Cross-Sector Partners to Help Secure ARPA Funding for Five-County Region

[Image description: From top left to right: Community Foundation 30th anniversary logo and Traverse Connect logo; from bottom left to right: Networks Northwest logo and Rotary Charities logo.]

The Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, Traverse Connect, Rotary Charities of Traverse City, and Networks Northwest—all members of the Northwest Michigan Community Development Coalition—have partnered with Public Sector Consultants (PSC) to facilitate a regional approach to identify community partnerships, encourage collaboration, and ultimately strive to secure state and federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

“We are at a critical moment for our region to bring in an unprecedented investment in our communities that can drive long-term growth and prosperity,” said David Mengebier, President and CEO of the Community Foundation. “The best way to maximize and equitably target these resources is to build partnerships and work together to identify and share potential projects and programs that align with our region’s key economic, community, and environmental priorities.”

Together, the Community Foundation, Traverse Connect, Rotary Charities, Networks Northwest, and PSC will begin by identifying the region’s key priorities and projects by engaging the public and a broad range of public, private, and nonprofit sector stakeholders in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau Counties.

Individuals and organizations interested in participating in the project are asked to consider whether they meet the following criteria and then share their project ideas through the Grand Traverse Regional Infrastructure Project Inventory by March 11:

• Your organization is eligible to receive local, state, and federal grant funds.
• Your organization has the capacity to administer resources, meet reporting requirements, and remain in compliance with other relevant regulations.
• Your project(s) or program(s) is financially sustainable, i.e., your organization has the ability to supplement these short-term grant funds with long-term, sustainable funding streams if needed.
• Your project(s) or program(s) is timely, i.e., your organization has the ability to plan, initiate, and manage the project in the next 24 months.

Information on these potential projects will be cataloged in a publicly available database that will include basic information about each project as well as what types of funding each opportunity may be eligible for. The goal of this inventory is to allow for greater information sharing and awareness and to improve collaboration. The project inventory will also help prioritize and target regional funding proposals so that it will increase the likelihood of success for community and regional impact.

“Our goal is to identify shared priorities that will increase the quality of life and economic success across the region; determine which are eligible for ARPA and other federal and state funding opportunities; then work together to maximize the amount of funding the region can secure and leverage to support these shared priorities,” said Sakura Takano, CEO of Rotary Charities of Traverse City. “We look forward to bringing together projects the public and our community partners submit.”

For more information about this initiative, reach out to Ben Fulton of Public Sector Consultants at bfulton@publicsectorconsultants.com or (517) 484-4954.