Welcome to the Governor’s Office of Federal Assistance (OFA) July/August 2023 edition were content has been crafted specifically for you!
OFA News & Highlights
Streamlining Federal Grants Act of 2023
Source: Homeland Security - Government Affairs
PETERS, CORNYNAND LANKFORD INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN TO BILL HELP IMPROVE THE FEDERAL GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS
WASHINGTON, D.C.– U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, John Cornyn (R-TX), and James Lankford (R-OK)introduced bipartisan legislation that would help streamline the administration of grant programs across the federal government. Governments and organizations in small and rural communities often struggle when applying for federal grants because they lack the necessary resources to navigate a complicated application process. The senators’ bill would simplify and streamline this application process to increase access to federal grants for all communities. The legislation builds on a 2019 law led by Peters and Lankford that required federal grant programs to streamline data standards for applications and reporting.
“Complicated and outdated processes to apply for federal grants often result in underserved communities missing out on opportunities to receive critical funding, ”said Senator Peters. “This bipartisan legislation will help modernize this process and make sure every community in Michigan and across the nation has an equal opportunity to receive federal funding.”
“Applicants from local governments and organizations shouldn’t have to navigate layers of red tape in order to apply for a federal grant,” said Senator Cornyn. “This legislation would streamline the federal grant application process for … communities to ensure they can access the assistance they need.”
“Strategic, competitive federal grants can open opportunities for cities, states, and tribes, as well as local fire departments and others to improve infrastructure, interstate highways and waterways, broadband internet, and more,” said Senator Lankford. “But, the huge federal bureaucratic maze continues to make the grant process difficult to navigate. We can do better and we are. Our bill clearly designates an existing employee at each agency to serve on an interagency grants council, serve as the public contact for grants, and help implement the standards of my GRANT Act. Each agency has its own grants process, but the public-facing side of grants should be as simple and straightforward as possible.”
The Streamlining Federal Grants Act directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to provide guidance to federal agencies on how they can simplify and streamline their grant application processes, including by making notice of funding opportunities easier to understand, updating software and systems that are used to apply for and manage federal grants, and implementing common data standards for grant reporting. The bill also requires agencies to appoint a senior official to develop and implement these plan to improve their grant application and reporting processes. By improving and updating the process to apply for federal grants, the senators’ legislation would reduce the burden on organizations applying for grants, and ensure the fair and efficient distribution of federal grants to communities with the greatest need.
Click to learn more
Now Offering Weekly Grant Opportunities Delivered to Your Inbox!
Want fresh grant opportunities delivered to you?
Experience the ease of having open grant opportunities delivered every Friday right to your inbox?
- No more searching multiple websites for federal grant opportunities!
- No wasted time on grants that won’t work for Nevada!
The Nevada Governor's Office of Federal Assistance (OFA) now offers a weekly update! The weekly grant opportunities email focuses on grant opportunities only.
OFA diligently adds new curated grant opportunities to our watch list. We take the time to analyze each grant to ensure they are open to Nevadans. Then we identify who the grant is for:
- State agencies
- Local agencies (county, cities, towns and special districts)
- Tribal agencies
- Non-Profits
- Educational Institutions
- Libraries & Museums
- More
If the federal grant will benefit Nevada and active, it is on there!
Also listed are some state and foundation grants.
If you have or see a state grant opportunity and want it added, please share it via the NOFO form or email it to us at grants@ofa.nv.gov.
NEW! New Grant Writing Information Packet - Now Available
Imagine a simpler way to approach your grant writing!
Direct from our most popular webinar: Introduction to Grant Writing: Developing our Common Grant Application (webinar replay available) is the Grant Writing Information Packet!
This handy information packet is chockfull of usable tips, tricks, samples, and grant sources you need to craft your own Common Grant Application!
Gleaned from over 30 years of grant writing experience, this common sense guide helps you break down the grant writing process into bite size manageable pieces. When you follow the suggestions and use the samples, grant writing is no longer a anxiety producing monster but a manageable project that anyone can do!
Samples include:
- Needs Statement
- Program/Project Description
- Line Item Budget
- Scope of Work
- Budget Narrative
- Project Director's Checklist
Download OFA's Grant Writing Packet today!
The USDR Nevada Federal Grant Identification Tool Is Live!
Nevada is the first state in the nation to develop this free federal grant discovery tool to empower regional collaboration by helping you identify potential partners and collaborators on federal grant applications.
Check out what StateScoop had to say about these ground breaking efforts!
Visit the website to learn about how you can onboard your team to bring relevant and current federal grant opportunities to your organization and increase collaboration statewide.
Don’t Wait! Register to join the other 150+ users of the free Federal Grant Discovery Tool.
All are welcome. If fact, our current users are wide mix:
- Non-profits: 39%
- State Agencies: 33%
- County government, local government, educational partners, tribal government, and the private sector: 28%
WAIT! There is more!
Registered Users enjoy monthly USDR Office Hours. USDR and OFA staff are there to give you:
- Instant Answers
- Technical Assistance
- Navigation Tips
- Alert Setup Assistance
- More
Watch for the email invite for the September Office Hours! Coming soon!
If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out at grants@ofa.nv.gov.
Register for Access to the USDR Grant Discovery Tool!
Looking for Collaborators & Networking Opportunities?
We are excited to begin offering guided networking opportunities as part of our services. Let us know what groups/topics interest you in our quick two-minute survey.
Begin the survey!
Upcoming Training Opportunities
FREE - Grant Writing: Developing a Scope of Work & Budget; The Backbone of Your Grant Application: August 24, 2023 at 10:00AM
The Nevada Governor’s Office of Federal Assistance’s next free training will take place on August 24, 2023, at 10:00 AM via Teams Webinar. We will provide an overview of the Nevada Grant Manual along with a tour of the additional resources that can be found on the of the OFA website.
Learning Objectives and Outcomes:
- Write a Scope of Work that is so clear approving your grant is a no-brainer!
- How to Write a Line Item Budget that grant reviewers and auditors love!
- Stop a Reviewer’s hesitation with a show stopping budget narrative!
On Demand Recorded Trainings
Missed out in a past OFA training offered or interested in watching again? No worries. Past trainings and handouts are available on our website.
Past Trainings include:
Funding Opportunities
NEW Funding Opportunity Announcement!
Highlighted funding opp with description