A Message from Cynthia Toop, Grant Writer, Planning Department
Welcome!
You might ask, what does it take for the Tribe to receive funding and deliver programs or projects?
My answer would be, “The process is taking leadership’s direction to determine what funding will support the programs or projects to meet the priorities of the membership. The directors then implement these priorities by spending many hours to work through the grant process. It takes dedication to come to together as a team to identify the program or project needs and develop the budget that supports it.”
Team members often include the director, staff, other tribal departments, professional organizations, along with our partnerships with universities, and government agencies on federal, state, and local levels. Once awarded, the departments who receive the funding are supported by many within the organization which includes but is not limited to those responsible for grant management/compliance, others who arrange for contracting, invoicing, purchasing, hiring, payroll and many other moving parts to ensure that the program is delivered according to the conditions of the award.
The mission statement that I work under as a grant writer is to work with the departments as a team member in identifying funding priorities along with providing exceptional grant resources in the program or project development that advances the Mission, Vision, and Values of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe.
A glance back at this year’s funding interest by federal agencies:
In March, Arlando S. Teller, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Tribal Affairs, Office of the Secretary at the Department of Transportation visited the Tribe about our Department of Transportation RAISE grant application that was submitted but not funded for FY 21. While here, he toured the uphill area that was the focus of the application. Mr. Teller encouraged us to apply again for FY 22. We did apply again, and our planning grant made it through all way to desk of Secretary Pete Buttigieg and our infrastructure grant made it all the way to the 3rd level of reviews but alas they were not funded. We will be looking to Tribal Council to see if they would like us to move forward with another application this year.
Senator Cantwell and her team visited in August to talk with the Tribe about project funding priorities. She and her team toured the uphill lands and the new tower.
Bryan Mercier, BIA Regional Director, and his team visited in August and asked about barriers to funding and our priority projects. He and his team visited the uplands as a focus for funding.
Other grant news:
A special shout out to the newest member of our Planning Department, Raleigh Anderson, for his dedication to learning all there is to know about grants. He took the lead in working with Kathirine Horne on the WA State OVCA application that was funded for an additional 3 years.
Also, a shout out to Caitrin McCarron Shuy of Hobbs, Straus Dean & Walker Law Offices for taking a water/sewer project that the Planning Department was working on and through the bill, as announced, will provide us almost half of the budget that had been developed through a congressional allocation. Jamie Judkins works tirelessly to plan and implement all activities in the department and she is working with IHS to move forward with the original budget and if Tribal Council approves, we will be pursing the other portion of the funding through them.
Below is list of grants with substantial involvement from the Planning Department, however, it is not a list of all grants. The applications not listed, are from the departments where we support their applications in a cursory manner i.e., submission on grants.gov, presenting to Tribal Council, or other brief services.
| Granting Agency | Year Awarded | Award Amount | Award Purpose | Number of Years for Project |
| Health Care Authority CA – INA | 2022 | $36,885 | Provide After-School Preventative Activities | 1 |
| WA Office of Crime Victim Advocacy | 2022 | $420,000 | Provide Victim's Services | 3 |
| Althea | 2022 | $40,000 | Broadband Study | 1 |
| Treasury-CFP | 2022 | $160,000 | Broadband Delivery | 4 |
| Office for Victims of Crime - TVSSA | 2022 | $347,240 | Victim's Services | 3 |
| FEMA - THSGP | 2022 | $26,822 | Emergency Management Communication | 1 |
| COPS Office - CTAS | 2022 | $599,176 | Expand Police Force | 5 |
| U.S. Department of the Interior - TJS | 2022 | $353,245 | Expand Court | Ongoing |
| WA State EMPG | 2022 | $40,000 | Update Emergency Plans | 1 |
| IHS Special Diabetes Program - SDPI | 2023 | $227,935 | Diabetes Education | 5 |
| The American Indian Health Commission for Washington State | 2023 | $63,709 | Public Health Assessment | 2 |
| BIA TCR | 2023 | $450,000 | Community Coordinator | 3 |
| Total | $2,765,012 |
| Listed on the Department of the Interior Appropriations Bill but award not yet issued | Here is a link to read the congressional bill (page 184) | Award Purpose | Number of Years for Project | |
| Awarded Congressional Allocation | 2022 | $1,200,000 | Water/Sewer Treatment Development | 3 |
|
Recent Congressional (Submitted/Pending) |
2023 | $1,485,000 | Water/Sewer Treatment Development | 4 |
| Pending SBIT Grant Applications | ||||
| Granting Agency | Year Applied | Pending | Award Purpose | Expected Month of Notice |
| National Telecommunication and Information Administration - TBCP | 2021 | $500,000 | Expand Broadband Infrastructure | December 2022 |
| U.S. Housing and Urban Development – Indian Housing Block Grant Competitive | $6,167,683 | Upland Housing and Road Development | July 2023 | |
| Department of Transportation – RAISE Infrastructure | $24,981,221 | Upland Road Development | July 2023 | |
| Congressional Ask submitted to Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez | $4,087,020 | Upland Road Development | September 2023 | |
| Total | $35,735,924 | |||
| Pending WBE Grant Applications | ||||
| Granting Agency | Year Applied | Pending | Award Purpose | Expected Month of Notice |
| U.S. Housing and Urban Development -ICDBG | 2022 | $750,000 | Improvements to Tradewinds on the Bay | March 2023 |
| Total | $750,000 | |||
| Denied Grant Applications | ||
| Department of Transportation - RAISE Infrastructure | 2022 | $25,000,000 |
| Department of Transportation - RAISE Planning | 2022 | $1,300,000 |
| Economic Development Administration - Indigenous Communities (app not reviewed, funding was not available for last round) | 2022 | $5,000,000 |
| National Fish and Wildlife Foundation | 2022 | $4,496,000 |
| Federal Emergency Management Administration - BRIC | 2021 | $273,314 |
| U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs Legal Fee Request | 2021 | $40,000 |
| Total | $36,109,314 | |