2023 Professional Service Providers, Should I Hire a Grant Consultant?

It’s hard to believe that just two weeks ago summer came to an end!! With the fall season now underway, local governments find themselves back at the drawing board planning for the year ahead. This includes everything from developing departmental budgets, to updating capital improvement plans, to soliciting for professional service providers. While planning and professional support is critical to ensuring the delivery of high-quality public services, the number of challenges local governments are currently facing greatly exceed the resources available to address them. Shrinking tax bases, aging infrastructure, a global pandemic, and an unprecedented number of recent natural disasters have forced local government officials to do more with less.

There is no quick fix to many of these challenges, and as a result agencies are having to think outside of the box to find solutions. One example of this is the pursuit of governmental and non-governmental grant programs. Grant programs can help to provide alternative funding for key projects and programs across a broad range of categories including those listed below.

In addition to the broad range of funding categories, there is also an unprecedented level of grant funding being made available to local governments at this time. In 2021 we saw the reinstitution of Congressional Appropriations as well as the passage of the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act. This summer we also saw the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Through these federal programs and spending packages, billions in new funding will be made available to local governments in the form of direct federal grants as well as sub-grants through state agencies.

Despite the broad range of funding categories and increased levels of investment, identifying and applying for grant funding can be an overwhelming, tedious, and time-consuming endeavor. It is for this reason that local governments should ask a few simple questions as they begin planning for the year ahead.

• Is my organization consistently late at identifying or missing key grant opportunities?
• Is my staff’s internal pursuit of grants taking focus away from their primary job responsibilities?
• Is my organization continuing to strike out when applying for certain grants year after year?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then it may be time for your organization to consider seeking external professional grant support. Much like you would hire an auditor to help monitor your organizations fiscal health, an engineer to implement your capital plan, or an attorney to oversee legal matters, hiring a grant consultant to identify and pursue alternative grant funding is another proactive approach to public service at a time when it is needed the most.

With over 17 years of experience providing grant consulting services on behalf of local governments throughout New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania we understand the challenges your agency may be facing. It is part of the reason why Millennium Strategies has been able to successfully secure more than $1billion in alternative governmental and non-governmental grant funding on behalf of our local government clients. If you have questions about whether or not your organization should consider hiring a grant consultant or what that engagement might look like, lets setup a time to connect. Wishing you all the best as you continue to plan for the year ahead!