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 online?
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 a public 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 and government agencies 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 midnight Feb. 26, 2010. Letters of Commitment must be POSTMARKED by Feb. 26, 2010.

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
• 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

1. Application received on time.
2. Applicant is an eligible organization.
3. Applicant submitted only 1-5 applications (more than 5 will not be accepted).
4. Application is complete.
5. All Letters of Commitment received on time.
6. Total match amount in Letters of Commitment equals match amount in Application.
7. Applicant included themselves in the match table if they are contributing matching funds
8. If the applicant has a fiscal sponsor, they submitted a fiscal sponsor agreement letter

For a full listing of scoring criteria, please visit: http://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.