Small and midsize localities tend to lack the dedicated grant-writing teams and expertise that bigger towns use to score federal dollars. A new–and free–initiative aims to get them onto more equal footing competing for the funding.
Smaller-sized cities are often at a disadvantage competing for federal grants, lacking the staff, in-house knowhow and other resources that their larger peers can depend on when going after the money.
But now, with billions of dollars of the grants available to local governments in the 2021 infrastructure law, the National League of Cities, with support of philanthropic backers, is trying to change that dynamic and give smaller cities a better shot at winning federal dollars. The group is running a series grant application “bootcamps” for 30 different infrastructure law programs. The new initiative, open to cities with fewer than 150,000 residents, kicked off late last year, with a second round about to get underway later this month.
Robert Blaine, director of the Institute for Youth, Education and Families at NLC, explained that the League decided to launch the project because of the vast amount of grant dollars in the $1.2 trillion public works law, and concerns that smaller cities would miss out on the money. Many observers describe the law as a historic chance for cities to score funding that can help with projects in areas ranging from flood protection, to electric vehicle chargers, to street safety.
ROUTE FIFTY
by BILL LUCIA
JANUARY 8, 2023