MoCo Government News

local government and community news

2020-02-13T09:49:42-05:00February 13th, 2020|Advocacy, MoCo Government News|

Montgomery County Council News and Updates 

Represent our sector and learn more at County Council committee sessions. Click here for the current committee schedule.

PHED/HHS
February 10, 9:30am

  • Briefing: Interagency Commission on Homelessness Three-Year Strategic Plan
  • Follow-up: OLO Report 2019-4: Inventory of Rent Subsidy Programs in Montgomery County (rescheduled from 1/27/20)
Workforce Development Board Vacancies 
County Executive Elrich is seeking applicants to fill up to seven vacancies on the Workforce Development Board for representatives of community-based/non-profit organizations that have demonstrated experience and expertise in addressing the employment, training, or education needs of eligible youth or individuals with barriers to employment. Organizations include those that serve out-of school youth or veterans, or provide or support competitive integrated employment for individuals with disabilities. Click here for more information or to apply.

Census 2020 in Montgomery County
Did you know every Marylander not counted costs the state approximately $18,250 over 10 years?

Nonprofits have an important role to play in the 2020 Census. We can reach vulnerable and often-undercounted communities. Montgomery County’s Office of Community Partnerships is coordinating Census 2020 for the County. Visit the County website for information on how to get involved. Nonprofits can register as a Census partner, or can request a presentation for their staff.

Community Grant Changes and Timeline for FY 21 Announced

2020-01-02T12:55:27-05:00December 22nd, 2019|Grants & Funding, MoCo Government News|

The following changes are confirmed for Community Grants in FY 21:
  • County Council and County Executive grants will be combined into a single program.
  • The application portal for FY 21 will open on January 2 for nonprofits wishing to renew current grants, plus those applying for new grants. New programs and program enhancement grants are capped at $20,000 per organization and will only be awarded based on funding availability.
  • Applications for renewing and new grants will be due by January 29, 2020.
Priorities for funding in FY 21 are as follows:
  • Viable and effective programs funded in FY20
  • Renewing programs may request funding levels from FY 18 and FY 19 if FY20 funding was lower, or if funded in FY 18 and 19 but not in FY20.
  • Limited funds for new requests may be available, depending on funding availability.
Grants to be renewed will be announced in the County Executive’s budget.  Any new grants will be reviewed and transmitted to the Council after March 15. Grant application training sessions will be held:
  • January 7, 2020 – Plum Gar Recreation Center at 10am
  • January 7, 2020 – Wheaton Community Center at 2pm
  • January 8, 2020 – Council Office Building at 5:30pm
  • January 9, 2020 – Silver Spring Civic Center at 10am
The process and timeline for Cost-sharing Capital Grants will be unchanged. Watch for a full County Council worksession on Community Grants in January.

Click here to view the December 19, 2019 memo on the FY21 Community Grants process from the Office of Management and Budget to the County Council.

Montgomery County Council News and Updates

2019-11-13T11:48:13-05:00November 14th, 2019|MoCo Government News|

Montgomery County Council News and Updates 

Represent our sector and learn more at County Council committee sessions. Click here for the current committee schedule.

November 14, 2pm 
GO – Bill 27-19, Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice – Racial Equity and Social Justice Advisory Committee

November 14, 2pm 
T&E/HHS – Briefing: Accessible transportation for seniors and persons with disabilities

November 18, 2pm    
PS/E&C Discussion: IG’s school bus camera report, Briefing: Public Safety Feeder Programs in MCPS and Montgomery College

November 25, 2:30pm
Briefing: Sandy Spring Museum
OLO Report 2019-14, MCPS Performance and Opportunity Gaps 

New OLO Report: Trash and Recycling Collection: An Evaluation of Current Policies (November 12)

Nonprofit Montgomery Community Grants Dialogue Recap

2019-11-13T11:44:23-05:00November 13th, 2019|Advocacy, MoCo Government News|

Last Tuesday, Nonprofit Montgomery hosted the annual Community Grants Dialogue providing nonprofit leaders with an opportunity to hear from County staff about proposed changes to the Community Grants process. Josh Watters, Budget Manager, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Carolyn Chen, Council Grants Manager presented on the following proposals. Proposals have major implications for nonprofits that have been funded through County Executive and County Council grants.
At this point, none of the proposals have been adopted. Nonprofits will have the opportunity to have input into the changes through a series of focus groups hosted by Nonprofit Montgomery with County staff. Contact us if you would like to be added to the waiting list.

Click here to read the six proposals outlined at the Grants Dialogue. See the October 22 Office of Management and Budget Memo for further explanation of each. The PowerPoint can be found here.

Nonprofit Montgomery Advocacy Alert – November 8, 2019

2020-02-05T08:43:12-05:00November 8th, 2019|Advocacy, Member News, MoCo Government News|

Proposed Changes to Community Grants
Sign up for a focus group on grant changes today.

(L to R: Josh Watters, Carolyn Chen)

 

On Tuesday Nonprofit Montgomery hosted the annual Community Grants Dialogue providing nonprofit leaders with an opportunity to hear from County staff about proposed changes to the Community Grants process. Josh Watters, Budget Manager, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Carolyn Chen, Council Grants Manager presented on the following proposals. Proposals (explained below) have major implications for nonprofits that have been funded through County Executive and County Council grants.

At this point, none of the proposals have been adopted and there is still time to make your voice heard. Nonprofits will have the opportunity to have input into the changes through a series of focus groups hosted by Nonprofit Montgomery with County staff. Spaces will fill quickly, so sign up today.  

Here are the six proposals outlined at the Grants Dialogue. See the October 22 Office of Management and Budget Memo for further explanation of each. The PowerPoint presentation can be found here.

Item #1: Combine County Executive and County Council NDAs, make no changes to the Cost-Sharing Capital Grants Process
Instead of having two parallel review processes, the grants pool will be combined into one. Work on this priority began last year with the combined application. A single grant pool will be in place for FY21. Details of the process for FY 21 will be announced soon.

Item #2: Change the Community Grants Process to be Outcomes Driven
Currently Community Grants are approved in the budget process in the spring. This proposal would have a total amount for grants to be approved in the budget, but actual awards would be made outside of the budget process.  Grant funds would be allocated to priority areas aligned with the County Executive’s priorities, and awarded in grant cycles spread throughout the year. Grants would be reviewed by teams of subject matter experts. This change is slated for implementation in FY22.

Item #3: Create a Grants Office to Manage the Community Grants Process
A Grants Office would be created in County Government to administer multiple grant cycles. The office would help applicants, and would also help County departments apply for external funding. The Grants Office would be created in FY21.

Item #4: Create an Aspire Grant Program to help build Nonprofit Capacity
The Aspire Grants program would help nonprofits build capacity, innovate and partner. Grantees would receive technical assistance and be eligible for funding. The Aspire Grant program would be created in the FY21 budget.

Item #5: Create a Grant Agreement Tool
A Grant Agreement would streamline awards to nonprofits by removing them from the contracting and procurement process. Funds would be paid out in installments, and tied to progress reports outlining the accomplishment of grant outcomes. OMB is currently looking into the legality of this approach.

Item #6: Move Certain Community Grants to the Base Budgets of Departments 
Some Community Grants will be recommended for base budget contracts. County Departments have been asked to evaluate Community Grants they administer looking at how long the department has administered the grant, how the grant fulfills the departments outcomes, and how it fits with the County Executive’s priority outcomes and the Department’s core mission.

Recommendations will be made to the County Executive for grants to be moved to the base budget in FY21. Nonprofits will find out in March if services they provide will be included in base budget contracts. Contract will initially be awarded for one year, and may be competitively bid in the future.
TIMELINE AND DATES TO WATCH

November 22, December 2 & 3: Community Grant Focus groups (sign up here)
December: Community Grants application portal opens for applicants for funding in FY 21. Grants workshops held.
December 3: Legislation to create a Grants Office in County government will be introduced. Public hearings will follow.
January: Applications for funding in FY 21 due
January 16: Potential HHS/ GO committee meeting to review progress
March: Nonprofits find out if particular programs/services are recommended for base budget contracts.
July 1: Start of the FY 21 funding year; County Grants office created.

At this point, none of the proposals have been adopted and there is still time to make your voice heard. Sign up for a focus group to express your opinion.

Stay informed. Watch Nonprofit Montgomery’s enews for updates; and the County Grants team will be updating the website with current information. 
Background: Montgomery County’s County Executive and County Council grants awarded over $14 million in grants to nonprofits for this fiscal year. The County Council and County Executive committed to fixing some long-term issues in the process and have been working on a proposal. An internal workgroup was convened to develop a proposal, and two work sessions with the County Council Health and Human Services and Government Operations Committees (July 18 and October 24) have been held.

Nonprofit Montgomery asked for representation and a voice for nonprofits in the deliberations. Josh Watters from OMB and Carolyn Chen from the Council Grants office have met with Board and Advocacy Committee members and on Tuesday attended Nonprofit Montgomery’s Community Grants Dialogue to answer questions about the following proposed changes.

(L to R: Carolyn Chen, Lesley MacDonald, Debbie Riley, Jackie DeCarlo, Josh Watters)

County Executive FY21 Operating Budget Forums

2019-10-28T12:38:47-04:00October 25th, 2019|MoCo Government News|

County Executive Marc Elrich is holding budget forums to seek input from residents about Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) Operating Budget priorities.

Nonprofit leaders and staff, board members, and volunteers are strongly encouraged to attend these public forums on the county’s operating budget to share insight into community needs, and to hear the County Executive’s priorities. The County Executive will release his Recommended Operating Budget on March 16, 2020 for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2020.

The meetings, which all begin at 7pm are on:

  • October 30 – Silver Spring Civic Building, in the Buffalo Soldiers Great Hall, 1 Veterans Pl, Silver Spring.
  • November 7 – BlackRock Center for the Arts, 2901 Town Commons Drive in Germantown.
  • November 13 – Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center, 3300 Briggs Chaney Road, Silver Spring.

County Executive FY21 Operating Budget Forums

2019-10-14T12:48:50-04:00October 15th, 2019|Events, MoCo Government News|

County Executive Marc Elrich is holding budget forums to seek input from residents about Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) Operating Budget priorities.

Nonprofit leaders and staff, board members, and volunteers are strongly encouraged to attend these public forums on the county’s operating budget to share insight into community needs, and to hear the County Executive’s priorities. The County Executive will release his Recommended Operating Budget on March 16, 2020 for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2020.

The meetings, which all begin at 7pm are on:

  • October 21 – Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor Ln, Bethesda.
  • October 30 – Silver Spring Civic Building, in the Buffalo Soldiers Great Hall, 1 Veterans Pl, Silver Spring.
  • November 7 – BlackRock Center for the Arts, 2901 Town Commons Drive in Germantown.
  • November 13 – Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center, 3300 Briggs Chaney Road, Silver Spring.

Council News and Updates

2019-09-02T14:43:38-04:00September 5th, 2019|Advocacy, MoCo Government News|

Represent our sector and learn more at County Council committee sessions. Click here for the current committee schedule.

9/9: E&C 2:00pm  
FY19 MCPS Operating Budget and Grand Funds categorical transfers

9/12: E&C 9:30am
Supplemental appropriation to MCPS’ FY19 Operating Budget, Entrepreneurial Activities Fund – $3,500,000 for School Bus Safety Camera Program

9/12: PHED/E&C 9:40am
Expedited Bill 19-19, Economic Development – Workforce Development – Amendments

2019 Online Resident Survey

2019-07-10T12:08:35-04:00July 10th, 2019|Advocacy, MoCo Government News|

County Executive Elrich has launched an online survey to gauge residents’ assessment of the local government, its services, and quality of life. The 2019 Resident Survey was mailed to 5,000 randomly selected County households in the first week of June, and residents who did not receive the questionnaire in the mail are invited and encouraged to participate online. The online survey for all residents will be open for a three-week period, from June 28 to July 19.

Grants and Funding Opportunities

2019-06-14T11:55:27-04:00June 14th, 2019|MoCo Government News|

The Greater Washington Community Foundation
Summer 2019 – RFP Opens: June 10, 2019
Fall 2019 RFP Opens: August 19, 2019

The Resilience Fund, a funding collaborative at the Greater Washington Community Foundation released an RFP for the 2020 Census for outreach, and direct assistance focused on hard-to-count communities. Grant awards may range from $5,000-$20,000 and online applications are due by July 29.

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