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Grant Tools and Resources

Get ready for AFG: Conduct your Needs Assessment

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The Fund Finder News by Kurt Bradley, Senior Grants Consultant

Needs Assessment

AFG will be opening soon, and now is the time to get ready for what’s going to be a competitive grant year.

There is an old saying that floats about and holds a special truth not only in how we conduct our daily operations, but also in how we go about applying to grant funding sources. That saying is:

“If You Fail to Plan, You Can Plan to Fail!”

Proper planning involves a myriad of things, one of which is assuring that you have proper manpower and equipment to carry out your basic mission for your citizens.

One of the tools that you should be using in that planning is a needs and capabilities assessment. It is one of the first things that you need to do. This report is what gives you the facts you need to know about how well prepared your department is to carry out its primary function, whether that be a Fire/EMS or Law Enforcement agency. It gives you a “State of the Union” report, so to speak, about your department.

So, just exactly what is a “Needs and Capabilities Assessment,” and how do we go about doing one?

Full story

Juvenile, criminal, and civil justice grants

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Find grants in the DOJ Program Plan

Looking for law enforcement or justice grants? The Department of Justice’s FY 2020 Program Plan contains over 200 programs available.

Expect many programs to open from now through March, but other programs may be available under the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, 2020.

Find grants in the DoJ Program Plan

A good grants year starts with training

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Winner!

Starting the new year is all about starting right. A great way to help this year be better than last year? Get the grant-writing training you need to help you be competitive in your public safety grants.

First responders, emergency management agencies, and public safety agencies around the country have used our online and national training to help them go on to win grants big and small. And this year could be your turn in the winner’s circle too.

Whether online or at one of our convenient nationwide trainings, we look forward to helping you become the best grant writer you can be!

National grant-writing training

Winning AFG online grant training

Writing public safety grants online grant training

How confusing is that grant you’re working on?

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Tricky public safety grants? We can help.

Grants have their own language and complexity. They’re not always easy to understand. There are rules, details, and requirements that you have to follow to the letter… or else your grant won’t get funded.

Sometimes, though, those confusing grants can get pretty overwhelming. And when that happens, we’re here to help:

Contact us today


Check out our grant writing & review services


Sign up for an Annual Grant Services Package

Improve your grant game: Government offices, public safety support, and surplus auctions

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Use these 3 resources for your next grant

Find ALL Government Offices for State & Local Government

Having trouble finding web sites that relate to your state and local government? I wish I had known about this site a long time ago. The State and Local Government Internet directory provides convenient one-stop access to the websites of thousands of state agencies and city and county governments.

Go

Public Safety Foundation of America (PSFA)

The PSFA’s objective is to provide critical funding and technical support to public safety answering points (PSAPs) and local emergency response officials.

Go

Government Surplus Auctions at Government Liquidation

The government’s own auction and surplus eBay-style site, and the exclusive partner of the US Department of Defense for the sale of military surplus.

Go

Grant tips and more: Listen to us on the “Beyond the Call Podcast”

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Beyond the Call Podcast talks with Margaret Stark of First Responder Grants

Senior Grants Consultant and First Responder Grants founder Margaret Stark shares her journey in starting First Responder Grants, and passes along key tips for securing grants.

You can hear Beyond the Call at SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, and more.

Thank you to our friends at Beyond the Call, the National Police Credit Union, and the Chicago Patrolmen’s Federal Credit Union for having us!

Mark your calendar – new grant-writing training!

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August 22-23, 2019, Carpinteria, CA

Just added to the training calendar!

Join us in Carpinteria, CA, for 2 days of meat-and-potatoes grant-writing training. We’ve designed our training to turn you into a first-rate public safety grant writer.

Learn how to help your agency get the training, to get the grant, to get the gear!

Register early to hold your seat in class.

Learn more and register

Grant writing at a Motor Speedway?

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New Hampshire Motor Speedway

You know how we talk about how fast-paced the world of grants is?

That’s why it’s so perfect that you have a great opportunity to join us for a special grant-writing training on May 30-31, 2019.

New Hampshire’s Loudon Police Department has graciously arranged for us to host our training at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Come join us for two days of meat-and-potatoes grant writing training designed to turn you into a first-rate public safety grant writer. Presented in language you will understand.

Learn how to help your agency get the training, to get the grant, to get the gear!

See you at the track!

Learn more and register

Image: © 2019 Speedway Motorsports, Inc.

Critical infrastructure: Where it is might surprise you

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“Critical infrastructure.” It’s a phrase you might find in many grant guidelines and requests for proposal. But what is it? Where is it? How much does your area have? The answers might surprise you.

What is critical infrastructure?

According to DHS, critical infrastructure comprises physical and virtual systems “so vital to the United States that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination thereof.”

There are 16 sectors:

  1. Chemical
  2. Commercial Facilities
  3. Communications
  4. Critical Manufacturing
  5. Dams
  6. Defense Industrial
  7. Emergency Services
  8. Energy
  9. Financial Services
  10. Food and Agriculture
  11. Government Facilities
  12. Healthcare and Public Health
  13. Information Technology
  14. Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste Sector
  15. Transportation Systems
  16. Water and Wastewater

Where is critical infrastructure?

Critical infrastructure can be anywhere.

How much critical infrastructure does your area have?

And that, folks, can be the big hairy unknown. Critical infrastructure can be in or around your area, and you might not know it.

What to do about it?

We are working on some new resources to help agencies like yours plan around critical infrastructure and how to include details about critical infrastructure in grant applications.

What questions do you have about critical infrastructure? Please email Kurt Bradley and let us know!

Send Kurt your critical infrastructure questions

New grant-writing training!

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Public safety grant writing training in Urbana, Illinois

Join us for public safety grant-writing training

April 4-5, 2019, ILEAS Training Center, Urbana, IL

Just south of Chicago, our friends at Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (ILEAS) are once again opening their doors for 2 days of grant-writing training. First responders and public safety grant writers from around the country will be gathering for plain-talk, meat-and-potatoes training that gives you the ins and outs for writing competitive grants.

Start talking with your chief, captain, or municipal contacts now so your department can join us.

This training is April 4-5, 2019-a great way to get your 2019 grant efforts in full gear.

Learn more and register