National Wildlife Refuge Friends Program

1. National Wildlife Refuge Friends Program Webinar for Applicants• Friday, February 22, 2013

2. 2 Agenda • Webinar Etiquette • Overview of National Wildlife Refuge Friends Program • Review of Spring 2013 RFP • Funding Available • Types of Awards • How to Submit a Proposal – Using EasyGrants • Questions?

3. 3 1. Webinar Etiquette • Everyone is muted. If you want to ask a question you have two options: • Enter your query where it says “Enter a question for staff” and click send. Teal will read your question aloud when we pause for Q&A at the end. She’ll also compile a list of questions generated during today’s presentation and post answers on the NFWF Friends webpage next week. • Write it down and contact us after the webinar. You may prefer to have a more in-depth discussion later. • Please do not touch your “hold” button. While everyone is muted, we don’t want to risk subjecting participants to strange and diverting “hold music”. • Don’t be shy. If you have a question, someone else is thinking it too! • If you experience a technical glitch, please type it into the question box, since we can’t hear you. (Please don’t assume we know about the glitch unless we say so!) • The webinar will be available for download next week.

4. 4 2. Program Overview • The National Wildlife Refuge Friends Group Grant Program funds projects that assist organizations to be effective co-stewards of our Nation’s important natural resources within the National Wildlife Refuge System. The program provides seed grants to assist starting refuge support groups with formative and/or initial support, help existing friends groups build organizational capacity, and support conservation projects on participating refuges. • Since 1998, this program has provided over 380 awards totaling over $1.6 million in federal funds. While matching contributions are not required,over $990,000 has been contributed towards these projects • 4

5. 5 Program Goals: • To assist Refuge Friends organizations gain experience in developing projects, expand and increase their capacity and skills, meet local refuge challenges, gain and build community recognition and support for the refuge and refuge Friends organizations, and build long-term relationships.

6. Our Partners 5

7. These are Seed Grants • A grant to help your group jump start a project, but the expectation is that there is a sustainability plan in place for future maintenance.

8. Spring 2013 Grant Cycle THIS IS NEW! Eligible applicants are Friends organizations whose primary mission is to support a refuge or a complex of refuges. Applicants must either be tax exempt under section 501(c), OR be in the process of applying for 501(c)(3) status and submit with their grant application a copy of the letter from the IRS confirming your application has been filed.

9. 3 Types Of Projects Funded

10. Project Specific • Project Specific provided to organizations seeking support for projects they initiate and manage. For example, habitat restoration projects, building an observation tower, developing and providing interpretive materials and programs, or watchable wildlife programs.

11. Capacity Building • Capacity Building: Funds will be provided to strengthen the capacity of existing refuge Friends organizations to enable them to be more effective. For example, activities may increase membership or financial resources, develop a strategic plan, enhance the effectiveness of the board and leadership, marketing strategies, or tuition for training

12. START-UP • Start-Up Funds provided to assist starting refuge Friends organizations with formative and/or initial operational support. Funds may be requested for such things as membership drives, tuition for training, brochure and newsletter development, logo design, or consultant fees for planning a mission and strategic plan

13. How Many Applications Do We Typically Get? • Each grant cycle (Fall and Spring) we get an average of 25-30 proposals. • We have $50,000 to award in Spring 2013. We can always push funds to the next cycle, so we don’t always use everything we have (We award only the best proposals).

14. Listen Up! This is Important! We are not able to fund the following: • Printing for Professional Publishing Purposes; • Political advocacy or litigation activities; • Travel;                      • Salaries;                               • Non-profit filings;               • Food or beverages;  • Shortfalls in government agency budgets; or • Multi-year grants (applicants may reapply)

15. Easygrant-10 Steps to Success! • 1 - Go to: www.nfwf.org/easygrants • 2 – Login, or register if you have never had an EasyGrants account. • 3 - Start a New Application • 4 - Choose National Wildlife Refuge Friends Spring 2013 • 5 - Submit Eligibility Quiz • 6 - Under your To Do list, select the Full Proposal task for the National Wildlife Refuge Friends Spring 2013 program with a due date of April 1, 2013 • 7 - Complete all sections (contact info, project info, uploads, matching contributions) and click on save and continue in each section when it is complete • *You may save and return to application • 8 - Review and Submit on the left hand side of page and make sure the status of all sections is complete • 9 - Select View PDF to review the completed proposal in its entirety • *Recommend saving proposal on your computer from this view • 10 - Click SUBMIT

16. The Uploads • Along with the Easygrants application, you will be required to upload a Friends specific proposal, spatial data, a Refuge Manager signature page, and a statement of litigation.

17. $$$ Budget $$$ • VERY IMPORTANT-make sure anything reflected in the budget is described in the narrative.

18. Tips For Success • Long does not equal good • Make sure your budget does not include prohibited items and make sure it matches the narrative • Include your maintenance plan • Have someone read it who doesn’t know about the project

19. And that’s a wrap! Questions? Comments? …… Complaints?

20. We’d love to hear from you! Teal Edelen, Program Manager teal.edelen@nfwf.org / 202.857.0162 Joanna Webb, National Friends and Partnership Coordinator Joanna_webb@fws.gov Joan Patterson, National Wildlife Refuge Association jpatterson@refugeassociation.org