1 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services
PROPOSAL FOR GRANT WRITING SERVICES
CITY OF RIALTO
Prepared by:
Jake Whitaker
Director of Grant Services
[email protected]
(530) 681- 9731
ORGANIZATION ....................................................................... 4 BACKGROUND AND PROJECT SUMMARY ............................ 5 FIRM EXPERIENCE .................................................................. 7 PERSONNEL ............................................................................. 7 REFERENCES ........................................................................ 15 SCOPE OF WORK .................................................................. 17 IDENTIFYING FUNDING NEEDS ............................................ 18 IDENTIFYING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES ............................... 18 CORE ELEMENTS OF SUCCESSFUL GRANT -SEEKING ..... 19
BREAKDOWN: PREPARING A GRANT PROPOSAL ............ 19 CAPACITY BUILDING AND STAFF TRAINING ...................... 21 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ...................................................... 22
2 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services October 21 , 2022
Shanita Si mmons
Purchasing Manager
City of Rialto
150 S. Palm Ave
Rialto, VA 92376
Dear Ms. Simmons,
On behalf of Renne Public Law Group [DBA: Renne Public Policy Group (RPPG)], we are pleased to submit our proposal for Grant Writing Services (RFP #23-015) for the City of Rialto .
Renne Public Policy Group (RPPG)
is a full -service state lobbying and grant writing services practice that strives to advance the interests of California local public agencies and the companies that align with public entities. We do so effectively and efficiently, without compromising on ethics or integrity.
RPPG is a division of Renne Public Law Group (RPLG) , founded by Louise Renne, the City of San Francisco’s elected City Attorney for 16 years. RPPG provides our clients with a keen understanding of California’s evolving policy landscape —which enables us to best position our clients for state and federal funding opportunities. We are rooted by Louise’s reputation for uncompromising ethics, excellence, innovation, and advocacy for local government.
Since the inception of RPPG, we wanted to take a different approach from how other firms represent their clients. RPPG is a young, emerging practice. This has enabled us to do things differently —to be proactive, creative, and nimble. To build a culture of likeminded professionals from diverse backgrounds who want to come to work and where clients feel valued. Our goal is to provide our clients a holistic approach that combines the expertise of our grant writing, lobbying, and public law practices. We refer to it as the “wraparound service approach”. We have brought in a seasoned and hard-working grant writer, Jake Whitaker, to lead this practice area for our firm. He is supported by former legislative staffer and seasoned legislative advocate, Sharon Gonsalves and one of the League of California Cities’ (LCC) top lobbyists, Dane Hutchings —utilizing their expertise in budget appropriations and understanding of the state’s political landscape to ensure that clients have access to the most up- to-date information and support strategic efforts to position our clients t o successfully compete for funding.
When RPPG launched this i ts grant writing practice area, we did so because we understand the profound impact that grant funding can have when it comes to improving the quality of life in communities. Grants allow local governments to go above and beyond the limits of their traditional revenue streams to address critical needs. This work requires a careful attention to detail. Staying apprised of the latest funding opportunities is crucial. We know that successful grant -seeking is driven by dedication and a true passion for the work. This is why we believe that RPPG is well -positioned to become a leader in this field and deliver a strong return on investment for our clients.
The ongoing COVID -19 global pandemic caused uncertainty for vital areas of local government funding. In response, the federal government approved targeted relief funding for local governments to support recovery from the pandemic’s impacts. Additionally, Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act—each featuring unprecedented levels of discretiona ry spending, creating new grant programs and supercharging existing ones. In developing the FY 21- 22 and FY 22 -23 budget s, the State of California found itself flush with money spurred by a
3 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services record budget surplus. Simply put, this moment in history is unique in the abundance of opportunities for local governments to pursue grant funding. This is why we feel it’s important that the City of Rialto partners with a firm that can provide a uniquely tailored, comprehensive service approach with its strengths rooted in economic development , infrastructure , housing, decades of political and process expertise, as well as a true passion for local government. As you will see in this proposal, every member of RPPG’s team has devoted their careers to supporting local government and improving communities across California.
Thank you for your time and consideration in reviewing our proposal. We are hopeful that we can partner with the City of Rialto by working diligently to secure grant funding to support your community’s needs and priorities . RPPG has the capacity to successfully complete the tasks set forth in this proposal. We attest that this proposal is irrevocable and will remain valid for a period of not less than 120 days from the dat e of submittal.
Jake Whitaker , RPPG’s Manager of Grant Writing and Research will act as the Project Manager and primary contact for this proposal. Jake may be reached at ( 530) 681- 9731 and is located at 1100 11th Street, Suite 200 -231, Sacramento, CA. As the founding partner of our firm, Jon Holtzman has the authority to negotiate on behalf of and bind the firm in an agreement. Jon may be reached at (415) 848-7200 and is located at 350 Sansome Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, CA.
Regards,
Jon Holtzman, Founding Partner
Renne Public Law Group, LLP ©
Jake Whitaker
Director of Grant Services
Renne Public Policy Group, A Division of
Renne Public Law Group, LLP ©
4 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services
ORGANIZATION
RPPG was formed in May 2019 as a lobbying and political consulting practice. RPPG is a division of Renne Public Law Group (RPLG), a law firm which was formed in March 2018. These efforts are tied together by the firm’s commitment to serving local government as its primary activity.
RPPG seeks to reimagine traditional approaches to
consulting. While other grant writing practices
frequently prioritize a quantity of applications and
deploy a scattershot approach, RPPG’s consultants
emphasize a high -quality work product —after all, t he quality grant proposal is paramount to its chances of
success. We believe that grant -seeking efforts should
be mission- driven and aligned to strategic goals. We
know that successful consultants prioritize synergy and relationship -building with a client’s staff; cultivating collaboration is at the heart of our grant writing service.
Whatever the need, we pride ourselves on creating a
customized approach to each client that we have the
honor of representing. We are committed to providing
clients with a tan gible return on investment. As
consultants that specialize in grant writing, we put our best foot forward to prepare applications that meet the rigorous standards outlined by state and federal agencies. While there are no guarantees when it comes to grant -seeking, our depth of experience in the field enables us to position our clients to be competitive for limited funding opportunities.
Our team combines that depth of experience with a true passion for local government. Collectively we bring a positive energy, a tireless work ethic, and a determination to do high -quality work for our clients. This is RPPG’s true competitive advantage.
Office Locations
Renne Public Law Group
350 Sansome Street, Floor 3
San Francisco, CA 94104
Renne Public Policy Group
1127 11th Street
Suite 300
Sacramento, CA 95814
5 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services
BACKGROUND AND PROJECT SUMMARY
The City of Rialto is an urban community with a population of 104,026 (according to the most recent 2020 U.S. Census data). The City resides in San Bernardino County in the Inland Empire, a region that has historically struggled with chronic poverty, poor environmental quality, and a lack of investment from the state and federal government to improve local conditions.
Review of data from the 2020 U.S. Census, California Healthy Places Index, and CalEnviroScreen , as well as the RPPG team’s research, reveal the following community characteristics:
• The City’s population grew by ~4.7% over the past decade. • Rialto’s population is diverse, with 75.2% of the City’s residents identifying as Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% identifying as Black or African American , 9.2% identifying as White, 2.3% identifying as Asian, and 11.3% identifying as Two or More Races. • The City has a per capita income of $21,578, which is significantly lower than both the federal ($34,103) and state ($36,955) average.
• Area median househol d income (MHI) is also lower than the average California community, with Rialto’s MHI recorded at $65,538 compared to the state average of $75,235. • The City’s poverty rate was recorded at 15.7%, which is high compared to the state average (11.5%) and feder al average (11.4%).
• Education attainment is another area for growth, with only 73.2% of Rialto residents possessing a high school diploma and only 11.8% possessing a bachelor's degree (compared to state averages of 83.3% and 33.9% respectively).
• Residents face high levels of exposure to contaminated drinking water and air pollution. In the late 1990s, drinking water was contaminated by perchlorate leaking from a site owned by defense contractors and fireworks manufacturers . A pumping station has been established to treat water.
• Major roadways nearby include the Cajon Pass, Interstate 15, Interstate 10, Metrolink routes, and State Route 210. Approximately 55% of the working class in the city commute more than 10 miles to get to work, with almost 13% traveling to and from Los Angeles and San Bernardino.
• The number of adults without access to health insurance is 12% compared to the state average of 7.3%.
• The City is home to major regional distribution centers including Staples Inc., Amazon, Under Armour, Target, and Monster Energy.
• The City has low levels of tree canopy. Additionally, a study released by CalEPA in 2015 showed that the Inland Empire region suffered from an urban heat island effect so intense it affected the overall scale of the statewide Urban Heat Island Index.
6 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services The City overlaps with 4 census tracts classified as federal Opportunity Zones.
Opportunity Zone Census Tract Numbers
06071003700 06071003609
06071003510 06071003612
As indicated in the Request for Proposals document, the City of Rialto is seeking a contractor with expertise in the following areas, including, but not limited to:
1. Funding Needs Analysis
2. Grant Funding Research
3. Tracking for g rant funding mechanisms
4. Facilitating regular grant updates and meetings
5. Evaluation of potential funding opportunities
6. Review of specific project qualification requirements
7. General grant proposal development
The City has stated that it is looking for assistance to various City departments that includes:
• Working with City Staff to facilitate meetings with City departments to assess the validity of current funding priority areas and identify new priority areas for funding. • Coordinate meetings with Council subcommittee to confirm priorities. • Monthly meetings with key staff and monthly reports summarizing status of opportunities, including status of submitted applications.
• Developing overall grant outlines by working with appropriate City departments/staff to determine writing assignments , including providing a prediction of how much City staff time is expected to be needed at the beginning of each project. • Ensuring that all required components of each proposal are included in submission. • Providing budget guidance and justifications in alignment with City policies and personnel guidelines and in conformance with grant solicitation requirements. • Editing draft proposals for consistency of messaging, ensuring integration of grant requirements and succinctness prior to City final review and submittal to funder.
RPPG’s proposal will address each of these key points outlined in the RFP’s Scope of Services.
7 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services
FIRM EXPERIENCE
RPPG began offering its grant writing service in June 2021. The addition of grant writing to the firm’s growing service offering is part of our ongoing efforts to provide a full -service firm, with a public law practice, public policy advocacy practice, public management consulting practice, and a grant writing practice. Over the past year, RPPG’s grant writing service has grown dramatically, especially in the Inland Empire region.
The firm’s current clients in this practice area include:
• San Bernardino
Community College District
• City of Rancho Cucamonga
• City of Redwood City
• City of Greenfield
• City of Rio Vista
• City of El Cerrito
• Del Paso Manor Water District
• City of Bakersfield
• City of San Bernardino
• City of Corona
• City of Mountain View
• City of Foster City
• City of Brisbane
• City of Morgan Hill
• Town of Atherton
PERSONNEL
Jake Whitaker – Director of Grant Services
RPPG proposes that Jake Whitaker will serve as the City of Rialto’s Project Manager. He will work with City staff to identify funding needs, research applicable grant programs, provide timely updates on upcoming funding opportunities, and prepare and submit grant applications and project narratives on behalf of the City. He will attend monthly meetings with the City of Rialto to provide updates on grant -seeking activities. Jake will also work closely with RPPG’s legislative staff to proactively track emerging funding opportunities in the state budget and budget trailer bills.
APPLICABLE EXPERIENCE: AT A GLANCE
• Certificated grant writer with over $ 50,000,000 in funding secured and 42 successful proposals developed in partnership with municipal governments, county governments, institutions of higher education, and non- profits.
• Member of the Grant Professionals Association.
• 8 years of experience working in local government .
• 4 years of experience as a local government elected official.
8 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services More About Jake
With a proven track record of bringing millions of state and federal dollars for local public agencies, Jake first discovered his passion for grant writing while assisting a colleague with an emergency shelter grant on a tight deadline. Jake’s unique ability to tell the story of public agencies and non - profits resulted in several successful and highly competitive grant applications. These awards include a wide range of different project types: transportation infrast ructure projects , water system improvement projects , economic development projects, public safety and victim service programs, urban greening projects, wildfire mitigation projects , higher education programs, and trans itional housing and homeless service programs.
Jake initially developed his skills as a grant writer working for the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, giving him a strong background in criminal justice funding. He developed a specialization in obtaining funding for programs that provide alternatives to traditional prosecution using restorative justice, enhance services for victims of crime, and address the intersection of poverty, mental health, and addiction with the criminal justice system. After discovering his passion for grant writing, Jake accepted a position as a Project Manager with California Consulting to broaden his skillset and gain experience working with a variety of different types of clients. Jake joined RPPG’s team to begin building a grant writing practice to augment the firm’s service offerings, with the goal of providing a highly individualized, client -centric consulting practice.
Jake worked as a consultant with numerous municipal governments, ranging in size and demographics ; from the City of Bakersfield, the 9
th largest city in California, to the agrarian community of Greenfield with a population of ~18,000 in the Salinas Valley, to the urban population center of the City of San Bernardino —and practically everything in between. A s a member of California Consulting’s team, Jake served as the primary point of contact between the firm and the EDA’s regional California offices and prepared a comprehensive tutorial for the firm’s grant writers on how to prepare applications for infrast ructure funding through the Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance program. He prioritizes high quality service, collaboration, and effective communication in all his consulting work.
In his spare time, Jake serves as a member of the Woodland Joint Unified School District’s Board of Trustees. With four years of experience as a member of a public agency’s governing board, coupled with his experience as a public agency staffer, Jake has the unique ability to support synergy between the governance te am’s goals and staff priorities to create a cohesive grant -seeking effort.
Jake has familiarity with submitting applications through grants.gov, JustGrants (Dept. of Justice), the FEMA GO Grants Portal, the System for Online Application Review (SOAR, used by CNRA), Submittable (used by OGALS), FastLane (used by NSF), My AmeriCorps, and various portal systems used commonly by philanthropic organizations. He has experience preparing SF -424s and other Federal forms, maintaining active registration status in S AM.gov, and applying the regulations outlined in 2 CFR Part 170 (commonly referred to as the OMB “Super Circular”).
9 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services Breakdown of Grant Writer’s Past Applications
State Grants
Federal Grants
Private Foundation Grants
Corporate Grants
Technical Assistance Grants
50% of applications submitted.
28% of applications submitted.
14% of applications submitted.
6% of applications submitted.
2% of applications submitted.
Public Agency Experience
This list includes 10 recent grant proposals submitted on behalf of municipalities by the Project Manager. It does not include recent proposals submitted on behalf of other types of clients.
Grant Name Agency Client Amount Status
Public Works and
Economic Adjustment
Assistance
U.S. Economic
Development
Administration
City of Twentynine
Palms
$2,046,550 AWARDED
Encampment
Resolution Funding
Homelessness
Coordinating and
Finance Council
City of Redwood City $1,843,500 AWARDED
Youth Workforce
Development Program
California
Volunteers
City of Bakersfield $5,354,257 AWARDED
Clean California Local
Grant Program
Caltrans City of Bakersfield $1,491,250 AWARDED
One Bay Area Grant San Mateo County
Transportation
Authority
City of Redwood City $3,400,000 RECOMMENDE D
FOR FUNDING
Hazard Mitigation
Grant Program
CalOES City of Greenfield $1,195,387 PENDING FEMA
APPROVAL
Urban Greening
Program
California Natural
Resources Agency
City of Bakersfield $1,419,099 PENDING
Clean Water State
Revolving Fund –
Planning Grant
State Water
Resources Control
Board
City of Greenfield $628,694 PENDING
Water and Energy
Efficiency Grant
Bureau of
Reclamation
City of Bakersfield $499,829 PENDING
Pedestrian and
Bicycle Program
San Mateo County
Transportation
Authority
City of Brisbane $500,000 PENDING
10 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services Michele Mora – Grant Writing Associate
RPPG proposes that Michele Mora will serve as the City of Rialto’s Assistant Project Manager. Under the direction of the Project Manager, she will work with City staff to identify funding needs, research applicable grant programs, provide timely updates on upcoming funding opportunities, and prepare and submit grant applications and project narratives on behalf of the City. Both the Project Manager and Assistant Project Manager will attend monthly check -in meetings with the City of Rialto to provide updates on grant -seeking activities.
APPLICABLE EXPERIENCE: AT A GLANCE
• Proven successful project manager with over 18 years of experience working in public and private organizations.
• Successful grant and business development proposal writer and fundraiser securing multi- millions for government agencies, consulting firms, and other private and non- profit organizations .
• Successful interdisciplinary professional with working knowledge and strong ability to connect issues with funding opportunities .
• Proven collaborator to facilitate interagency and multi- jurisdictional collaborations and partnerships .
More About Michele
Michele has wo rked as a program manager and consultant for a variety of public and private organizations, including state, local, and territorial governments, higher education, and other private and consulting firms. With over 12 years of grant writing experience, Michele has secured millions of dollars across a broad range of disciplines through numerous grant and business development proposals. Michele has nearly seven years of experience working directly for local government agencies, and another seven years of experi ence working as a consultant whose clientele consisted of government agencies including state, local, and territorial government units. Michele prioritizes effective communication, inclusive collaboration, and high- quality products in all her work, which fosters strengthened client relationships and value- added results.
Prior to joining RPPG Michele served as the Grants Administrator and Second Assistant Auditor with Wilson County (Floresville, TX). During her tenure, Michele secured millions in funding to implement projects relevant to the county’s mission and provide the necessary public services and facilities to benefit county residents and visitors.
Michele’s extensive experience encompasses a broad range of public and private sector areas, including la nd use, public safety, court security, border security, housing, parks and recreation, library services, economic development, education, and infrastructure projects (including transportation and flooding/drainage infrastructure).
11 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services Michele is familiar with submitting applications through grants.gov, JustGrants (Dept. of Justice), the FEMA GO Grants Portal, and various portal systems used commonly by other state governments and philanthropic organizations. She has experience preparing SF -424s and other Federal forms, statements of federal expenditures, maintaining active registration status in SAM.gov, and applying the regulations outlined in 2 CFR Part 170 (commonly referred to as the OMB “Super Circular”) .
In her limited spare time, Michele serves and has served as Vice President of the Sacred Heart School Council for the past two years; she is dedicated to growing the school and has secured funding for the school through past grant writing proposals, traditional fundraising —sponsors and donation, and strategic planning. Additionally, Michele serves as President for other community youth organizations including All City Youth Programs and Bexar County Family Services -Atascosa, Karnes, and Wilson Counties Head Start Program. In both organizations, Michele provides the community leadership to assist the organizations with needs and marketing efforts to facilitate the use and enrollment of the regional area’s children in these programs.
Public Agency Experience
This list includes the Assistant Project Manager’s 10 most recent grant proposals. It does not include recent proposals submitted on behalf of other types of clients.
Grant Name Agency Client Amount Status
Local Agency
Technical Assistance
– Broadband Master
Plan
California Public
Utilities Commission
City of San Bernardino $325,000 PENDING
Bridge Investment
Program – Magnolia
Avenue & Bridge
Widening
Federal Highway
Administration –
Department of
Transportation
City of Corona $12,500,000 PENDING
MVCPA Auxiliary
Grant – Automatic
License Plate
Readers
Motor Vehicle Crime
Prevention Authority
Wilson County
Sheriff’s Office (TX)
$20,000 AWARDED
School Violence
Protection Program
COPS-Department
of Justice
Stockdale
Independent School
District (TX)
$325,000 PENDING
Hazard Mitigation
Grant Program –
Drainage
Federal Emergency
Management
Agency / TDEM
Wilson County (TX) $495,000 PENDING
COVID-19 Public
Assistance
Federal Emergency
Management
Agency
Wilson County
Emergency Services
District #3 (TX)
$54,000 AWARDED
12 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services Grant Name Agency Client Amount Status
COVID-19 Public
Assistance
Federal Emergency
Management
Agency
Wilson County (TX) $35,000 AWARDED
Operation Lone Star:
Border Security
Grant
Office of the
Governor: Criminal
Justice Division
Wilson County (TX) $412,000 AWARDED
Digital Navigator
Grant – Pilot
Program
Texas State Library
Archives
Commission
Wilson County Public
Libraries (TX)
$110,000 AWARDED
Vehicle Emissions
Reduction Mitigation
(TXVEMP) Program
Texas Commission
on Environmental
Quality
Wilson County (TX) $769,000 AWARDED
Bruce Rudd – Consultant
Bruce Rudd retired from the City of Fresno after 42 year s of public service that culminated with his appointment by Mayor Ashley Swearengin to the position of City Manager in June 2013. During his career, Bruce has been responsible for writing and/or administering a variety of federal, state, and local grant programs that have been successfully used to fund a variety of capital investment projects ranging from new parks and trails to the implementation of Bus Rapid Transit services. Bruce supports RPPG’s grant writing practice as a grant writer and as a financing strategist, deploying his deep understanding of municipal government and unique insight s as to how different funding sources can be blended to support large- scale projects and how revenue can be used to meet local match requirements .
APPLICABLE EXPERIENCE: AT A GLANCE
• 42 years of public service, of which almost half were in executive level positions. • Extensive knowledge and understanding of municipal finances and operations. • Successfully managed multiple complex, grant- funded capital improvement projects. • Secured $100 million in Transformative Climate Communities funding for the City of Fresno.
Public Agency Experience
This list includes the Consultant’s 5 most recent grant proposals submitted while working with RPPG .
Grant Name Agency Client Amount Status
Alternative
Congestion Relief
Program
C/CAG City of Brisbane $200,000 AWARDED
13 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services Grant Name Agency Client Amount Status
One Bay Area Grant San Mateo County
Transportation
Authority
Town of Atherton $3,115,024 RECOMMENDED
FOR FUNDING
Community Project
Funding
U.S. House of
Representatives
City of Corona $2,000,000 INCLUDED IN
HOUSE BUDGET
Community Project
Funding
U.S. House of
Representatives
City of Corona $2,000,000 INCLUDED IN
HOUSE BUDGET
Active Transportation
Program
Caltrans City of Bakersfield $8,454,472 PENDING
Sharon Gonsalves – Director of Government Affairs
Sharon advises RPPG’s Manager of Grant Writing and Research on new developments in the state’s budget and subsequent budget trailer bills.
Sharon has spent her career advocating for legislative and funding priorities of municipalities throughout California —bringing over fifteen years of state legislative and local government advocacy experience to the City’s grants writing team. As part of her extensive background in local government, Sharon has also written successful grant applications in the fields of emergency response, tobacco prevention, and transit -oriented development.
APPLICABLE EXPERIENCE: AT A GLANCE
• Proven success in navigating state budget process and identifying funding sources. • 15 years of legislative advocacy and capitol staff experience. • Strong background in natural resources, housing, and transportation. • Accomplished grant writer who has secured millions in competitive funding.
Cassandra Smith – Grant Writing Assistant
Cassandra assists RPPG’s Grant Services team with administrative support and proposal development. Cassandra is a recent graduate of University of California, Berkeley, where she studied economic development and public policy. Cassandra’s background includes several years spent working in the non-profit sector, focusing on health and economic inequalities in Northern California communities. This work included supporting grant writing efforts for the Second Harvest Foodbank of Santa Cruz County.
APPLICABLE EXPERIENCE: AT A GLANCE
• 5 years of experience working in the non -profit and public sector.
14 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services • Strong background in development economics, public policy, and stakeholder engagement. • Published academic work in the Review of Inter national Conflict and Security. • Experience supporting efforts to secure grant funding for non -profit and public sector organizations.
Dane Hutchings – Managing Director
For over a decade, Dane Hutchings has been advocating for the best interests of both public and private entities. He is a seasoned legislative advocate and political strategist with a keen understanding of the California political process and landscape. Dane brings a unique understanding of California local government operations, service delivery methods and revenue sources. As the head of the Renne Public Policy Group, Dane has been successful in advancing polices in several areas of importance including housing, revenue and taxation, homelessness, and wildfire response for RPPG clients. As Managing Director of RPPG, Dane oversees the firm’s grant writing service offering.
APPLICABLE EXPERIENCE: AT A GLANCE
• Over a decade of legislative advocacy and public affairs experience. • Former Federal Policy Liaison and Lobbyist with the League of California Cities. • Strong relationships with key legislative, administrative, and executive officials.
Dan Carigg – Senior Advisor
Dan Carigg is a political consultant and thought leader in California public policy directly impacting local government. With extensive experience in legislative analysis, strategy, and advocacy, and an excellent reputation for hard work and tenacity, Dan spent nearly 25 years with the League of California Cities —he supervised the League’s legislative and public affairs program, developed policy, managed the League’s legislative and public affairs teams, drafted and reviewed legislation, reviewed and analyzed ballot measures and testified before the Legislature.
APPLICABLE EXPERIENCE: AT A GLANCE
• 30 years of legislative advocacy experience.
• 25 years advocating on behalf of local government.
• Expertise in California’s legislative, political, and budget processes.
15 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services
REFERENCES
Paul Wood
City Manager
City of Greenfield
Phone: (831) 674- 5591
Email: [email protected]
Address:
599 El Camino Real
Greenfield, CA 93927
Grant Name Agency Amount Submitted Status
Hazard Mitigation
Grant Program
CalOES $1,195,400 4/8/2022 PENDING FEMA
APPROVAL
Clean Water State
Revolving Fund
State Water
Resources Control
Board
$628,694 8/29/2022 PENDING
Tobacco Grant
Program
California Attorney
General’s Office
$56,155 8/17/2022 PENDING
Body Worn Cameras
Program
U.S. Department of
Justice
$47,616 5/25/2022 PENDING
Cory Hodges
Senior Management Analyst
City of San Bernardino
Phone: (909) 384- 5027
Email: [email protected]
Address:
290 N D Street
San Bernardino, CA 92401
Grant Name Agency Amount Submitted Status
Local Agency
Technical Assistance
California Public
Utilities
Commission
$300,000 9/20/2022 PENDING
Transformative
Climate Communities
– Planning Grant
Strategic Growth
Council
$300,000 7/1/2022 PENDING
16 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services Alex Khojikian
Assistant City Manager
City of Redwood City
Phone: (650) 780- 7302
Email: [email protected]
Address:
1017 Middlefield Road
Redwood City, CA 94063
Grant Name Agency Amount Submitted Status
Encampment
Resolution Funding
HFCC $1,843,500 12/30/2021 AWARDED
One Bay Area Grant San Mateo County
Transportation
Authority
$3,400,000 7/1/2022 RECOMMENDED
FOR FUNDING
Prepare California CalOES $1,000,000 10/7/2022 PENDING
Anthony Valdez
Assistant to the City Manager
City of Bakersfield
Phone: (661) 326-3029
Email: [email protected]
Address:
1600 Truxtun Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93306
Grant Name Agency Amount Submitted Status
Clean California
Grant Program
Caltrans $1,491,250 2/1/2022 AWARDED
Youth Workforce
Development
Program
CA Volunteers $5,354,257 12/30/2021 AWARDED
Assistance to
Firefighters Grant
(Vehicle Acquisition)
FEMA $1,207,955 12/17/2021 PENDING
Urban Greening
Program
California Natural
Resources Agency
$1,419,099 3/28/2022 PENDING
Water and Energy
Efficiency Grant
Bureau of
Reclamation
$499,829 7/28/2022 PENDING
17 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services
SCOPE OF WORK
• Proposal Development : RPPG will provide grant writing and proposal development services, from start to finish of the proposal development process. This includes the preparation of funding abstracts, project narratives, and required forms and attachments. The grant writer will c onvene a “kickoff” meeting for each project and will outline expectations for all staff involved in preparing the application, including a projected time commitment for each City staff member. RPPG will develop a strategic work plan for the development of a proposal, take the lead in scheduling meetings, and work to obtain relevant information from stakeholders. • Funding Opportunity Research: RPPG conducts continuous and comprehensive research, keeping clients informed of upcoming grant opportunities. The City of Rialto will receive a monthly “Funding Opportunities Catalog” documenting current and cyclical grant programs from federal agencies, state agencies, and private foundations. Targeted research is available on an “on-call” basis.
• Monitoring the State B udget: RPPG’s grant writer works directly with legislative advocates who provide updates and analysis on the state budget and trailer bills, allowing the grant writer to effectively identify funding opportunities ahead of the official postings by government agencies. • Strategic Planning: RPPG works directly with organizational leadership teams to identify funding and service gaps to inform grant -seeking activities. RPPG schedules annual “deep dive” meetings with clients to focus on key priorities for the upc oming year and then uses those priorities to develop a “Funding Opportunities Assessment” to guide the organization’s grant - seeking activities. Per the requirements in the City’s Financial Management Manual, RPPG will coordinate with staff to ensure that t here is sufficient time to receive City Council approval for grant applications exceeding $5,000 in award value.
• Collaborative Approach: RPPG utilizes a collaborative grant writing process to put together highly competitive proposals. Skilled consultants understand that leveraging the subject matter expertise of our clients is critical to success. RPPG uses cloud- based document sharing services to enable real- time feedback from clients throughout the proposal development process. • Quality Control: Prior to submitting a grant application, RPPG’s grant writer will review the contents of each form, check for typographical or grammatical errors, and ensure that all required components for a complete proposal are included in the application package. • Consistent Communication: RPPG schedules monthly “Grant Activity Calls” to keep clients informed of upcoming funding opportunities and progress on grant -seeking activities. These updates also come in the form of monthly written reports distributed to the or ganization’s leadership team. RPPG’s grant writer will be available upon request for meetings with staff related to assigned projects.
• Capacity Building (Optional): “Grant readiness” is a critical element of success. RPPG will provide in -house trainings f or your organization to support grant -seeking and administrative activities at the staff level.
18 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services All services will be performed remotely, unless in- person attendance and travel are explicitly requested by the department on a case- by-case basis.
IDENTIFYING FUNDING NEEDS
RPPG schedules annual “deep dive” meetings with clients to focus in on key priorities for the upcoming year. At the start of the first year of grant writing services, the consultant will set up a meeting with the department’s leadership team to identify key funding priorities, service gaps, and critical capital improvement projects. This process includes determining essential projects, infrastructure needs, and initiatives that may be supported with grant funding opportunities. The City of Rialto’s staff are, after all, the experts on the City’s service gaps and infrastructure needs. RPPG’s method focuses on combining that local expertise with experienced consultants to produce compelling results.
Once these funding priorities are established, a “Grant Funding Priorities and Multi- Year Strategy” document will be prepared by the consultant to share with the City’s staff and leadership. This document will include a summary of the priorities identified in the deep dive meeting and any subsequent m eetings, an initial assessment of existing funding programs that match these needs, and a strategy outline to pursue funding opportunities over a span of multiple years. After the City’s team has time to review the document, a follow -up meeting will be sch eduled for further discussion and subsequent revisions will be made if necessary.
IDENTIFYING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
RPPG maintains a running catalog of grant and financing opportunities, aiming to provide clients with a comprehensive look at what funding is available and the anticipated funding cycles for each program. Continuous and comprehensive research is a cornerstone of RPPG’s approach. RPPG’s Manager of Grant Writing and Research routinely checks major repositories for funding opportunities (such as th e California Grants Portal and GRANTS.GOV), as well as the grant opportunity pages of individual agencies and departments. Augmenting those efforts, RPPG’s consultants stay updated on new developments in the state’s budgeting process to anticipate future p rograms and identify allocations made to existing grant programs for each new fiscal year. In doing so, we aim to be proactive rather than reactive.
The consultant will schedule a recurring monthly grant activity call via Zoom teleconferencing to discuss emerging priorities and upcoming funding opportunities with the City’s leadership team.
Between those monthly calls, relevant City staff will be notified via email of new funding opportunities.
The consultant will compile a synopsis for each potential funding opportunity that details the basic information of the grant: Agency, Funding Amount, Funding Uses, Eligible Applicants, Performance Period, Deadline/Anticipated Funding Cycle, and a brief description containing basic information about the funding oppor tunity and any significant elements of the guidelines that may impact a decision on whether to proceed with an application.
19 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services
CORE ELEMENTS OF SUCCESSFUL GRANT -SEEKING
These core elements outline RPPG’s
framework for developing competitive
grant proposals. Regardless of the
funding opportunity or source, there are
five main components that potential
funders always look for: 1) a clearly
defined problem statement; 2) a clearly
defined solution to the problem; 3) a
budget that reflects the resources
needed to implement the proposed
solution; 4) demonstration of the
organization’s capacity to implement
the proposed solution; and 5) the ability
to monitor progress, collect data, and fulfill the funder’s reporting requirements. When developing a concept for a proposal, it is essential that the grant writer works with the organization to address each of these five components.
BREAKDOWN: PREPARING A GRANT PROPOSAL
20 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services
Leveraging the local expertise of the City of Rialto’s staff requires an active level of engagement in the proposal development process. To collaboratively develop highly competitive grant proposals, RPPG expects the following support from City staff:
• Designate personnel with relevant subject -matter expertise to support proposal development from start -to-completion of the process.
• Attend the project kickoff meeting and regular check -in meetings throughout the proposal development process.
• Develop the proposal budget using figures that reflect the City’s anticipated expenditures to implement the proposed project.
• Provide the grant writer with “talking points” to support drafting of the project proposal. • Respond to requests for local data and information made by the grant writer. • Network with other governmental agencies and/or community organizations to secure letters of support (when applicable).
• Review and edit draft proposal narrative sections.
• Provide resources to support the development of Preliminary Engineering Reports, Site Plans, and other documentation necessary to support a grant p roposal that requires specialized expertise.
Staff deliverables will be clearly defined at the initial project kickoff meeting based on the requirements of each specific grant development project.
21 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services
CAPACITY BUILDING AND STAFF TRAINING
RPPG can provide training sessions for staff to support building internal capacity to pursue grant funding. These training sessions can each be offered up to three times per year upon request from the City’s designated point of contact. RPPG will work with staff to schedule these trainings at a time that is convenient to maximize attendance.
Grant Literacy: This training session serves as a universal introductory course (Level 1). From there, staff can branch off into Grant Writing and/or Grant Management (Level 2). The session covers basic grant vocabulary terms, the core elements of grant -seeking, how to read a grant solicitation, how to identify funding opportunities, and understanding the importance of the commitment that an organization makes when a grant is awarded.
Grant Writing : This training session will provide attendees with the knowledge necessary to actively engage in proposal writing and narrative development. The session covers strategies to organize a proposal narrative, a breakdown of the key elements of a proposal, how to design your project goals and evaluation strategies, how to understand the solicitation’s scoring criteria, ways to incorporate community partnerships, how to develop a proposal budget, editing and proofreading tips, when to use graphics/tables/charts, the importance of following formatting requirements, an overview of common mistakes in the proposal development process, and basic grant writing ethics.
Grant Management : This training session will provide attendees with the knowledge necessary to function as a grant administrator and support administrative activities. The session covers best practices for grant management, tracking grant -related expenses, distinguishing between different grant payment types, supporting data collection plans, understanding reporting requirements, enforcing internal systems of control, fulfilling internal audit responsibilities, and maximizing indirect cost allocations.
22 City of Rialto / Proposal for Grant Writing Services
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
# Activity Duration/Frequency
1 Provide Grant Writing, Research, and Proposal Development services to the City of Rialto.
Continuous
2 Notification of funding opportunities relevant to the City’s priorities and needs.
Continuous
3 Schedule “Deep Dive” meetings with department heads to assess funding gaps and service needs.
3 – 4 weeks
4 Develop Grant Funding Priorities. 2 – 3 weeks, upon
completion of Activity # 3
5 Schedule follow -up meeting with designated City staff to review the Grant Funding Priorities documents.
Upon completion of
Activity # 4
6 Send monthly Grant Activities Report to the City’s designated point(s) of contact.
The first week of each
month
7 Attending monthly meetings with the City’s designated point( s) of contact to track progress on grant -seeking activities and review upcoming opportunities.
1 hour, recurring monthly
8 Schedule and provide capacity building training sessions for City staff (up to three times per year).
Continuously throughout
the year, upon request
9 Send Annual Report to the City’s designated point(s) of contact. Annually, in December of each contract year