How should a municipality approach mandatory participation in grant administration? Are there good practices to ensure the best engagement outcomes after requiring or incentivizing grant administration in similar funding opportunities?

As municipalities approach grant administration, it is important to incentivize participation rather than to mandate participation. It is critical for municipalities to have robust grant management infrastructure to comply with the terms of the grant and take advantage of the available opportunities.

A solid grants management infrastructure will allow an organization to develop strategic plans and programs, identify grant opportunities, streamline proposals, evaluate projects, and avoid complications and penalties. Each new funding opportunity is unique and has its own challenges to navigate. Organizations may benefit from capacity building through technical assistance programs. A community organization that has sufficient capacity can identify and secure stable, consistent, and long-term priorities for funding, and deliver grant-funded services in compliance with grant requirements. Communities with limited capacity miss out on opportunities and carry elevated risk.

The following list of non-exhaustive good practices may build community capacity by leveraging technical assistance:

• Invest in human capital, technology, and administrative and financial capacity;
• Provide expert advisory panels, trainings, conferences, and technical resources through a variety of channels (in-person, virtual, etc.);
• Distribute resources and training on (1) grant writing and administration, (2) program planning, implementation, and evaluation, and (3) leveraging community partnerships;
• Simplify compliance, provide administrative templates, and set expectations around grant compliance, reporting, and documentation;

Last Updated: March 9, 2023