March 10, 2023
Chantell O’Neal, Assistant Director; Engineering
City of Fort Bragg
416 North Franklin Street
Fort Bragg, CA 95437
Subject: On-Call Grant Writing Services
Assistant Director O’Neal and the Evaluation Committee:
Evan Brooks Associates, Inc. (EBA) — a certified disadvantaged, small business enterprise (D/SBE) and a California Corporation — is pleased to present this proposal to secure funding for projects and programs that achieve the City of Fort Bragg’s (City) goals and vision of creating a healthier, more resilient, prosperous, sustainable, and safe future for all community members.
Our experienced team of grant writers, planners, greenhouse gas (GHG) analysts, cost estimators, funding specialists, graphic designers, and cartographers have been successfully securing grants for more than a decade, totaling more than $2.2 billion in funding from sources such as the Active Transportation Program (ATP), Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), Federal Transit Authority (FTA) Transit Oriented Development (TOD), Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP), Habitat Conservation Fund (HCF), Statewide Park Program (SPP), Urban Forestry, Urban Rivers, and Urban Greening.
We are committed to not only meeting the City’s grant securing needs, but to exceeding them. Our project manager, Daniel Bartelson, MPA, MBA, has more than 20 years of experience managing similar bench and on-call contracts. With his leadership, EBA’s team will prepare high-quality, captivating, and data-driven applications that get funded. As Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (Metro) former Capital Planning and Programming Manager and EBA’s President, I, Hal Suetsugu, will manage grant awarded funds, assuring compliance with grant conditions, and, when necessary, provide updates and reports on grant activities to funding sources.
Please feel free to contact me via telephone (626) 799-8011 or via email at [email protected] should you like to schedule an interview. We look forward to hearing back from you! Best regards,
Mr. Hal Suetsugu, President
Evan Brooks Associates, Inc.
Evan Brooks Associates, Inc.
750 E. Green Street, Suite 301
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 799-8011
www.ebaplanning.com
PROPOSAL On-Call Grant Writing Services | 23
UNDERSTANDING
Like several coastal communities throughout
California, the City of Fort Bragg (City) faces
many challenges, from environmental issues,
such as rising sea levels, flooding, and erosion,
to transportation and infrastructure. Isolated
from major urban centers and lacking convenient
transportation options, many residents rely on
personal vehicles to access essential services. The
city’s aging infrastructure and narrow roads also
pose challenges, particularly during peak tourist
season when traffic can become congested.
Water resources are also a concern, as the city
is susceptible to droughts and relies on limited
local water sources. Additionally, the CV Starr
Community Center, a vital community resource,
requires significant upgrades and maintenance
to continue serving the community effectively.
Finally, limited green spaces throughout the
community make it difficult to provide adequate
outdoor recreational opportunities for residents.
To address these and other issues, the City is
proactively seeking a consultant or a bench of
consultants that can acquire and manage grant
funding to make meaningful progress toward
meeting its constituents’ needs and providing
top-quality services while sustaining a sound
fiscal position.
Via this contract, the City has a profound
opportunity to expand its capabilities and,
ultimately, continue improving the quality of life
for residents and visitors. By increasing available
City funding to pay for community-supported
projects and programs, community members will
be able to enjoy things they want, like increased
mobility via better designed streets that benefit all
users (e.g., motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and
transit-users); upgraded parks and community
connections; and sustainable development
that protects the City’s environment for future
generations to come. The City has a profound
opportunity to meet its goals and objectives to
its constituents by selecting consultants that are
committed to help secure and manage grant
funding that makes its projects and programs a
reality.
Our team is committed to ensuring the success
of this contract. We have learned from previous
experiences (Figure 7) and understand that
Lessons Learned
Review the proposed city project carefully utilizing past award lists (i.e., what the funding agency has historically funded) and the evaluation criteria for the current cycle under the grant program being considered. This exercise will allow you to save resources by only preparing applications with high funding potential.
Utilize independent quality assurance/quality control protocols and establish a review process with relevant stakeholders to ensure accuracy and completeness of the application. A siloed approach will ensure every application is double, even triple checked before submittal.
Test submission portals in advance and submit early.
Maintain an online folder to share and house all information (e.g., Dropbox).
Develop naming conventions for files to ease workflow.
Regularly communicate with funding agencies after an award is made. Though it may not be explicitly stated anywhere, proactively ensuring you are meeting reporting requirements makes a huge impact to the success of obtaining future grants from that agency. If you don’t, you risk being blacklisted! Figure 7. Lessons Learned
SCOPE OF WORK
PROPOSAL On-Call Grant Writing Services | 24
this contract can become deadline-driven and
resource-intensive, especially when multiple grant
opportunites are released and due within days.
As such, we will provide all services requested,
including, but not limited to:
Match grants to City endeavors utilizing
grant databases (e.g., Grant Finder, eCivis,
Grants.gov, and CA.gov/grants);
Identify, in collaboration with the City,
which grants to pursue by involving staff in
the decision making process;
Prepare well-written grants by assigning
writers with the appropriate expertise
and with a high success rate for the grant
program;
Bring together appropriate stakeholders and
utilize existing relationships with funding
agency staff and their directives throughout
the grant development process;
Manage grant awarded funds, assuring
compliance with grant conditions, and,
when necessary, provide updates and reports
on grant activities to funding sources;
Seek to understand City goals, finances,
and stakeholder relationships and work to
support and strengthen all of them.
METHODOLOGY TO IDENTIFY
GRANTS
Our team will partner with City staff, working
one-on-one to build a sustainable grants
management program. Project Manager, Daniel,
will attend the City’s project kick-off meeting.
The meeting will be a time to discuss current
and proposed project funding needs, including
City Council goals, objectives, and City staff
expectations.
Using our collected information from the kickoff meeting, as well as reviewing the City’s capital improvement plan, we will prepare a draft
funding forecast (Figure 8) that shows upcoming
grants that align with City projects/needs. The
Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Ongoing/Rolling Deadline TBD (NOFA unavailable) City Priority Projects Quote submitted!
Funding for development of a
comprehensive safety action plan
U.S. Department of Transportation:
Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A)
Grant Program
Due: September 15, 2022
Grade Separated Railroad Crossing
(reconnecting bridge to northern
neighborhood/city limits) OR
Railroad Crossing Quiet Zone
U.S. Department of Transportation:
Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant
Due: October 4, 2022
Grade Separated Railroad Crossing
(reconnecting bridge to northern
neighborhood/city limits) OR
Railroad Crossing Quiet Zone
U.S. Department of Transportation:
Consolidated Rail Infrastructure &
Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant
Program
Due: December 1, 2022
Sourdough Intake OR City Parking
Garage w/ roof-top solar array and
battery backup
U.S. Department of Commerce,
Economic Development
Administration (EDA): Public Works
and Economic Adjustment Assistance
Program including CARES Act and
American Rescue Plan Act Funding
Due: Ongoing
Consult with EDA (Aaron Pratt
[email protected]).
Grade Separated Railroad Crossing
(reconnecting bridge to northern
neighborhood/city limits).
U.S. Department of Transportation:
Bridge Formula Program (BFP)
Due: TBD
Montana Department of
Transportation (MDT) will receive
funding.
Solar Arrays with Battery
Storage at City Facilities
—
Net Zero Energy Rebate
Program
—
Electric Vehicle Charging
Stations
—
Scalable Renewable Energy
Source Development (Wind
and Solar)
—
Railroad Crossing Quiet Zone
—
City Parking Garage w/ rooftop solar array and battery backup
—
Grade Separated Railroad
Crossing (reconnecting bridge
to northern neighborhood/city
limits)
—
Transportation / Interstate /
Highway On and Off-ramp
—
Water/Sewer - Sourdough
Intake
Quote submitted!
Tourism and recreation projects,
such as infrastructure upgrades
that enhance visitor experience
and increase expenditures, online
branding of destinations, heritage
preservation, wayfinding, etc.
Montana Department of Commerce:
Tourism Grant Program
Due: September 15, 2022
Up to $4 million to entities
willing to introduce and prepare
justice-involved youth and young
adults for the world of work
through placement into paid work
experiences. The goal is to introduce
and prepare youth for the world of
work, help youth identify career
interests, attain relevant skills, and
gain work experience
U.S. Department of Labor: Growth
Opportunities
Due: October 5, 2022
Up to $2 million to conduct
demonstration projects focused on
advanced smart city or community
technologies and systems in a
variety of communities to improve
transportation efficiency and safety.
U.S. Department of Transportation:
Strengthening Mobility and
Revolutionizing Transportation
(SMART)
Due: December 18, 2022
Funding to revitalize a town hall,
a senior center, a local little league
field, a library, or any space where
friends and neighbors gather.
T-Mobile: Hometown Grants Program
Due: Quarterly (for next 5 years)
Must have “shovel ready”plans.
Population of city/town must be at
or under 50,000.
Solar Arrays with Battery Storage
at City Facilities OR Net Zero
Energy Rebate Program OR
Scalable Renewable Energy Source
Development (Wind and Solar)
U.S. Department of Energy: Energy
Efficiency and Conservation Block
Grant Program
Due: TBD
NOFA expected in 4th quarter of
2022!
Funding for capital projects that
support the purchase, design,
construction, restoration, or
renovation of buildings or sites of
national, historical, architectural,
or cultural significance and facilities
that house humanities collections or
are used for humanities activities.
National Endowment for the
Humanities: Infrastructure and
Capacity Building Challenge Grants
— Capital Projects
Due: September 27, 2022
Grade Separated Railroad Crossing
(reconnecting bridge to northern
neighborhood/city limits)
U.S. Department of Transportation:
Reconnecting Communities Pilot
Program
Due: October 13, 2022
Necessary feasibility studies and
other planning activities must be
completed to apply for capital
construction grant! Will fund
planning activities, if needed.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations.
U.S. Department of Transportation:
Charging and Fueling Infrastructure
Grants
Due: TBD
NOFA expected in Winter 2022-
2023!
Fall 2022
*Click grant name to view more information.
Grant Funding Forecast/Schedule
City of Bozeman
Last Updated: October 9, 2022 10:08 PM
1 Winter 2022-23
Figure 8. Example of a Grant Funding Forecast
PROPOSAL On-Call Grant Writing Services | 25
forecast will serve as a living document, providing
the City with clarity and an action plan to start
applying for grant opportunities. The forecast
will be provided in Microsoft Excel to ensure
City staff can edit and update as needed.
Additionally, we will prepare and submit grant
opportunity reports. The reports identify
potential funding opportunities, including, but
not limited to, Federal, State, local, foundation,
and private grants that can be used to fund and
implement City project. The report will provide
crucial information on the viability of each grant
in relation to the time and resources required to
pursue and manage it.
The process of finding grants can be timeconsuming and daunting; however, our team actively monitors and tracks existing programs
throughout the year using online resources and
internal grant calendars that show us when a
grant opportunity is likely to be released based
on previous funding cycles.
With several new grant programs being created
under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)
of 2021, our team utilizes several online tools
to find and track programs, including, but not
limited to:
• Grants.gov is the official website of
Federal grant programs, and it contains
information on more than $500 billion in
grants awarded each year.
• California Grants Portal is a searchable
database of more than 5,000 grants and
loans available for nonprofit organizations
and public agencies across the state.
• Grantwatch.com is a subscription-based
website that features over 500 grant
opportunities worth more than $10 billion
annually for state and local governments,
nonprofits, and community-based
organizations in California
These, and other websites, allow our team to
search by keyword or filter results by funding
source, category, or agency. In this way, we are
able to find grants that align with City projects.
We also frequently reach out to funding agencies
for advice on funding mechanisms and potential
upcoming opportunities that align with our
client’s projects. Often times, funding agency
staff provide helpful resources and direction to
programs that may not have been considered.
Finally, ensuring the City is aware of
opportunities early (preferably before the Notice
of Funding Availability is released) is critical to
the development of competitive applications
that get funded. Therefore, we will present City
staff with viable grant opportunities by email or
telephone as grants become available.
PROPOSAL On-Call Grant Writing Services | 26
CITY INVOLVEMENT
With several associates being former municipal
employees, we understand City staff has many
duties and responsibilities outside of grants
acquisition and management. Therefore, City
staff will be largely be responsible for deciding
whether to pursue a grant opportunity that our
team presents to the City (or any grant that
may come across the desks of City staff). Upon
an approved notice to proceed with a grant
application, the City will be emailed a checklist
of items required for that particular grant. The
checklist will itemize documents that the City
will need to collect and supply to our team before
the grant deadline. Examples include:
Signature pages
Support letters
Approved resolutions
To ensure scopes, budgets, and project elements
are to the specifications of the City, City
staff will also be expected to provide written
comments on draft grant applications. Fresh
eyes, especially from the perspective of those
who work for and live in the City, will ensure
all needs and project elements are presented
accurately in the application.
GRANT APPLICATION
PROCESS
Each grant application has different requirements
and will require varying amounts of effort;
however, our typical scope of grant writing
activities is shown in Figure 9. In general, we
provide full grant writing and management
services (including technical studies, photography,
design, outreach, and post-award compliance
reports). The following provides additional
details and sub-tasks:
Project
Development
Data Collection
and
Review
Grant
Preparation
Draft
Review
Finalize
and Submit
Project Management | Quality Assurance and Control
• Timeline/
schedule of
important dates
• Prepare checklist
of items needed
to submit
application
• Identify strategic
partners
• Discuss and
develop project
scope, schedule,
and budget with
City
• Review local
policies and grant
guidelines to
ensure consistency/
compliance
• Collect applicable
data
• Review existing
City plans/policies/
draft plans
• Align plans/
policies with grant
guidelines
• Prepare application
• Prepare funding plan
• Prepare technical
materials (e.g., maps/
conceptual designs/
graphic elements/
photo-simulations/
other grant
requirements)
• Collect digital photos
• Provide City with
draft letters of
support
• Independent
quality assurance
and control
review by separate
EBA staff
• Provide City with
draft application
• City to provide
EBA with one
(1) set of written
comments
• Incorporate City
comments
• Obtain signatures
• Prepare required
number of copies
• Submit
application per
grant program
guidelines
• Email electronic
copy of
completed
application to
City
Figure 9. EBA’s Grant Application Development and Submittal Process PROPOSAL On-Call Grant Writing Services | 27
1 Review Application, Guidelines, and
Evaluation Criteria
Application requirements, guidelines, and
evaluation criteria will all be reviewed in depth
in order to recognize any differences from the
requirements, guidelines, and criteria used
in previous cycles. A full and comprehensive
understanding of all of these is necessary and
will guide project documentation, as well as
application preparation and submittal. We
will prepare a detailed memo and checklist
outlining all requirements for distribution
amongst all relevant team members to ensure
that expectations are communicated to all parties
involved. The memo/checklist will include any
tasks that we may need assistance with from the
City. Examples include: executed signature
pages, approved resolutions, stakeholder contacts,
and any internal data not readily available to the
general public.
2 Project Area Characteristics
Every single project will include a scan of
the area in which that project proposes to
be implemented. This scan will identify
important area characteristics that will allow
for a clear understanding of current issues and
development of proposed recommendation and
implementation. This task will help our team
maximize the cost-benefit of each project, while
paying close attention to addressing the existing
concerns of that location.
For transportation planning projects, such as
HSIP and ATP projects, identified solutions will
be evaluated and reviewed by our engineering
team to ensure that each recommended action
does not create new problems. The information
obtained through the scans will be used by team
members to support project justifications going
forward, and will be incorporated into project
maps, charts, data graphics, and other project
application materials where reasonably necessary
or useful.
3 Modeling and Analysis
As deemed necessary, our project team may
include subject matter experts (pre-approved
by the City), such as architects, economists, or
information technology experts. Use of subject
matter experts will assist our team in running
forecasting models and analyzing project impacts.
The goal of this process is to provide quantitative
data and baseline measurements for the proposed
project or program. Including experts early in
the grant writing process will yield a more finetune narrative that is backed by sound technical judgment and reasoning.
For projects which require modeling and analysis,
our project team will utilize available databases
and resources, as well as coordinate with local
agencies, such as law enforcement, the City, or
local stakeholders, to ensure that accurate and
complete data is utilized to evaluate conditions.
Current data will assist in determining what
project impacts have in that area.
4 Letters of Support
An important component of grant applications
is proof of sponsorship and community support.
Our team will ensure that all grant applications
include the necessary documentation of support
from City councils, community groups,
neighborhood councils, business improvement
districts, local business owners, pedestrian,
bicycle and SRTS advocacy groups, property
owners, and developers so that the evaluating
body will see that all the necessary support is in
place to implement the proposed projects.
5 Perform Any Necessary Public
Outreach
We typically assume that most or all necessary
public outreach has been performed sufficiently;
however, we are prepared to coordinate costeffective public outreach efforts with the local agency, stakeholders, and advocacy groups before
finalizing project design and submitting the
final grant application. Outreach efforts enable
PROPOSAL On-Call Grant Writing Services | 28
us to partner with local advocacy groups and
to communicate effectively with community
partners.
6 Project Area Photos
Project area photos are often a necessary
component of grant applications that illustrate
the need for the project in a very comprehensible
way. Any available photographs from the City
will be collected and considered, but we will
perform comprehensive photography (including
aerial photography) of all project areas to fully
document local conditions. By doing so, our
grant applications will clearly tell the story about
local need for the project and the positive impact
that the proposed project will have in the area.
7 Demonstrate Consistency with
Existing Plans and Policies
This is an important task, and requires review of
existing land use, transportation, sustainability,
public health plans, and policies. Undertaking
such a review allows us to demonstrate that
not only does the project have the support of
community members; it is also supported by
official policy and largely consistent with regional
plans. By doing so, we will demonstrate how the
project will help interested agencies and parties
meet regional goals.
8 Create Maps and Layouts
We will work with our in-house graphic designers
and cartographers to develop maps that illustrate
the extent of each project, surrounding land use,
previous safety concern sites, activity centers,
and any other local features necessary to support
the requirements of a particular application. We
will complete the majority of this information in
ArcGIS so that maps, an easily-accessible format
for presentation of information, can be included
in final applications. We use public databases
and GIS information to show the project’s land
use and relation to disadvantaged communities.
These are important pieces of information to
include as applications for projects serving
disadvantaged communities typically score
higher in the evaluation process, translating into
greater success rates.
9 Provide Supporting Data
Applications will cite and include any necessary
documentation supporting claims of project
benefits, but will do so in a way that makes them
engaging and easily readable, bearing in mind
that applications are typically scored by both
experts and volunteers.
10 Craft a Succinct and Compelling Case
for the Project
A critical component of every application is
a compelling narrative that explains local and
regional need for the proposed project to address
the identified problem. Our team is experienced
in crafting these compelling narratives by using
engaging language and storylines to develop
compelling grant applications.
11 Draft Review Phase
When our team has finished drafting and
revising a draft text, we will upload the text of
the application onto a file sharing service so
that City staff can read and offer comments on
the contents of the application. This allows
City staff to review the draft application earlier
in the process, and without all the additional
components of an actual application. After
receiving and implementing any feedback on the
text of the application, all draft packages will be
prepared to fit the granting agency’s template.
12 Full-Draft Application
Our team of experts will compile the draft
application package, bringing together all
written sections, photos, charts, maps, and other
graphic components into a single document
for City staff review. Our team is prepared to
meet with City staff via teleconference, or inperson, to discuss comments and concerns about full-draft applications. We will formally note
all comments, suggestions, and actions taken
PROPOSAL On-Call Grant Writing Services | 29
as a result, so that City staff will be able to see
how concerns are being addressed. This will
allow all parties involved to collaborate easily
and effectively in application development,
and provide a transparent and effective channel
for resolution of conflicting opinions as to
application components. In this way, executive
approval and ultimate timely submission of all
grant applications are made easy.
Typical deliverables may include, but not be
limited to:
Pre-applications/letters of intent
Checklist for grant applications
Existing conditions
Letters of support
Summary of public outreach or outreach update
plan and new public outreach, if necessary
Benefit-cost analysis
Planning document and policy consistency
Maps
Project concept design drawings
Photographs
Cost estimates
Complete project draft applications
Attendance at review meetings – as needed
Final project applications in electronic and
printed form for the City and granting agency
13 Post-Award Grant/Funds Management
EBA has worked closely with cities to manage
their grant-awarded funds, from preparing
all types of documents (e.g., preliminary
environmental studies, certifications, and request
for authorization for each project phase) to
preparing bid documents, tracking expenditures,
and preparing progress reports to the funding
agency detailing compliance with their eligible
funding use.
With more than 30 years of experience, Hal
Suetsugu — supported by EBA staff certified via
the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) to
assist cities with Caltrans’ forms and post-award
procedures — will ensure the City is meeting its
commitment and reporting requirements to each
granting agency and funding source.
EBA will work hand-in-hand with City staff to
ensure projects are moving forward in a timely
manner. This support includes conducting an
initial assessment of all identified grant-funded
projects, evaluating their compliance status
with grant guidelines, and preparing the initial
authorization to proceed with work. Once
approved, EBA will monitor funding use and
prepare reports as required by funding agencies.
Ensuring our client’s meet all project and funding
reporting requirements in a timely (and typically
expedited) fashion is EBA’s top priority.