Notes on the Governor’s Grants Conference, November 14, 2016

Visit: grants.maryland.gov for information on Maryland grants.

Below is a rough summary of remarks from the Governor’s Grants Conference, notes taken by Heather Iliff who attended. There may be inaccuracies. Many speakers suggested that you reach out to these agencies to learn more and build relationships. Use grants.maryland.gov for grant opportunities.

David Brinkley, Secretary of Budget and Management

  • Budget deficit of $365m.
  • We are anticipating $430m less in revenue for FY2018. The Board of Public Works reduced current budget by $82m.
  • We expect the number of beneficiaries to reduce, and so many budget cuts are related to decreased enrollments.
  • DHR, MSDE, Transportation, DHMH, DHCD, DLLR handle 97% of the federal funding that come into Maryland.
  • DHR, DHMH, and MSDE handle the school lunch programs and other food programs of Dept. of Agriculture.
  • Medicaid, Dept of Agriculture and Housing pass-through, entitlements to individuals. Sequestration may put pressure on these items in the future.

Mark Belton, Secretary of Natural Resources

  • We have 14 different grant programs.
  • Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund: Competitive grant opportunities for $20m in current year to accelerate Bay restoration in non-point source pollution.
  • Up to $35,000 for Watershed Implementation Plans.
  • Climate Ready Communities: $250,000 per year. Address impacts of hazards – flooding, storm events, sea level rise. Climate change action plan.
  • Soil erosion control: zero interest loans for property owners to combat erosion on waterfront
  • Working waterfronts
  • Innovative Technology Fund: $1m per year to help people innovate to turn manure into energy.
  • Marine sewage pump-out program: $475,000: up to $15,000 to marinas for marine sewage pump-out facilities.
  • Boating access program: $450,000 City of Annapolis recently upgraded harbor area.
  • Boating infrastructure grant: $200,000 annually. Harbor East Marina.
  • Waterway improvement fund: Comes from excise boat tax, fluctuates. Currently $10.5m to municipalities and counties to benefit general boating public – marinas, jetty’s boatramps, dredging.
  • $125,000 - $5,000 emergency grants in rural areas related to waterfront.
  • $125,000 for service contract grants to provide port-a-potty’s in marinas.
  • $45,000 for removal of abandoned boats.
  • Forest service volunteer grants: to local firefighters for buying equipment.
  • Land Conservation Acquisition: Money comes from real estate transfer tax.
  • Program Open Space based on a formula to enhance parks or buy land for more parks. Rural Legacy Program: $14.5m per year.
  • Community Parks and Playgrounds: $2.5m.
  • The Cabinet works together as a team on the state budget, and DNR works with Governor’s Chesapeake Bay Cabinet: Energy Administration, Transportation, Planning.
  • Preserve, protect, restore and enhance the state’s natural resources.
  • Clean water.
  • Sustainable populations of living resources.
  • Natural resources stewardship opportunities
  • Public and private lands
  • Diverse recreational activities.

Rona Kramer, Secretary of Aging

  • To allow Maryland’s residents to age in place or anywhere that they choose.
  • Improves quality of life dramatically.
  • For every person who stays at home, we save Medicaid $76,000 per year.
  • We get $50m per year to do our job, half federal and half state.
  • We grant out almost all of our funds to Area Agencies on Aging, some are nonprofits and the majority are local governmental agencies.
  • Some innovative grants.
  • Provide information and assistance to people looking for assistance in staying at home.
  • Provide thousands of meals – congregate setting and home delivered.
  • Medicare counseling and health promotion.
  • We run Chronic Disease Self-Management Program
  • In Montgomery County, they are offering a medication management program. If we do that well, we can eliminate one of the top reasons people go into a nursing home to manage medications. Some medications require a blood test, checking blood pressure, or other measures to ensure safe administration of medications. We want to take this all over the state of Maryland.
  • Under the Hogan Administration we are improving the tracking of our grants. We have a close relationship with our grantees. This is helping us prevent unused funds at the end of the grant period.
  • We have discovered that we have to always remember its relationship, relationship, relationship. We see it from both ends – grantees, grantors, federal and state representatives.
  • Never forget being logical about what you are doing. If the grantor is asking you to do something that doesn’t make sense, put down the computer and talk to people!
  • We are always looking for innovative ideas, and we like to think outside the box.

Greg James, Acting Secretary of Human Resources

  • We are the state’s social safety net, the human services agency.
  • TANF program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Child Welfare, Foster Care, Adult Protective Services, Child Support Enforcement.
  • We deliver through 24 local DHR offices.
  • Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is one of our biggest partners.
  • DHR receives about $1.8 billion in federal funding. Vast majority directly flows to clients – TANF, SNAP and Foster Care.
  • Thrive by 25 Program: Assist older youth transitioning out of foster care into adulthood. Group of local DHR offices on the Eastern Shore went for federal funding for this pilot program, and they are implementing and working with local nonprofit partners.
  • Future: For FY18, one of the programs we provide is energy assistance, helps stabilize families. There is an opportunity for us to do more. How to help families adjust and develop skills they need to avoid crisis in the future? Launching new program in FY18 partner families with a variety of different organizations – local government, nonprofits, other providers. Help them better understand what is driving their energy costs and bring them back into line with a manageable cost related to their income.

Jim Rzepkowski, Assistant Secretary of Dept. of Labor, Licensing & Regulations

  • Predominantly federal funded by Dept of Labor and Dept of Education.
  • Workforce Education and Opportunity Act – WEOA, passed in 2014.
  • $58.8m in Title 1 funding flows to local areas. Training dollars go to 12 local areas.
  • Demonstration grants: We go to Dept. of Labor for demonstration grants that occur after something bad happens. We got $12m to provide workforce development programs for teenagers in Baltimore after the Baltimore Uprising.
  • Job Driven Emergency Grant – Addressing long-term unemployed. Grant has been extended to June 2017.
  • Accelerator Grant - $200,000.
  • November 14-18 is National Apprenticeship Week.
  • Coming soon, $640,000 in apprenticeship grants.
  • Maryland Business Works: $1m in funding for incumbent worker training. Having difficulty giving the money away.
  • Adult Learning, GED Programs, 26 grantees. New Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act.
  • Disability Employment Initiative: $2.5m to improve workforce development for people with severe disabilities. Will go to Anne Arundel and Montgomery County.
  • If you are doing Workforce, come work with us.

Steve McAdams, Governor’s Office on Community Initiatives

  • Work with 8 ethnic commissions, Volunteer Maryland, Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism.
  • Everything you do is about messaging. Learn how to tell that story. Build partnerships.
  • We give out $3m in grants.
  • Everybody is looking to make a sustainable investment, not be the sole 100% investor. Pool resources together.
  • Our job is to be a facilitator. Let us know about what you are doing.

Mary Beth Tung, Esq., Director, Energy Administration

  • Maryland Energy Administration is a part of the governor’s office. We are an independent office. Our mission is to provide affordable, reliable and clean energy for all Marylanders.
  • We manage the strategic energy investment fund.
  • Maryland is a member of the regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Cap and trade program. There are credits that powerplantshave to provide when they are polluting. Those credits can be bought and the money goes into the strategic energy investment fund. Maryland gets $70m to $80m per year. Half goes to DHR for the programs on energy bill assistance and programs to help people mange electric bills. The rest goes to renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. First come, first served – electric vehicle tax rebates. Funds from mergers and other settlements.
  • Funds from federal government – energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, programs that shift fleets. No state general funding at all.
  • We administer federally funded awards. $714,000 per year. State energy program award will partially fund staff salaries.
  • Clean Energy Communities Program: Maryland’s low to moderate income program. Communities commit to 15% overall reduction in energy usage in their community or 20% in renewable energy sources. Or 20% fuel reduction. We work with nonprofits such as Rebuilding Together, MCVETs, Habitat for Humanity. Retrofitting community centers, homeless shelters, nursing homes. We also work with DHCD on weatherization

FEDERAL FUNDING

Matthew Reese, Federal Funds Information for States

  • Most federal funds are already spoken for.
  • Growing spending on Medicaid creates downward pressure on all other grant programs.
  • Maryland receives $1,611 per capita in federal funding, slightly lower than $1,827 national average. If you take Medicaid out, the US Average is $720.
  • Most money goes to “formula” grants. These are based on Medicaid (did the state expand Medicaid?); Geography (federal land, natural resources), Income (low income, high poverty), Population (Small-state minimums, demographics of population). State will get amount of funding based on number of children involved in juvenile justice program, but no state will get less than xx. Small state minimums lead to large per-capita amounts for smaller states.
  • Bipartisan Budget Agreement, Sequestration. Speaker and President Elect seem to be focused more on increases in defense spending than they are on cuts to other funding.
  • Congress comes back today and must do something for FY17 to avoid a shutdown.
  • We expect to see funds for opioids, child welfare, TANF needs to be extended. WRDA (Flint water); Mental Health, Medicare Part B
  • On the radar for next year:
  • Budget process reforms. Move to bi-annual budgeting.
  • Reconciliation: Entitlement reform, ACA, Medicaid, TANF, Infrastructure, tax reform.
  • Programs: CHIP, Health expirations, higher education
  • Anti-poverty overhaul, healthcare overhaul.
  • Debt Limit is March 15, but will be focus in the summer.
  • FEMA disaster
  • ;

Tricia Glass, Grants.gov

  • Register to get a Dun and Bradstreet to get a number (DUNS).
  • Then go to Establish an EBIZ point of contact (EBIZ POC). You will get a Marketing Partner Identification Number (MPIN).
  • Everything is merged from SAM.gov over to Grants.gov. Set up your organization in Grants.gov. The EBIZ POC in SAM must be renewed annually, and if it is not renewed, you will not be able to submit for a federal grant.
  • You can have as many Authorized Organization Representatives in your account, managed by your EBIZ POC.
  • You can search grants by keyword or a funding opportunity number.
  • The Legacy Application Package option is being phased out. The new Workspace will allow multiple people in your organization to work on the application.

Dennis Bega, US Department of Education

  • I’ve been in education since my hair was brown and my teeth were white.
  • We’ve gone through many Federal iterations – No Child Left Behind. In December, we have the Every Student Succeeds Act. Codifies a federal role in education. Our funding, whether formula or discretionary, represents 10-13% of what a state spends on education every year. Most education money is state and local.
  • Visit ED.gov. We administer the Higher Education Act, Karl Perkins Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and other statutory authorities. Sometimes there is authorizing language but no appropriations. Coming to our website will allow you to be current with what we are announcing with grants. ED.gov provides information on eligible applicants.
  • Formula grant program: $38b in 7500 grant distributions.
  • Discretionary: 7000 grants, $5b. Mostly to local school systems. Higher education $2b in discretionary grants.
  • Current grant for $270m, will be 800 awards. Deadline is Nov 20, for post-secondary education.
  • HBCU or minority serving organization or have a large population of students of color, grants of $300,000 for minority science end education improvement initiative.
  • Be sure you are eligible for the grant before you apply. You may need to partner with a school system or university. Be sure to follow the instructions. We exclude grants if there are too many pages, for example. Plan ahead. Technology problems do occur, and plan to submit a few days ahead of the deadline.

Greg Ukaegbu, Department of Health and Human Services

  • Everyone in the US is being touched by Health and Human Services.
  • We have 11 grants-awarding agencies.
  • Administration of Children and Families, Administration of Health Research and Quality, Administration for Aging and Disabilities, CDC, CMS, FDA, MIH, SAMSA (Mental Health)
  • Most grants do not go to individuals. They go to states, states give them to local governments. Nonprofits apply at state or local government level. Seldom to our grants go straight to organizations. Information is available at grants.gov.
  • Visit HHS Forecast. What is being planned in the future that may be announced on Grants.gov.

Eric Nelson, Department of Labor

  • There are 16 programs through which Department of Labor provides grants.
  • YouthBuild
  • Reentry Employment Opportunities
  • Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College & Career Training
  • Workforce Innovation Fund
  • American Apprenticeship Initiative
  • Linking to Employment Activities Pre-Release
  • National Farmworker Jobs Program
  • Senior Community Service Employment Program
  • Technical Skills Training Grants
  • Disability Initiative
  • Training to Work
  • Youth Career Connect
  • Force Forward
  • Ready to Work Partnerships
  • Characteristics Common to Female Former Offender
  • Demonstration
  • Demonstration programs are great opportunities for Department of Labor to innovate and work with local partners. Funding was provided for Baltimore after the Uprising.
  • Idea of competition. One grant – 235 applications; 16 rejected due to incomplete information; 39 grants awarded.
  • Currently – reentry projects $66m; announced in January.
  • YouthBuild $80m – will announce funding opp by end of 2016

Velma Lakins, US Department of Agriculture

  • Develop opportunities for producers and consumers
  • Grants are available through Local Food Promotion Program, including farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture, food hub, and agro-tourism.
  • Federal State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP)
  • Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP) & Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
  • We look for partnerships and want to see you have community support and buy-in.
  • Visit

Gil Tran, Office of Management and Budget

  • Federal government budget is $4 trillion; Now, $620b in grants.
  • American Recovery and Investment Act: $115b in grants
  • Grants take care of things that are urgent in this country: Hurricane Sandy, Ebola, Zika, Moonshot for Cancer Research.
  • Presidents will shift grant areas a bit, but I do not see it dropping.
  • Procurement and contract side fluctuates much more. In 1995 contracts were $250b. Now contracts are $450b.
  • States receive 90% of the grant money. The federal grant money is about 1/3 of the states’ budgets.
  • Maryland receives $9.1b in grants which is 34%. Highest is Mississippi has 45% of their revenue made up of grants; Alaska is the lowest at 24%.
  • Higher education receives high levels of grants money.
  • 1950, federal grants were $2.5b. Health, income security, education and transportation were the top four and that is the same today.
  • Grants improve the quality of life.
  • The Uniform Guidance has already been implemented. Here is brief history:
  • 2011 Presidential Memo to reduce improper payments and reduce administration. We needed to look at the OMB Circular that governs the $620b in grants.
  • Reduce administrative burden.
  • Council on Federal Assistance Reform with specific purpose of doing something as a result of presidential memo.
  • 2012: Proposed rule making for comments. One idea was a flat 20% indirect cost rate. We got a lot of comments back. We took a year to put out what went out in 2013.
  • 2013: New Uniform Guidance Published
  • Gil Tran brought the Uniform Guidance to a visit with Rome and it was blessed by the Pope .
  • 2014: Effective Date of the Uniform Guidance
  • 2014 – 2016: Technical questions, FAQ’s, Agencies finalize the rules, full effect of regulation; collecting metrics
  • Eliminates duplicative and conflicting guidance: No longer have to follow multiple circulars. No more A102, A122, A133, A102, etc. All one uniform guidance for everyone.
  • Focuses on performance over compliance for accountability
  • Encourages efficient use of information technology and shared services
  • Provides for consistent and transparent treatment of costs
  • The Uniform Guidance has 6 Subparts. Subparts A and B are definitions and general. Subpart C is for people in the federal government. Subpart D is the section grant recipients need to pay attention to. Subpart E and F apply to everybody -cost principles and audit.
  • Note language. “Should” is a recommendation. Must: If you don’t do this, it will be a finding in your audit.
  • Top 10 Impacts
  • Standard definitions
  • Computing devices as supplies (less than $5000) not equipment
  • Fixed award amount – fixed price, outcome and results. No detailed accounting required.
  • Internal controls: you design it. We don’t lay it out, but you design your level of internal controls.
  • Procurement standards: applies to state and local government
  • Sub-recipient monitoring – was always part of the guidelines but is now in the forefront.
  • Direct charges of administrative salaries – in past all admin salaries were indirect costs, and now can be charged as direct costs
  • Indirect cost rate acceptance
  • Documentation for personnel services – follow your own internal controls. Outcome based. Project directors can certify people under them.
  • Audit report transparency – all the audit reports will be online.