Managing NAWCA Grants

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• Managing NAWCA Grants
• Lessons Learned

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Successful management starts with a well planned
proposal

• Involve grants administrator in writing of grant
• Clearly delineate grant, match and non-match
• Include indirect costs/direct allocation
• Build in costs such as NHPA and NEPA for
  amendments
• Be thoughtful when selecting partners
• Ensure that match partners understand obligation

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Successful management starts with a well planned
proposal

• Have a good sense of project certainty
• Landowner commitments through option agreements
  and earnest money
• Be thoughtful about extremely rare habitat types

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Reporting and Financial Management The Backbone

• Good grants management tools and organizational
  systems essential
• Balance of and acres challenging
• Multiple grant and partner projects
• Complex management requirements
• Finance and science expertise
• Challenge for small non-profits

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• Project Area Grants
• 2 NAWCAs
• EPA
• USFWS Private Stewardship
• NRCS Wetlands Reserve Program
• U.S. Forest Service
• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
• Bonneville Power Administration
• Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
• 5 Washington State Salmon Grants
• 2 Private Foundation Grants

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Reporting and Financial Management The Backbone

• A-133 Audit
• Expend 500,000 or more in a year in Federal
  awards
• Adds to audit cost
• Start working with partners well in advance of
  due date for annual and final reports (3 months)
• Learn from others administering NAWCAs. Joint
  Venture, LTA, state coalitions

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Expense Tracking
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Acres Chart
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Communicate Clearly with Grant Partners

• Match partners need to understand obligation
  upfront
• Must meet NAWCA administration standards
• For acquisition, Notice of Grant agreement
• For restoration and enhancement, property must be
  managed for time period specified in proposal
• Acres AND dollars cant be committed to any other
  federally funded program
• Is partner staff person authorized to commit
  match?

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Grant Partners Continued

• You must track ALL projects in the grant for term
  specified. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE!
• Clear agreements with sub-recipients outlining
  commitments and scope of work
• Match and sub-recipient projects often involve
  many other partners not all partners understand
  the requirements and dynamics of your grant
• Delays in partner projects can impact your grant
  timeline.

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Be Thoughtful with NACWA Amendments

• Wait to ensure that the project is going to move
  forward before amending it into the grant
• Work closely with joint venture coordinator and
  grants administrator. Communicate issues ASAP.
  They want you to succeed!

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• Bottom Line
• Communication is Key!

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• Brad Paymar
• Columbia Land Trust
• 360-696-0131
• bpaymar_at_columbialandtrust.org