Ready, Set, Go!

Can’t you just feel the collective energy of America in the starting blocks waiting for the pistol to fire? The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act became law on February 17, 2009 and we’ve all heard about the billions that will be coming to the nonprofit sector. But, most of us are probably still wondering about when and how this will happen. I don’t have those clear answers yet either, but there are things that I can share that might help us all be ready for “Go!”

There are two new websites that I am now counting on for the latest news on Recovery Act actions at the federal and state level.

The state of Michigan added a page to their website - http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-46485_52682---,00.html where they are promising to post all information about the Recovery Act and the process that will be used to distribute that funding to communities and organizations around Michigan.

Similarly, the federal government launched a new website that will be the main conduit for all federal information and reporting regarding the Recovery Act- www.recovery.gov. The site promises to be the “centerpiece” of the Act’s transparency and accountability, providing information on when funding is available, where funding is going, and the outcomes of programs implemented with Recovery Act funds.

The most important information on the site as of today is a guidance document that was sent to all federal department heads that provides a wealth of detail regarding how the Act will be implemented - timelines, request for proposal (RFP) posting requirements, reporting requirements, etc.
http://www.recovery.gov/files/Initial%20Recovery%20Act%20Implementing%20Guidance.pdf

There are several clues in the guidance document about the “when” and the “how” of these funds that will help us in the nonprofit sector ready ourselves for the rollout of this Act.

The guidance requires that within 20 days of the enactment of the Act, departments must post synopses of open grant competitions on grants.gov; links to full announcements must be live within 30 days of the enactment of the Act.
All postings must be on grants.gov and must be clearly labeled and tagged to distinguish them as Recovery Act/ARRA funds.
Departments are encouraged to roll out awards in a way that will allow "recipients to commence expenditures and activities as quickly as possible." They are encouraged to open competitive competitions when they can. However, they are also encouraged to consider limited competitions among "existing high performers." Departments are being encouraged not to simply supplement existing grant awards because they are being required to track the outcomes of the Recovery Act separately. However, the guidance specifically mentions "continuation/renewal awards" as an option.
Departments are being encouraged to give extra weight programs that have proven results in the area of job creation and preservation.
There will be extra oversight of these funds - site visits, extra reporting, etc. - to comply with the transparency and accountability that the administration is demanding.
All departments/agencies are being required to add a page to their websites strictly for Recovery Act information that will link to the overall Recovery.gov page by the end of next week.

What this guidance document tells me is that federal departments and states are under pressure to give out their ARRA dollars quickly, so it is a safe bet that the turn around time for any new grant applications will be as tight as possible, days or weeks at most. This will be a built-in weeding process, filtering out those organizations and programs that are not ready to hit the ground running. Since departments and states will be under more scrutiny than ever before, they are going to want to fund projects that will be able to get them results, fast. I offer the following recommendations for us as we “get set.”

Even though most RFPs have not been posted yet, we should get our applications ready. Some common grant application elements are: Background of your Organization and Project, Project Need/Demographics of the Target Population, Work Plan (with measurable goals, objectives, activities, and timelines), Experience of Project Staff, Evaluation, Sustainability, Line Item Budget and a Budget Narrative.

Focus on expanding or modifying proven projects that have already shown strong results. It is probably not the time for pilot projects unless they are based on strong research and are highly likely to produce results.

Include strong evaluation plans that track the indicators are aligned with funder’s priorities outlined in the RFP, at least job creation and retention. The department you are applying to will be required to report strong outcomes for the project that they chose to fund – show them that you will be able to make them look good.

If possible, show how you plan to use the funding you are requesting to leverage other funds. It is always a plus to show funders that their money will go farther when they invest with you.

Show in your application that you are ready to hit the ground running. It is probably not the time to propose planning projects or long start-up phases. The federal departments and states are going to be expected to report results fast, so they will be looking for projects that are ready to “Go!”


Best regards,

Freya Bradford, NorthSky Research and Project Manager

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