Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund Dedicated to healthy fish and wildlife habitats, and clean, abundant water resources in the Delaware River, Bay and its tributaries
General Session Agenda 1pm 2pm 1. Webinar Instructions 2. Introduction to NFWF 3. Overview of Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund 4. Review of Request for Proposals Priorities Evaluation Guidelines 5. Using EasyGrants 6. Frequently Asked Questions 7. Q&A Rachel Dawson Program Director, Delaware River (202) 595-2643 Rachel.Dawson@nfwf.org Jessica Lillquist Coordinator, Delaware River (202) 595-2612 Jessica.Lillquist@nfwf.org
Webinar Instructions To improve sound quality, all participants will be muted during the webinar. If you want to ask a question, you have three options: 1. Enter your query where it says [Enter a question for staff] and click send. We will type a response or read your question aloud when we pause for Q&A. 2. If sound quality holds up, we will unmute you during Q&A sessions. 3. Make a note of your question and contact us after the webinar. We may ask you to raise your hand in the webinar dialogue box to confirm participants can hear us. If you experience a technical glitch, please type it into the question box, since we can t hear you. (We may not know about the glitch unless you say something!) This webinar will be posted at www.nfwf.org/delaware next week
Introduction to NFWF WHO WE ARE Chartered by Congress in 1984 30 member Board appointed by Secretary of the Interior Includes FWS Director & NOAA Administrator WHAT WE DO Sustain, restore, enhance the nation s natural heritage Bring collaboration among federal agencies & private funders Create common ground among diverse interests HOW WE DO IT Leverage private money with public funding average 3:1 On-the-ground conservation projects through competitive grant making
How Do We Do It Non-Federal Partners Corporations Foundations Private Donors States NGOs Mitigation & Settlements $ $ Federal Government Appropriations Cooperative Agreements Convener of focused, leveraged funding & leadership for priority wildlife & habitat conservation through grant making
2018 is the inaugural year for the DWCF Goal to conserve and restore natural areas, corridors and waterways on public and private lands to contribute to the vitality of the communities in the Delaware River watershed Approximately $4 million in grant funding available Major funding is provided by the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service ; program administered in partnership with FWS RFP designed to deliver the Delaware River Basin Restoration Partnership and Program Framework Source: Nature s Network
Conservation Action Grants Purpose of Conservation Action Grants: Implement on-theground restoration and conservation projects that achieve the goals of the Delaware River Basin Restoration Partnership and Program Framework for all four Strategic Program Areas: Sustain and enhance fish and wildlife habitat; Improve and maintain water quality for fish, wildlife and people; Sustain and enhance water management to benefit fish and wildlife; Improve outdoor recreational opportunities Conservation Action Grants should include Cross-Program Activities outlined in the Framework: Engage and equip the public to support coordinated restoration and protection; Facilitate resiliency of natural systems; Increase scientific knowledge, monitoring and research needed for successful project implementation; Provide technical assistance for restoration and conservation; Conserve areas of regional significance
Strategic Program Area 1 Goal: To sustain and restore fish and wildlife populations through conservation and restoration of their associated habitats and promote native ecosystem restoration Sustain and Enhance Fish and Wildlife Habitat Restoration and Conservation Activities Focus: conserve and restore ecological function to the important habitats for which the fish and wildlife resources in the basin depend Objective: conservation and restoration of habitats that will result in ecological, recreational, and commercial benefits
Strategic Program Area 2 Improve and Maintain Water Quality to Support Fish and Wildlife, as well as Habitats for Fish and Wildlife and Drinking Water for People Focus: non-regulatory efforts to provide additional focus on habitat protection and conservation activities Objective: to protect water quality for both drinking water and the health of the fish and wildlife resources that depend on clean water Goal: To protect and maintain water quality through projects and nonregulatory programs aimed at improving land and watershed management and reduce pollutants that can impair water quality
Strategic Program Area 3 Sustain and Enhance Water Resource Management for Volume and Flood Damage Mitigation Improvements to Benefit Fish and Wildlife Habitat Focus: non-regulatory efforts to support the demands on the water resources of the basin and to enhance tolerance of potential drought and flood conditions Objective: manage water use to meet drinking water needs and other human uses while still providing water to support fish and wildlife Goal: To provide non-regulatory support to the management of water resources to meet the various human and ecological needs and legal requirements in the basin and restore ecological function to the watershed, river, and tributaries in order to provide enhanced tolerance of potential drought and flood conditions
Strategic Program Area 4 Improve Opportunities for Public Access and Recreation in the Basin Consistent with the Ecological Needs of Fish and Wildlife Habitat Focus: maintaining and improving access to outdoor recreational opportunities Objective: provide high-quality recreational experiences while supporting the needs of fish and wildlife Goal: To maintain and improve recreational opportunities which are compatible with the conservation of natural resources
Reminders Conservation Action Grants will range from $50,000 to $250,000 each Generally, grants of less than $100,000 will be awarded for restoration at a single site and/or involving fewer partners Proposals requesting $100,000 to $250,000 should represent broad-based partnerships engaged in implementing comprehensive approaches that may include multiple sites and multiple strategies Ineligible use of funds: Support of ongoing efforts to comply with legal requirements Support of political advocacy, fundraising, lobbying, litigation, terrorist activities or Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations Projects may not include acquisition by the federal government of any interest in land
Proposal Evaluation Criteria Program Goals and Strategies Cross-Program Activities Technical Merit Project Context Partnership Letters of Support Work Plan Metrics Monitoring and Project Evaluation Transferability
Proposal Guidelines - Highlights Projects must start within 6 months and be completed 2 years from award Provide measurable outputs and outcomes, choose your metrics wisely and provide details requested Plan to measure progress towards achieving them and describe that plan in your proposal If you haven t thought about permits and compliance yet, START NOW! Start collecting your letters of support (write templates for your partners) At least 1:1 non-federal match is required - cash and/or in-kind contributions Pursuant to OMB rules, indirect is allowed please review the policy on our website Indirect Cost Calculator: http://www.nfwf.org/whatwedo/grants/applicants/pages/indirectcost-calculator.aspx
How to Apply to NFWF EasyGrants System www.nfwf.org/easygrants 1. Log in with existing email and password Register now if you do not have one this will allow for time to familiarize yourself with the system If you have trouble logging in, use the help feature 2. Turn off your pop-up blockers 3. Download and use the tip sheet available on the program webpage 4. You can work on the narrative offline download the template and upload when you re finished 5. Please be as specific as possible with mapping AND providing location information on your project 6. Click save frequently 7. Make sure all your check marks are green; do not click SUBMIT until you are completely finished 8. Note: Easygrants has been updated since last year so some formats may look different (e.g. the budget format)
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Question 1 Q: Why is the grant funding level approximately $4 million? A: Congress appropriated $5 million for this program in fiscal year 2018 to leverage public and private funding to support the environmental and economic health of the Delaware River Watershed via boots-on-the-ground conservation projects as outlined in the Delaware River Basin Restoration Partnership and Program Framework. NFWF will award approximately $4.14 million in grants, and utilize additional resources for providing technical assistance and other services to DWCF applicants, grantees and program partners (~$120K). NFWF and FWS have retained a small portion of the funds to staff and administer the program. There are no new FTEs.
Frequently Asked Question 2 Q: What is eligible for match and how far back can we count it? A: Match includes all in-kind and cash contributions to the implementation of the project. DWCF projects must have a minimum 1:1 non-federal match; match above 1:1 will improve project competitiveness All match should be in support of, or directly contribute to, activities associated with the proposed work Funds associated with project parcel easements or acquisitions can be included as long as the funds are utilized during the grant period Past expenditures on the project are acceptable as match dating back to the official start of the DWCF July 30, 2018
Frequently Asked Question 3 Q: The map in the RFP is too tiny. Where can I find a larger one? A: NFWF staff can provide you with a larger map pdf and point you to the GIS layers/files used to create it. You can also feel free to utilize Nature s Network on your own or any other mapping or analysis tool that will help you develop and refine project context. As a reminder, there are no particular geographic constraints to this program beyond project delivery 100% inside the Delaware River Watershed.
Frequently Asked Question 4 Q: Speaking of, what s all this about project context? Won t you just know that restoration and conservation is important?! A: While NFWF and FWS staff (and our proposal reviewers) are pretty awesome, we have not yet perfected our mind-reading skills. Please do make every effort to tell us why this is the right time for this project, why these are the right actions to take, and why it should happen in this particular geography. Also describe any additional plans (municipal, federal, state, etc) and goals this project helps deliver. But do not upload a pile of those plans with your proposal. We don t want 350-page proposal packets. Please.
Frequently Asked Question 5 Q: There are a few metrics we d like to select that really showcase the potential impact of our project, but they seem complicated to calculate. Where do we begin with this sorcery? A: NFWF and FWS staff are putting together a toolbox for DWCF applicants that offers some resources for establishing project context and calculating project impact. Look for that on the NFWF Delaware River webpage in the coming days, but also feel free to reach out for guidance on tools and resources. Metrics should be reasonable, achievable and tell a good story about your project but don t overexert yourself trying to determine, say, a reduced sedimentation rate down to the grain of sand. Get as close as you can.
Frequently Asked Question 6 Q: What about monitoring? How should we describe our current project performance monitoring plan? A: NFWF expects that projects will identify measurable outputs for which a monitoring or evaluation effort will support and demonstrate the pre-, interim-, and post project conditions. NFWF is looking for its grantees to demonstrate that they understand the system within which they will be working and what will be accomplished through the restoration activities proposed. Proposals should describe that context and how applicants will measure change.
Frequently Asked Question 7 Q: Should project partners submit a single proposal or will NFWF consider multiple proposals from the project partners? A: One of the evaluation criteria for NFWF s proposal review is the strength of the partnership assembled to implement the project. It would be beneficial for partners to ensure that proposals are well coordinated, fully supported and complementary. Whether a single, larger proposal is submitted or multiple is up to the partners. It would NOT be ideal for competing proposals addressing the same project or approach to be received. Feel free to reach out to program contacts to discuss specific circumstances if needed.
Frequently Asked Question 8 Q: Will NFWF have other grant programs for projects within the Delaware River watershed that may fall outside of the scope of this RFP? A: There are other NFWF programs that overlap with the DWCF geographically and release RFPs at various times during the year. We can provide you with information on them, but please also be sure to review the opportunities carefully to see if the categories could be a good fit. And, as always, feel free to discuss your ideas with us.
Final Tips for Applicants 1. If you ve never used EasyGrants before, create your login TODAY 2. Turn off your pop-up blockers; if you use Internet Explorer, turn them off again and again 3. Print/download the tip sheet and use it as a reference 4. Re-read the RFP and reference the information provided through the links 5. These are competitive grants; projects should address all criteria, respond to all requirements and have a wow factor 6. Include lots of context and details do not assume reviewers know things about your project! 7. Don t skimp on the metrics and fill in the requested info in the notes section 8. Submit your proposal ON OR BEFORE September 27 th 9. Note that NFWF staff will not be in the office at 11:59 pm on September 27th! 10. Reach out if you need help
Proposals are Due Thursday, September 27!! QUESTIONS? Awards will be announced in mid December Rachel Dawson Program Director, Delaware River (202) 595-2643 Rachel.Dawson@nfwf.org Jessica Lillquist Coordinator, Delaware River (202) 595-2612 Jessica.Lillquist@nfwf.org Mike Slattery Delaware River Watershed Coordinator, USFWS (410) 573-4571 michael_slattery@fws.gov www.nfwf.org/delaware