Grant Navigator

State, federal, foundation, and nonprofit grant opportunities provide a means to make city projects more affordable and obtainable. However, many cities often find the grant search and application process overwhelming or lack the staff to research, prepare, 提交一份成功的申请.

The 明尼苏达城市联盟’ Grant Navigator aims to ease these concerns by providing funding in the form of small grants to help members assess government grant programs and local needs. 该项目将帮助城市领导人理解, identify, 并为城市项目申请拨款.

Cities that receive funds from LMC are encouraged to work with industry partners in finance and infrastructure to identify the types of grants that align with a community project, 以及通过拨款申请程序获得支持. The Grant Navigator is not intended to support technical development, 抵消城市工作人员的时间成本, 它也不能保证拨款匹配.

Grant Navigator的第一轮融资将是:

• 最初每个城市的上限为5000美元.
• Increased upon request up to $5,000 and after further review by a Grant Review Committee.
• Reviewed for use.
• 联盟总投资上限为50万美元.
• 每个城市仅限一个项目.
• Aimed at awarding 50% of the funds to cities with populations under 4,000 residents.

申请审核流程

授予领航员申请将在一个 rolling basis by an internal Grant Review Committee consisting of League employees. This committee works as a team to review each application on the basis of project feasibility and city need. You can expect to know the outcome of your application within one to two months, 和联盟工作人员将通知任何延误.

在覆核申请过程中，委员会会:

• 评估项目准备情况.
• 审核所有申请材料.
• Follow-up with applicants to clarify information or seek more, if needed.
• Ensure appropriate background and project review team are in place.
• Make awards to support the grant matching process for city projects.

Grant awards

Awards will be issued via check to the city, which allows the city to pay vendors directly. The initial checks will be made out for the sum each city anticipates spending on their consultants, 在其应用程序中确定. Additional funds may be issued if their grant matching costs exceed the initial amount, with a max of $5,000 total per city. If more funding is needed, cities can reach out to the Grant Project Team at [email protected] 连同最终费用的发票. A check for the difference between the invoice and the award will then be issued to the city, 总奖助金不得超过$5,000.

应用程序需求

要申请Grant Navigator资助，城市申请人必须:

• 确定一个要审查的项目; 包括有关成本、持续时间和准备情况的信息.
  • Project readiness can be indicated by having a completed feasibility study, 被纳入资本投资计划(CIP), and/or 进行全面的成本分析.
  • Not all of these things need to be completed in order for a project to be eligible for a League grant. It is a goal to have cities utilize the grant funds within 6 months of receiving them, so this information helps the Grant Review Committee assess the project’s readiness to proceed.
• 确定一个项目评审小组，该小组可能包括:
  • The consultant or industry partner(s) the city plans to engage with to complete the review and work alongside throughout the application process.
  • An expert to assess project cost, readiness, and funding eligibility.
  • A financial advisor to assess funding options for the portion of the project that may not be covered by the grant and to measure the financial impacts to the city.
  • 项目评审小组将考虑:
    • 澜湄合作计划的资金用途:
      • Who is the city working — or planning to work — with through the grant matching process?
      • 如果知道，谁是负责这个过程的个人(或团队)?
    • If  there is a particular part of the process where the funding will be used (initial grant searching, grant writing, etc.)
• 明确项目准备情况 并且要清楚自己是否有能力继续这个项目.
  • 虽然项目不需要准备就绪, applicants will need to be in the process of developing a project to access funds.
• Articulate project support with a resolution from the City Council.
  • A resolution ensures the city is in support of moving the project forward if a grant is to be awarded.
    下载Grant Navigator支持模型解决方案(doc).
  • 城市可以制定并签署自己的决议, but they must agree to the terms as laid out in the Grant Navigator Support Model Resolution above and have these terms included in the resolution.

Post-application

If you do not receive funding from the League for your project application, 你可以为另一个项目提交另一份申请.

如果你真的获得了联盟的奖励, you will not be eligible for another award until the project for which you apply for Grant Navigator funding is complete. The funds awarded to the city by LMC are to be used while engaging with industry partners who will aid in the grant matching and application process.

Please note the following about city responsibilities after the Grant Navigator funding is awarded. 

• 如果是州、联邦、基金会或非营利组织 grant match is not found, the city should seek feedback on why the project was not eligible. 把这些发现报告给联盟.
• 如果一个城市申请拨款，但是 没有获得奖助金, the city should seek feedback on why the project did not receive a grant award. 把这些发现报告给联盟.
  • Grant applications may be reused during the next application cycle, so use the feedback to revamp the application for the next application window.
• 如果是州、联邦、基金会或非营利组织的拨款 awarded, the city should report the following to the League within six months of the application’s approval:
  • 最终拨款金额及来源.
  • 项目开始和预计完成日期.
  • 雇用拨款顾问/作家的总费用.

The League will be continuously collecting feedback from those who are awarded grants in regard to the League’s grant process, 市澳门网络娱乐游戏平台获得额外拨款的经验, 以及他们项目的最新进展. This feedback will inform updates to the League’s Board of Directors on the Grant Navigator Program.  Recipients will receive more information on these feedback requirements once they receive their grant award.

访问Grant Navigator的申请表格

The Grant Navigator is a pilot project for the 明尼苏达城市联盟. 联盟可能会对申请流程进行修改, 报告要求, 或随时终止程序, without notice.