Why does the grants clearinghouse exist?
The California Fire Alliance, through grants to the California Fire Safe Council, spearheaded the clearinghouse to help achieve the goals of the National Fire Plan by facilitating an open, collaborative process for grant funding. It expands the playing field to more organizations by making it easier to find and apply for grants. It increases collaboration among agencies by sharing information and facilitating planning across agency boundaries.

How can I apply for a grant through the clearinghouse?
Go to grants.firesafecouncil.org. All you need to know is your community’s project idea. You submit it to the clearinghouse, which will find the right grant program – often times more than one. And the clearinghouse keeps watch over projects that aren’t funded the first time for another chance at funding if additional funds become available.

Why does the clearinghouse only accept grant proposals by e-mail?
To meet the demands of organizations wishing to control costs and reduce the amount of paper involved in grantwriting. The clearinghouse also reflects the federal government’s focus on electronic government and simplifying the grants process. The Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act calls for improving the effectiveness and performance of Federal grant programs; simplifying grant application and reporting requirements; improving the delivery of services to the public; and facilitating greater coordination among those responsible for delivering such services.

How will the information I submit online be protected?
Your user name and password limit who can see your information. It’s your choice whether to share your user name and password with others. You, grant managers, funding agencies and anyone you share your user name and password with will see your grant proposal.

How will the clearinghouse help me find funding?
It will help organizations find funding by reducing the time and money spent on grantwriting. The clearinghouse provides these benefits to organizations:

• No more research to identify specific grant programs, requirements and deadlines – Under the clearinghouse, there is one deadline for all participating programs. Filling out the grant proposals gives funders the information they need to make preliminary funding decisions.
• No more writing multiple, extensive applications just to be considered by funders – Just fill out the grant proposals and submit it. Once projects are selected for funding, applicants will then be asked by the funding organization to provide additional, specific information it needs.
• Diverse funding opportunities – The clearinghouse can help facilitate multi-agency funding of projects. In addition, projects may be sent to agencies or programs applicants may not otherwise have known about.
• Less paper – Grant proposals are accepted electronically, giving applicants more time to complete them, and saving the cost of photocopies and postage.
• Grant proposals live on – The clearinghouse keeps watch over projects that aren’t funded the first time for another chance at funding if additional funds become available. And organizations can resubmit unfunded projects for two additional funding cycles.

I'm with an agency and I think our grant program is working just fine as it is. Why change it?
To provide better service to communities throughout California, and to facilitate better inter-agency collaboration. Here’s how the clearinghouse will help agencies:

• Better planning – For the first time, the clearinghouse will give agencies a landscape look at projects across ownership boundaries. Timing projects to complement each other can potentially lead to landscape-scale improvements.
• Diverse funding opportunities – The clearinghouse will facilitate the matching of the right proposed projects to the right grant programs, offering agencies the ability to support projects and organizations they may not otherwise have known about.
• Less paper – Once agencies select projects, they only have to process additional, specific information for projects they will fund.

Which grant programs are participating in the clearinghouse?
Go to grants.firesafecouncil.org to see which grant programs are participating

Who can apply?
Organizations working in California and representing their communities. For a list, go to grants.firesafecouncil.org.

What projects are eligible for funding?
For a list of eligible projects, go to grants.firesafecouncil.org.

What's the deadline?
The deadline to submit grant proposals, is Feb. 15, 2008, midnight. Letters of Commitment must be received by Feb. 15, 2008, 5 p.m.

How can I get help?
Sign up for a grantwriting session at grants.firesafecouncil.org, e-mail the clearinghouse at grants@firesafecouncil.org or call at 800/FS CALIF (372-2543).

What are the judging criteria?
Projects rank higher if they

• Will reduce hazardous fuels by treating acres
• Will create, or are linked to, a community fire plan
• Benefit one or more communities at-risk
• Have a clearly defined need
• Are located in Condition Class 2 or 3
• Have clearly defined workplans that demonstrate involvement of key partners and identify unit costs of each task shown
• Have clearly defined budgets with matching commitments that reflect partners’ capabilities
• Will build community capacity to help itself plan and implement strategic objectives
• Address long-term sustainability

Is there a scoring criteria?
An initial screening will determine if a project can be considered for funding based on the following criteria:

1. Applicant submitted complete proposal.
2. Applicant submitted proposal by submittal deadline.
3. Letters of commitment arrived by the deadline.
4. Letters of commitment are complete.
5. Project type is eligible for funding according to grant programs’ eligibility requirements.
6. Applicant organization is eligible for funding.

Proposals passing initial screening will be scored by the grant review committee, a panel of experts in wildfire issues and grants review/selection, based on the below criteria. In addition, the grant review committee will select projects for funding.

For a full listing of scoring criteria, please visit: grants.firesafecouncil.org/.

What's the funding cycle?
Although there is one deadline for grant proposals, funding organizations have different funding cycles. Applicants whose projects are selected for funding will be notified of the appropriate cycle. In general, funders are interested in funding programs that can be done in 12-18 months, beginning when the organization receives funding. Applicants should be aware that funding is contingent upon Congressional appropriations for federal grant programs and California Legislature appropriations for state grant programs. In some cases a project may be selected for funding, yet if appropriations are lower than anticipated, funding agencies may have to cut projects.



Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) Proposition 84 Grant Program Frequently Asked Questions

What Proposals are Eligible?
Eligible projects shall demonstrate a contribution to the protection or restoration of rivers, lakes and streams, their watersheds, and associated land, water, and other natural resources within the boundaries of the SNC service area (please call if in question about your project being within the SNC boundary). Funds are available to assist with watershed and water quality protection through; vegetative management projects, community wildfire protection planning, outreach education addressing watershed protection through proper fuels management techniques, hazard risk reduction within the wildland-urban interface (WUI), associated research and publication projects, related equipment and position funding and demonstration projects. Treatments should be focused on watershed and water quality protection and aimed toward protecting communities at risk from the fire-flood regime with an emphasis on preventing soil erosion and hence watershed degradation on a collaborative basis.

Who is Eligible?
Public agencies, qualifying nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organizations and eligible tribal organizations, with projects that are located within the boundaries of the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. (www.sierranevada.ca.gov)

What can I apply for?
Funding requests will be considered to help support organizations working to protect and- or enhance watersheds and reduce the Risk of Natural Disasters, such as Wildfire. Some examples are provided in each category below to use as a guide: The Development and approval of Community Conservation Wildfire Protection Plans (CCWPP The Development of Watershed and Fire Protection Outreach Training Programs, Educational Material and Community Initiatives. Fire Prevention/ Watershed Education Inspections that bring private property in compliance with Public Resources Code 4290 Fuel hazard reduction Proposals Funding for staff, one time in nature, providing that staff activity results in tangible outcomes, limited to ($50,000.00). The use of prescribed fire and mechanical vegetative manipulation to protect watershed values Research and publication work related to Fire & Watershed Protection. Procurement of equipment to ensure protection of water resources and related landscapes Environmental and-or Cultural reviews Demonstration projects

What are the qualities of the most successful applications?
Applications that clearly demonstrate a need for funding that will have a significant impact on watershed protection and- or enhancement are acceptable. It is also important to provide plenty of detail and documentation in your application to support your request. Reference to CAL-FIRE FRAP watershed assets at risk guide will be very helpful.

Clearinghouse:
The Sierra Nevada Conservancy may use the California Fire Safe Council Grants Clearinghouse for planning purposes to select projects for the upcoming California State fiscal year. This means that the project may be funded if adequate funds are made available in the next state fiscal year. The state fiscal year begins on July 1st of each year.

Cooperation, Community Support, and Leveraging:
Describe any and all cooperative and community efforts that involve local, state, tribal and federal levels of cooperation and or consultation. Identify other sources of funding and how the cooperation among stakeholders is being implemented throughout the project.

Long term management of project:
Describe how the project will be managed in the future to include maintenance of the project and fiscal management concerns. An appropriate example would be the development and completion of a CCWPP which will allow for a guide on completing priority projects and also provide for the additional fiscal opportunities from other agencies.

Project Assistance:
All applicants are encouraged to contact the Sierra Nevada Conservancy staff regarding project ideas, and-or concepts concerning proposition 84 grant proposals. Please contact us at (530) 823-4670.