Grant Funding Strategies for Economic and Workforce Development Programs

1. Grant Funding Strategies for Economic and Workforce Development Programs withDan Fey Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County

2. Some Assumptions and Context • Goal: Economic vitality and economic prosperity for all residents • Economic Development and Workforce Development are critical partners to achieve this goal • Not all regions are the same • Applies to public, private, corporate funding

3. Barriers in Grant/Fund Development • It’s not easy being an intermediary • Misperceptions and misunderstandings • Tendency to be reactive, not proactive in development • Unexamined and under-developed partnerships • Types of funding, expectations, funding shelf-life • Creating a “bubble” for development work

4. Opportunities in Grant/Fund Development • Increased industry voice and direction • Alignment of resources and agency talents and networks • Chance to behave in “realer” time (e.g. Health IT) • Opportunity to align industry demand with WF supply and credentials • Opportunity for a more competitive regional economy

5. Partnerships • Specific Employers • Associate Development Organizations • Industry Associations • Community Based Organizations • City/County Government and Economic Development • Organized Labor

6. How To • Structural: • Identify sources of potential funding support throughout organization • Hold development conversation year round, regardless of budget • Develop grant tracking and workup structure • Compose needs/desires/designs regardless of funding source or current availability • Implement a structure that works best for you (inside, outside, combo)

7. How To • Behavioral: • Foster a climate of fund development and diversification • Regularize the funding conversation and plan • Don’t chase funding • Read solicitation. Read it again. Read it again. • Design and develop model (outcomes and budget and abstract first) • Test model and find its flaws • Stay focused on “reasonableness” – that is your test • Celebrate thoughtful decisions and “nos” • Celebrate victories

8. Metrics • Funding applied for, pending, result • Grants ending • New grants – funding available • Keep historical tracking documents of grant work ups • Numbers of no and yes • Lessons learned from previous grants

9. Lessons Learned • Implement structures and behaviors • Find a grant development process that works for you • Design thoughtful and reasonable model and test it • Don’t overpromise and don’t under-promise • Avoid unnecessary decentralization in your designs • Identify, develop, and maintain partnerships • Always begin with an abstract and share it • Then do the outcomes and budget

10. Lessons Learned • Budget is a scope of work too and should align with your grant narrative • Get ready for the late surprise. It ALWAYS happens • Showing up is 90% of success • Don’t procrastinate • Think about needs before you shop for funds • Read the solicitation • Design clear roles and responsibilities across partnerships • Be strategic • Be thoughtful about your sources of funding (even philanthropic has expectations) • Check for vacations

11. Dan Fey Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County 2003 Western Ave, Ste 250 Seattle, WA 98121-2162 206.448.0474 ext. 3031 dfey@seakingwdc.org