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Get ready for AFG: Conduct your Needs Assessment

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?

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