Funding for GIS projects can come from a variety of sources including federal, state, regional, and non-profit organizations. The author provides examples of projects funded by different organizations ranging from $800 to $1.3 million. Successful funding applications require clearly defining the project, researching feasibility and costs, communicating with decision makers, and highlighting how the project benefits the community.

1. Funding GIS Projects September 18, 2009

2. There Are No Guarantees! Funding streams can die at anytime People make decisions and perceptions differ Politics can be very good and very bad

3. My Funding Background Based off of six years working with the Southern Alleghenies Regional Planning and Development Commission Worked with every level of government, state agency, and various non-profit organizations Assisted in procuring funding from $800 to $1,300,000 I can connect GIS to any scenario

4. First Step: What Do You Want To Do? Define a clear project Write it out Gather support from others Know what good will come from this project, anything that is good for the community or will directly lead to cost savings is key When do I want this project done?

5. Second Step: Research Is the project really feasible? How much will this cost? Get real cost estimates from a consultant, they’re free and carry more weight with funding organizations Who would fund this type of project? Talk with others who have done similar projects Talk with your local County and Regional Governments When would I be able to get funding? You will not get money overnight

6. Step Three: Communication Find out who the decision makers are for your funding submittal Call and talk with them about your project before submitting They can be helpful with your submittal

7. Step Four: Writing Your Submittal Language is key, write what the funding organization wants to hear Use key trigger words (economic development, community, technology) Get to the point, you’re not the only submittal they are reviewing Try to be unique, have something standout

8. Step Five: You’re Submitted, Now What Stay in touch with the funding group You may be on the decision line Start development of plan B, C, D, E, etc.

9. Step Six: You Get Funded Mission accomplished, almost Promote your project, there is no charge for local media In publications about your project don’t forget to mention who gave you the cash You may need them again and funding organizations like relationships Make your project a success

10. Money, Money, Money Federal State Regional Government Non-profit foundations Commercial Market/Businesses

11. Federal Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) National Science Foundation (NSF) Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) – National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Mapping Program www.grants.gov

12. State Conservation, Public Safety, Travel Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Department of Transportation (DOT) Planning and Research (State Planning and Research SPR Program) and STIP Department of Commerce Department of Revenue

13. Regional Government Have direct access to DOT Supplemental Planning funds and Discretionary funding via their Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) annually Tourism Program funding with DCED funds Tied in with the ARC Program Christmas in June Need equipment?

14. Non-profit Foundations Competitive Large financial resource Easy submittal process Know few boundaries Most have either a technology, economic development, or community improvement category Depending on project size, could be one stop for funding

15. WV Foundations Clay Foundation, Inc. $5,248,984 Parkersburg Area Comm. Fdn $1,912,607 Hugh I. Shott, Jr. Foundation $1,635,516 Bernard McDonough Fdn, Inc. $1,620,428 Greater Kanawha Valley Fdn$1,189,545 James H./Alice TeubertTrust $1,177,342 The Daywood Foundation, Inc. $1,104,500 Comm. Fdnfor the OH Valley$1,060,787

16. Businesses ESRI/Trimble www.esri.com/grants/ 2009 Mobile Govt. Grants ($80k) Google Earth http://earth.google.com/outreach/grants.html Wal-marts Local large corporations

17. FGDC NDSI Cooperative Agreements Program (CAP) $1 million+ available annually Average grant size $20,000 - $75,000 End of January submittal, September award Various categories Metadata implementation/training Clearinghouse participation OpenGIS Web Mapping implementation Organizational GIS Participation in National Map

18. FHWA TCSP Transportation, Community, and System Preservation Program $270 million available for 2005-2009, what’s next Average project size $250,000 Opened Fall, submittals due by April 30th Project relate to transportation safety and/or use technology

19. Sample GIS Funding Example

20. Cambria County GIS $1.3 million of PennDOT Supplemental Funds (with some discretionary money) 90,000+ tax parcels done using COGO method Used previous GIS investments as match

21. Other Ways to Say Tax Parcel Landuse polygon Ownership boundary polygons Community properties Property Boundary Parcel

22. Matching Funds Single source funding is rare State agencies have similar goals and usually require a 50-50 match Any local contribution (5-10-20%) puts you in a real favorable position Partner with others who will benefit from the project (County, Municipality, University, Fire Company, Public Schools)

23. Tips Make GIS part of any project you have a good shot with receiving funding Communicate with whom you want money from throughout the process Use trigger words Never take no for an answer, at least the first three times

24. Contact Information John Dubnanskyjohn.dubnansky@kimballcorp.com(814) 472-7700 ext. 1389

25. Questions or Share Your GIS Funding Luck?

26. Who Has Funded What?

27. Foundations Greene County GIS, $65,000, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, for GIS staff, software, and equipment City of Pittsburgh, $40,000, Heinz Endowments, for web based data creation and analysis for hazard mitigation plan Rochester Institute of Technology, $874,000, Develop and implement a spectral digital imaging system

28. Federal FGDC CAP, New Jersey Office of OIT, $50,000, National Map GIS Data Layers FGDC CAP, Richland County, ND, $75,000, Public Web Access to County GIS Data USDA Cooperative Agreement (CRIS), University of Maryland, $214,597, Development and Analysis of Geographical Data Basedefining Organic

29. Federal Continued… USDA NRI Competitive Grant, Louisiana State University, $24,500, GIS for Red River Watershed Management ARC, SEDA-COG, $40,000, Development of a tourism focused Internet Map Server (IMS) for a 10-county area FHWA TCSP, SAP&DC, $200,000, I-99 Corridor Study Project

30. State PADEP, Mifflin County GIS Dept., $60,000, GIS Impervious Layer for Watershed Planning PADEP, Municipality of Monroieville, $50,000, GIS Stormwater Map Creation PADCNR, Carbon County, $47,561, Lehigh River Watershed Plan with the creation of a number of GIS layers PADCNR, Centre County Clearwater Conservancy, $62,000, Living with I-99 GIS Outreach and Education. Included mapping of watershed features and model development.

31. State Continued.. PADCNR, Lycoming County, $18,200, Watershed planning and GIS database PADEP, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, $35,000, Develop detailed watershed maps and data layers PADOT TIP, DVRPC, $350,000, General GIS development and aerial photography PADOT, NWLDD, $32,000, Transit Analysis and Mapping Project PADCED, Greene County, $350,000, Community GeoPortal

32. PADOT TIP GIS Project

33. Who Funds What Chart