Where Do I Start With Grant Funding?

2010 - Michigan DNR Trust Fund Grant

Do you have a project vision and want to know how to secure grant funding? Do you already have a grant awarded and you don’t know where to go next? Keep reading to find out how we can help!

If you’ve been awarded a grant and are beginning to implement the project…

OCBA can serve as your designer and prime professional. State Grants and Federal Grants typically require construction drawings and specifications sealed by a prime professional, which can be an architect, engineer, or landscape architect. For many park projects, OCBA serves as the project lead, including projects with architectural elements. We work with local architectural, electrical, and civil engineering subconsultants to provide the most comprehensive plan for your project implementation. Generally, your next step will be to complete design refinement and construction documentation for implementation.

If your grant is a non-governmental grant, the requirements may vary, but usually your next step will be developing the construction documents and preparing to bid for construction. Depending on your municipality and project funder, the design may need to be reviewed by the local zoning review and/or the grant funder to ensure all requirements are met.

If you have a project vision and would like to secure grant funding…

OCBA can help visualize and refine your ideas into a defined project, provide guidance on potential grants, assist with the grant applications, and assemble construction cost opinions. Our team has extensive experience in assisting with and preparing grant applications for Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) grants, but we have also developed materials and graphics for other state grants, federal grants, and non-governmental sources.

Potential governmental funding sources may include:

·         Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR): Recreation Grants, Forestry Grant, or Aquatic and Wildlife Grants

·         Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD)

·         Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE)

·         Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)

·         Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

·         Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC)

·         US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

·         US Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service

Many grants require applicants to be a local unit of government, tribe, or school, but some specific grants are open to individuals and organizations, nonprofits, transportation safety programs, and all schools—whether public, charter, tribal, or private.

Every grant has a specific focus, ranging from recreational improvements to waterways to safe school routes to arts and culture. OCBA can help you find the best fit for your project and work with you to develop the application materials. These materials often include narratives describing your project and how it meets the grant’s goals and objectives, site design plans, estimated construction costs, and letters of support. Our partnership may include developing design plans and graphics only or also drafting narratives.

Available funding amounts vary from grant to grant; some have a maximum as small as $4,000 to a maximum of $15 million. Some grants require a certain funding match, or you may receive points for the match provided. Most MDNR Recreation grant applications are due on April 1, with the awardees notified in fall of the same year. Other grants have varied application deadlines or are accepted on a rolling basis.

- Deborah Dawe, PLA, ASLA, CPSI

Landscape Architect