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Cities often handle public safety initiatives, infrastructure-building support and other local programs, relying on government funding to guide their projects. With 36% of state revenue coming from the federal government, cities must use these grants if they want to make a difference.
The challenge? Securing funding for your city in a competitive grant-seeking space. Cities must develop a solid funding application and management strategy to improve their chances. Use these tips to help you understand how to get funding for city government.
Before applying for funding, cities must target the most important community needs. What issues are residents bringing up at public meetings? Where are the biggest gaps in infrastructure? Investigate your local data to find where funding can make a significant impact.
For example, review data for areas like housing, transportation and broadband access. Speak to stakeholders from nonprofits, schools and representative groups. They can tell you what they see every day.
Once you have the data, you can establish clear goals for grants. Lay out your main priorities and how funding would help transform these areas. With a solid understanding of the community, it’s time to locate funding.
Recent concerns about funding disbursement have made finding grant opportunities more challenging. Funding is out there for cities — you just need to dig deep to find it. Local, state and federal agencies all release grant opportunities. Search for federal grants on Grants.gov to start. The next step is your state’s online grant portal.
Keep in mind that the government isn’t the only funding source for cities. Private foundations, corporate programs and regional organizations all offer competitive funding opportunities. Private funding sources are a great way to make up the difference for your city. Go through the grants to find options that align with your city’s goals to improve your chances.
Cities should reach out to their network to improve their funding odds. Strong partnerships with schools, health care providers, nonprofits and other municipalities give you a chance to maximize your resources. Local partners can also make your city look more appealing to grant-makers. Partnering with regional transit and infrastructure providers will make your proposal more compelling.
Look for partners who have similar missions and strong foundations. Local stakeholders often have data, funds and programs you can use to build out your plan. This way, you get to combine experience and resources to make your grant proposals stand out.
Once you and your partners have a goal, it’s time to develop a funding strategy. Applying for every possible grant will wear down your team and make your process less focused. Instead, create a roadmap that works out funding priorities, grant timelines and award criteria. Assign team members to oversee the grant life cycle. How will your team handle reporting and compliance? How will you communicate with funders? Grant success depends on transparency and documentation.
Once you have a roadmap, outline opportunities by priority. Which grants are the most critical? Some grants might have tight matching requirements or spending deadlines that are too strict for your city. Other grants might have less funding but are better aligned with your community’s needs. Organize grants by most doable and start working down the list.
Now that you know what you’re applying to, it’s time to prepare applications. Generally, city applications should inform funders of:
Gather all relevant documents. Grant-makers will want to see letters of support, budget breakdowns, demographic data and impact statements. Make sure everything is easy to understand and accurate.
Next, you need to create tailored applications. Generic language lacks personality and can disconnect your proposal from the grant. Use hard data to quantify your goals — how many residents will benefit, or how many miles of road are you repairing? Your application language should match the grant style and goals. Your city will stand out from the other grant-seekers with an accurate, detailed submission.
Compliance is critical during grant application and management. After the funder awards your city the grant, you must watch compliance carefully. Noncompliance can lead to funding withdrawal or further fines. Cities must follow federal, state and grantor-specific guidelines for funding. Make sure you’re prepared to spend, track and report fund use as required.
Cities should build compliance tracing into their process. Make specific people responsible for each task, like sub-recipient monitoring and milestone reporting. Your grant management team should have clear timelines and backup procedures to work from to prevent issues. Invest in standardized templates to make auditing simpler. With the right software and complaint tracking, you can avoid losing out on essential funding.
Compliance is one part of the grant management process. Once you’ve figured out how to obtain municipality funding, you need to use it effectively. Municipalities must stay on established timelines, track spending and report their outcomes. A tailored grant management software is the solution.
Grant software streamlines the grant process for cities. Leave disconnected spreadsheets, emails and systems behind. These create data silos and can stop you from remaining compliant. Grant software centralizes every part of the grant life cycle for your team. Use it to automate workflows, monitor spending in real time and generate reports tailored to each funder.
With tailored software, you can reduce manual work without reducing grant success. Your city can accelerate reviews, reduce errors and stay compliant with one system. Plus, grant software creates a clear audit trail for better transparency and project outcomes. With the right technology, cities can stay organized while driving long-term funding success.
Cities are often working with fewer resources than larger agencies. If you’re looking into how to get funding for municipalities, level the playing field with IntelliGrants® IGX. Our innovative grant management software gives governments a faster, smarter way to apply for and track grants.
From managing applications to tracking disbursements, IGX helps you streamline every step. We offer cities built-in automation, reporting and personalized workflows configured to your municipality’s needs. Plus, you’ll get ongoing support from a team dedicated to helping you succeed.
See how IntelliGrants IGX can serve your city when you book your demo today!
