The federal grants landscape is a rugged one that requires in-depth research, strategy, prioritization, and understanding of what’s out there. The National Special Districts Coalition, of which CSDA is a founding member, offers a robust grants program to all CSDA members. The program is designed to reduce the resource burden many special districts face in their approach to funding opportunities with a variety of professional resources to guide the way.
CSDA members are welcome to register for a summer series of webinars aimed to demystify the grants process, arm special districts with strategies to approach and apply for programs, advocate, and give early insight into what to expect for the Fiscal Year 2025 federal earmarks process.
NSDC’s Grants and Advocacy Team will host the three-part summer webinar series. Dates for each live webinar and registration links are available below.
NSDC Summer Webinar Series
All times 1:00 p.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. PT
Wednesday, July 12: Prioritizing Projects, Strategizing, and Navigating through the Process
Join The Ferguson Group (TFG) Grants Team as they guide special districts a through grants research and a step beyond the basics. The Team will dive into best practices to prioritize projects for funding opportunities and how best to strategize the approach.
Click here to register for the July 12 live webinar.
Wednesday, August 2: NSDC Advocacy Week Briefing & and Approach to Advocacy
The NSDC Advocacy and Grants Team will offer a full briefing on special districts’ federal advocacy priorities and perspective on the latest out of Washington, D.C., ahead of the 2023 National Special Districts Action Week. This webinar will cover how best to approach your members of Congress, when to do so, and how this can plug into your grants/project funding needs.
Click here to register for the August 2 live webinar.
Wednesday, September 6: Preparing for FY25 Congressional Earmarks
Fiscal Year 2024 marks the third appropriations cycle in the modern era of congressional earmarks. Leveraging the history of the current programs and examining the trends overtime, the NSDC Advocacy and Grants Teams will share what special districts can anticipate for the FY25 Community Project Funding and Congressionally-Directed Funding (earmarks) programs, guidance on program rules, and how they can begin preparing now. This live webinar will be important for districts seeking to get ahead of the often quick and chaotic application period (spring 2024).
Click here to register for the September 6 live webinar.
There’s more to NSDC Grant Services
This webinar series is only a highlight of the grants services offered to CSDA members through our national coalition. CSDA members have a range of tools at their disposal to navigate the at-times complicated and overwhelming grants process. These resources are well suited for an array of programming needs and the stages of their development – whether a special district has specific project needs or is just beginning their funding search for potential projects.
The NSDC grants resource was launched in January 2022 in partnership with The Ferguson Group (TFG). Entitled the “Project Idea Portal,” this platform is designed for CSDA members to submit information on infrastructure needs or community programming for which funding opportunities are sought. Districts may submit details of their projects via the webform, which TFG’s grants team will review and work with the district to identify potential grant and finance opportunities. Within a week of submission, the Grants Team will respond with potential opportunities befitting of the identified needs, which may include a relevant “General Grants Guide” offering information on a number of authorized federal grants. Special districts may request a meeting with the Grants Team for consultation and further questions.
TFG’s general grant guides, offered through NSDC, provides a wealth information on authorized federal grant and financing programs on a range of policy topics including:
- Broadband
- Cybersecurity
- Economic and community development
- Fire protection
- Libraries and museums
- Mental Health
- Parks and Recreation
- Rural development
- Transportation
- Water and wastewater
Each guide includes information on specific programming, examples of successful projects, details of funding requirements such as cost sharing, and contact information for federal agencies implementing the programs. Furthermore, CSDA members receive weekly updates on newly opened federal grant opportunities of general interest to special districts.
Special districts utilizing the Project Idea Portal or other NSDC grants services may, but are not obligated to, seek further engagement with TFG’s full grant services using a competitive, grandfathered and discounted offered to CSDA members. Information submitted via the Microsoft Form is not shared with third parties.
Finally, CSDA members have access to appropriations and earmark support. Each year, Congress must pass 12 appropriations bills to ensure funding for federal programs. Members of Congress generally begin seeking stakeholder input on federal funding and program needs to effectively represent constituent needs. NSDC and TFG offer information and guidance on the Appropriations process for members as well as with the congressional earmarks program.
CSDA is excited to continue offering these important resources to special districts providing essential services to millions of Americans. For more questions or more information, contact Cole Arreola-Karr, NSDC Federal Advocacy Director, at colek@nationalspecialdistricts.org.
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