Martin O'Malley
Governor
Anthony G. Brown
Lt. Governor
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Governor's Grants Office News
April 2008
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Greetings!
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As most subscribers of Governor's Grants Office News know, each year the
Grants Office tries to roll many of our individual classes into a one-day conference that combines training in finding, winning, and managing grants, with opportunities for networking between non-profits, local governments, and state and federal officials. People who want to focus on grants management issues can do that, while those interested in digging deeper into researching and writing grants will be able to go beyond what was offered last year.
We just completed our first meeting with the steering committee tasked with setting this year's agenda. Based on the survey feedback from last year, we are making several improvements. More details will come out in the weeks and months ahead, but please block off the entire day for the Governor's Grants Conference, Monday, September 8, 2008. We will email you agenda and registration details as soon as we can.
Eric Brenner
Director
Governor's Grant Office |
GOVERNOR O'MALLEY HIGHLIGHTS FUNDING
TO REVITALIZE MARYLAND COMMUNITIES
Community Legacy
Awards Will Enhance Maryland's Quality of Life
Governor Martin O'Malley has
announced funding to stimulate reinvestment in and revitalize Maryland's
historic and Main Street
communities. Standing at Veterans Park in mid-March, in
the heart of the Dundalk
commercial center, Governor O'Malley announced $7 million in Community Legacy
awards for 73 projects across the State.
"As we face tough fiscal times together as a nation, we must continue to protect our priorities and enhance the quality of life for all Marylanders. Preserving some of our State's oldest communities, while bringing new life to them, helps to strengthen every part of Maryland," said Governor O'Malley. "These grants help local businesses and homeowners improve our historic neighborhoods
and towns, continuing a legacy of strength and beauty in our State while building a better future for our people."
The Community Legacy
program is administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development's Division of
Neighborhood Revitalization. Its mission is to provide
funding for local economic development activities that stimulate reinvestment
and strengthen communities through activities such as business retention
and attraction, encouraging homeownership and commercial revitalization.
Community Legacy funding, in the
form of grants and loans, is available for projects located in Priority Funding
Areas and is meant to compliment and supplement other State funding programs.
As part of a competitive application process, communities are required to have
and/or develop a comprehensive revitalization plan that specifically identifies
projects meant to revitalize transitional neighborhoods and downtowns.
Funded projects included housing
acquisition rehabilitation initiatives, creating loan funds for local
businesses, streetscape enhancements and façade improvement activities.
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 GOVERNOR O'MALLEY CELEBRATES THE 10th ANNIVERSARY OF MARYLAND'S RURAL LEGACY PROGRAM
Announces $22 Million in Proposed Rural Legacy Allocations; Funding allocated to 21 Counties will preserve forest and farmland
Also in March, Governor O'Malley celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the State's nationally renowned Rural Legacy Program and announced nearly $22 million in grants to local governments and land trusts for preservation of forest and farmland across Maryland.
"Among other programs in place across our State, the Rural Legacy Program helps to protect not only our valuable farmlands and forests, but also our quality of life. This program is an integral pat of our effort to build a more sustainable tomorrow, ensuring that the State we leave for our children and our grandchildren will be better than the one we inherited ourselves, said Governor O'Malley.
Maryland's Rural Legacy Program provides funding to preserve large, contiguous tracts of land and to enhance natural resource, agricultural, forestry and environmental protection while supporting a sustainable land base for natural resource based industries. The program creates public-private partnerships and allows those who know the landscape best - land trusts and local governments - to determine the best way to protect the landscapes that are critical to our economy, environment and quality of life.
Under the Governor's BayStat Initiative, land conservation investments are targeted to protect the most ecologically valuable properties that most directly impact Chesapeake Bay and local waterway health.
This year's proposed allocations include $21,022,365 in FY 08 funds as well as $928,404 in reallocated funding from expired grants. Altogether, there will be 30 designated Rural Legacy Areas, encompassing 671,571 acres, in 22 counties throughout the State.
Enacted by the General Assembly in 1997, Maryland's Rural Legacy Program has to date provided over $163 million to preserve 58,217 acres of valuable farmland, forests, and natural areas.
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 Mikulski, Van Hollen Visit Rockville Firefighters, Announce Funds for Montgomery County First Responder
On March 20, at the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department, Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) and Congressman Chris Van Hollen were joined by Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett, state and local officials, to announce that the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service has been awarded nearly $1.3 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFGP).
The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service will use its nearly $1.3 million to purchase new interoperable communications equipment. Since 2001, Montgomery County Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Departments have received more than $5.8 million through the AFGP.
AFGP grants fund firefighting equipment, personal protection equipment, training, firefighting vehicles, firefighter/first responder safety projects, and staffing recruitment and retention. Since 2001, Maryland fire departments and fire service organizations have received more than $59 million through the AFGP.
Merril Oliver, deputy director of the Governor's Grants Office (GGO) attended the ceremony and is the lead person at GGO to conduct reviews for firefighters who apply for the AFG grant and ask for assistance. Every year, GGO works with Bart Kennedy of Senator Mikulski's staff, Dave Lewis, Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, and Beth Stone, Maryland State Firemen's Association and Maryland Emergency Management Agency in what Senator Mikulski gratefully acknowledged as TEAM MARYLAND's contribution in training hundreds of firefighters on how to write a successful grant application. |
FFATA SUB-AWARD PILOT GROUP NOW FORMING
Tony Cavataio, the co-chair of the National Grants Partnership (NGP), and an employee at the US Department of Education, offered NGP's support to Andrea Brandon and her FFATA Sub-Award Pilot Workgroup. Andrea is a lead grants person from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, leading this effort on behalf of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act requires sub-award data to be posted on a searchable website in the same manner as primary award data, but before this requirement takes effect a pilot workgroup was mandated by the statute. The Maryland Department of Human Resources is already an active participant, but Andrea is looking for additional volunteer grant recipients to provide input, including local governments, non-profits, and colleges. If you are interested in participating in person at an April 8 pilot group meeting (2:00-4:00 p.m.) in Washington, D.C., send an email ASAP to: TheNGP@aol.com, or call into the meeting on the 8th using this teleconference number: 1-800-516-9896, CODE: #46525.
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GGO's A-133 Audit Training Series Continues
Governor's Grants Office (that's us!) OFFERS FREE TRAINING ENTITLED, "A-133 Audit, Rules to the Game," Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 8:00 a.m. - noon at the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI) at the University of Maryland, College Park campus. This class builds on our earlier class this year and is the second in our three-part A-133 Audit seminar series. For more information, contact Merril Oliver at moliver@gov.state.md.us. If you'd like to register early, email your contact information, and put "A-133 Rules to the Game" in the subject line to, MDGrantsOffice@gov.state.md.us.
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| For Non Profits: Anne Arundel Community College Offers Courses
Anne Arundel Community College offers courses for non profit organizations. Spring Semester is about to begin. Check out classes like "Supervising Volunteers," "Special Events," "Advance Grant
Proposals," "Create a Nonprofit," "Capital Campaigns," "Marketing Techniques," and "Building Teams that Work."
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TRAINED VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS AVAILABLE VIA VOLUNTEER MARYLAND
 Volunteer Maryland is accepting applications from nonprofit and government agencies that would like to receive the services of a trained full-time Volunteer Maryland Coordinator. Coordinators work through the federal AmeriCorps program for one-year terms of national and community service. Agency Applications are due on April 18, 2008. For more information visit www.volunteermaryland.org, review the online fact sheet, and then call Volunteer Maryland's Outreach Manager, Patrice Beverly, to discuss your organization's needs: 410-767-6231.
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Manage
your Business from Start to Finish
 Careful
planning is fundamental to success.
The Small Business Planner, brought to you by the Small Business Admininstration, includes information and resources that will help you at any stage of
the business lifecycle.
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New Schaefer Fund Established at Baltimore Community Foundation
The William Donald Schaefer Civic Fund at the Baltimore Community Foundation (BCF) was launched on Monday, March 24 at the Stadium Place. Speakers included U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski and Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, BCF CEO Tom Wilcox and former Governor William Donald Schaefer himself. A goal of $5 million was announced for the Schaefer Fund, which will serve as an endowment for BCF's highly regarded Neighborhood Grants Program.
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Notice of Available State Grants:
The Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), is an active grants maker. To view its various programs and resources, visit www.Maryland TEDCO.org.
The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development offers the Shelter and Transitional Housing Facilities Grant. Certain non-profit organizations or local government entities can apply anytime of the year; applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis, pursuant to program funding availability and the project's readiness to proceed. To contact the Housing Grant Program Coordinator at DHCD, call 410-514-7590 or 1-800-543-4505 or email webb@dhcd.state.md.us. Applications for DHCD's MultiFamily Program Spring 2008 Competitive Funding Round are due by April 1, 208 at 5:00 p.m. Contact Patricia Ryan Sylvester, Multifamily Housing Director, at 410-514-7446 or sylvester@mdhousing.org for more information. The Governor's Office on Crime Control and Prevention (GOCCP) currently is accepting applications for the Edward J. Byrne Memorial Assistance Grant (BJAG) for fiscal year 2008. This grants is a coordianted effort to help State and local government agencies throughout Maryland address isues of violent crime drug abuse, and related criminal and juvenile justice problems. Deadline to apply for an organization number is March 31, 2008. For more information, contact Debra Arnold, program manager, at 410-821-2847. The Maryland Arts Council offers many grant programs for organizations and individual artists. Applications must be submitted via the Arts Council's egrant system online.
The Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) offers a variety of business services and financing programs to assist the state's business community, including capital investment, credit enhancement, direct loans and guarantees, economic development incentives, women in technology programs, and other financing programs. View the full list of programs.Partnership for Workforce Quality (PWQ) Program is an ongoing DBED grant program that provides matching skill upgrade training grants and support services targeted to improve the competitive position of small and mid-sized manufacturing and technology companies. PWQ matching grants are made directly to companies as well as through a variety of manufacturing, software industry and ISO 9000 consortia programs working in cooperation with DBED. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) coordinates more than 40 technical or financial assistance programs which directly serve local governments, non-profit groups, and individual property owners. Visit their online grants and loan center.The Maryland Energy Administration also has several grants programs available to residents and businesses. The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), Office of Child Care (OCC) presents the Family Day Care Provider Grant Program. This grant program exists to help registered child care providers offset some of the costs of operating their child care programs. MSDE also offers the Child Care Quality Incentive Grants Program to support projects related to training offered through the Credentialing Branch and improving children's school performance. Grants are awarded based on merit to eligible child care facilities, on a quarterly basis, at the end of April, July, October, and January under regulations of State COMAR 13A.14.11. For more information, call 410-767-7831.
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JOB OPPS
Investment Analyst
Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore City
The Investment Analyst is a key member of the Foundation's Investments
Office and is involved in all aspects of the traditional, alternative,
and social investment portfolios. Look at the job announcement.
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Governor's Grants Office
Eric Brenner, Director
Merril Oliver, Deputy Director
Susan Casey, Research and Communications Manager
410.974.5090
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Governor's Grants Office | 21 State Circle | Annapolis | MD | 21401
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