurred with how the federal government will allocate funds for health professional education.   Despite the fact that the evidence of its effectiveness is only moderate at best, the United States Department of Health & Human Services has gone all-in with its preference to fund health professional education projects that incorporate inter-professional education models.   While scholarly research on the effectiveness of inter-professional education methodologies compared to traditional techniques is not conclusive, it is hard to find fault with the logic behind such strategies.  With the proliferation of medical homes and emphasis on patient-centered care, health professional rarely practice in environments isolated to a single discipline.  It makes sense that if health care is to be delivered with a team-based approach; education settings should mimic such principles.

In today’s classroom, technology has become a huge component of the curriculum for teachers and students. School districts are racing to keep up with lightning speed of changing technologies while also dealing with decreasing budgets. Over the past several years education technology funding has decreased significantly. Programs like Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) have been dismantled and other technology programs have been scaled back. Unfortunately, these grants that focus on math, science, and technology provided support to programs that are absolutely essential to a student’s education and will greatly impact their future success.

Show me the money! As far as a grant funder is considered, it is probably more appropriate to say “show me how you are going to spend the money”. For the applicant, it is the piece of the proposal that is likely to keep you up at night. After all, the reason you are seeking grant funding the first place is because you are most likely facing a funding deficit for an important project. It is only natural that you may be preoccupied with budgetary needs while you are still developing the project and the accompanying proposal narrative.

Despite the persistently slow economy and ongoing budget cuts at every level, the U.S. Federal Government awarded nearly $600 billion in grants in 2011, which represents a 20% increase over the approximately $500 billion in grants awarded in 2009. On average, only about three to five percent of grant proposals submitted to the federal government are awarded funding. With more budget cuts on the horizon, the already tough competition for federal grant dollars is poised to become even more fierce. That means that now more than ever, only the 'best of the best' proposals will get funded. The loss of just a single scoring point can make the difference between success and failure. I regularly work as a peer reviewer for a number of federal funding agencies so I see firsthand what sets winning grant proposals apart from the others. I would like to share with you several common pitfalls that I frequently run across that ruin an otherwise solid proposal's chances of getting funded.