At Templeton Landscape Architecture & Planning, we work as a team to prepare grants, both basic and complex, to provide our clients the best chance to vie for funding in highly competitive grant processes. While no firm can promise success, partly because of the unpredictability of project submissions and competitiveness from year to year, Templeton has a high success rate, having helped clients win over $8,000,000 in grants for projects totaling $10,000,000 over the last eight years. Templeton has also administered projects for grants prepared by communities bringing the total value of projects administered to $30,000,000.

Background:

Michele Palmer, a landscape architect for nearly thirty years, has a strong understanding of how to conceptualize a project, often with several phases, and tailor the grant to the client’s goals. She develops a “best estimate” of the scope of the work to be accomplished and the costs involved, often assembling a team of experts to assist in budgeting. Her knowledge of historic preservation and archaeology is particularly helpful in areas of historic or archaeological concern where she can assist in coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office. Her background as a landscape architect provides a basis for conversations with regulatory agencies such as the NYSDEC and USACE so that there are no surprises in grant proposals that may be reviewed by those agencies. Palmer also has a strong understanding of the realities of municipal process and budgeting.

Connections:

Over the decade, we have established strong relationships with granting entities including those who provide local community grants, regional grants as well as NY State level grants administered through the Environmental Facilities Corporation, the New York Department of State, the Office of Preservation, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, the CanalCorps, NYSERDA, and the New York State Department ofEnvironmental Conservation. Researching Funding Opportunities:Our clients’ projects, for which funding is sought, reflect their unique community’s needs. Templeton conducts extensive research of available grants to find the best fit with the client’s goals and aspirations and most advantageous local contribution ratio. We then also research each agency’s granting requirements and grant evaluation “score card” to tailor the application to the agency and achieve the highest probability of receiving funding.

Grant Preparation Process:

The grant selection process is extremely competitive, especially at the State level. As part of our services we seek advice from funding agencies to understand their priorities and the selection matrix that will be used for the particular grant program. Templeton will advise our clients on all aspects of the grant application process including the need for public meetings, drafting resolutions, soliciting letters of support and other means of documentation to illustrate local need and community buy-in for a particular project. Realistic budgets will be prepared, and the client will be advised of the requirements for any matching funds. We then assist the client in demonstrating to the granter that adequate funding is available for the match. We will complete all forms, both hard copy and through web-based applications. We routinely provide copies of all application forms at the end of the application process so that our clients know exactly what was submitted on their behalf.

Administration:

We understand that many small communities do not have planning staff who can effectively administer grants. We provide assistance with contract negotiation and interpretation as soon as a grant award is announced. Templeton provides effective grant administration services and compliance oversight so that once a client receives a grant, they can efficiently utilize funds and be reimbursed as quickly as possible. With rules and requirements related to work force utilization, MWBE/EEOC, and procurement frequently changing and the reimbursement process differing between granters, it can be very time consuming and confusing for clients to navigate the grant reimbursement and close-out process.