Helping communities find the federal funding they need.

AZ State EditionThe FundBook

August 2011

www.fundbook.orgp.2 ~ The Fundbook - AZ | August 2011

Arizona universities paid based on

performance?

Changes may be ahead for Arizona’s uni-versities which currently rely on enrollment figures to determine their state funding ratios. The Higher Education Finance Committee of the Getting AHEAD project, Arizona’s most collaborative effort to increase the number of college degree holders in the state, recently re-leased recommendations for developing a new performance-based funding model for univer-sities in the state of Arizona. The Committee is recommending a new base plus performance funding model that eliminates state funding for universities that is based simply on enrollment and replaces it with a system where funding is earned or lost based on each institution’s ef-fectiveness and efficiency at meeting approved performance goals. Such performance-based measures would include: increases in the num-ber of degrees produced, increases in completed student credit hours, and increases in outside funding for research and public service fund-ing. Funding would also be earned for increases or subtracted for decreases in these measures. So far, no state has proposed basing 100% of its new funding for universities on performance.

The budget package passed during the 2011 legislative sessions requires the Arizona Board of Regents to present a performance-based funding recommendation to the governor and legislature by October 1st. The Board of Re-gents will continue to solicit input from poli-cymakers on the proposed funding formula over the next several months and will give the formula preliminary review at its August board meeting before giving final approval at its September board meeting. If approved by state Legislature, the new funding model would be implemented in the next fiscal year. §

Arizona agencies tapping into

California business climate

Regional economic development and gov-ernmental agencies across the state have their eye on business development efforts in Cali-fornia. The Arizona Sun Corridor Partner-ship (ASCP) composed of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the Greater Yuma Eco-nomic Development Corporation, Tucson Re-gional Economic Opportunities, Inc., the City of Flagstaff, and Pinal County, has a primary objective to advance a collective interest in bringing business to the “Sun Corridor,” the rapidly expanding mega-region that runs from Nogales to Flagstaff. The participative groups maintain the same “California strategy” by promoting a close geographical proximity to Los Angeles, with much lower business costs.

The Partnership’s latest move includes the appointment of a private contractor to edu-cate businesses about the benefits and oppor-tunities available in the Arizona market, as well as network and coordinate meetings be-

The View from Arizona State

August Tip Tac Toe: Read the lines

and everything in between

Enough cannot be said about semantics and the im-portance of reading a grantor’s current guidelines on what they will fund and when grant applications are due. If a grantor says they will not fund equipment, do not ask them for equipment! If they say they will fund up to $10,000, do not ask them for $30,000! Semantics also matter a great deal. For instance, a programmatic grant could ask for $50,000 in support equipment, but would not be considered if it were titled a technology project. Grantors often shift their focus and timing can be very important. Watch for time-sensitive op-portunities and do your homework. Grant reviewers appreciate those who pay attention to their guidelines and requests for proposals (RFP). Too few do and it will help make your application stand out from the crowd. §

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Meggie Chapman & Associates is committed to providing our clients with the ability to acquire valuable information, assess needs and goals, create and enhance programs, cultivate relation-ships, leverage funding, and evaluate and continuously improve performance through our top-notch grant development firm.

Meggie Chapman & Associates understands that no one entity has the same fundraising or evaluation needs. We strongly believe in providing a full-range of customized and value-added consulting services to each client. Each client, short-term and long-term, is considered our partner. For the past eight years, Meggie Chapman and her team have partnered with educational institutions, govern-ment agencies, non-profit organizations, corporations and small businesses in support of their respective missions.

Meggie Chapman & Associates’ personalized process con-sists of a unique, multi-pronged approach that includes research, design, writing, editing, technical support and evaluation. These established processes and our 21st Century innovation and exten-sive network of highly-qualified consultants enables us to offer effi-cient and affordable services, as well as products that we are proud to stand behind. A pure demonstration of the firm’s efficacy is their success at raising millions in funding and connecting clients with valuable knowledge, resources and partnerships. Our ultimate goal is to assist each client to achieve their goals, further their mission and meet their needs.

To get started on your project today or to learn more about how our firm can tailor services to meet your specific needs, please contact Meggie Chapman at:

Phone 602-672-3064Fax 866-422-6024

info@meggiechapmanandassociates.com

Helping communities

secure the federal

funding they need

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The FundBook bridges the gap between your needs and those sources of federal funding available to your community. With a list of features that is growing each month, the FundBook can help you…

• Stay Organized – User-friendly features help you sort through the federal funding quagmire and locate quality grants.

• Gain Access – Expert insights into the federal assistance programs that matter to you.

• Prioritize Effectively – Tools to help your community navigate the federal funding process.

How We Help: Hundreds of communi-ties across the nation

are using the FundBook to navigate an increasing array of federal funding opportunities available to cities and counties each year. De-signed to give local government leaders a commanding view of the fed-eral funding process, each issue promotes and educates a do-it-yourself approach to pursuing assistance in Washington, D.C. and working with the federal agencies. The FundBook is designed to be the most user-friendly federal funding resource for all sizes of local government.

Why Us? Unlike other news magazines or govern-ment relations products designed for local

governments, the FundBook endeavors to provide specific, actionable advice rather than general news and policy information. Drawing upon the grant and appropriations experience of our staff and contributors, we strive to give our readers the tools needed to stay on top of the federal funding process every step of the way.

Sign up for the FundBook today and join a growing list of cities and counties that are maxi-mizing their ability to secure federal funding. Plus, check back with us soon as we

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www.fundbook.org August 2011 | The Fundbook - AZ ~ p.5

tween economic development leaders, corpo-rate real estate executives and professional site selectors. With similar employment bases and industry clusters, Arizona has a leg-up on the California market because of its significantly lower costs of doing business. The geographic position of the Sun Corridor allows businesses wishing to remain in, or tap into, the Califor-nia market to do so while operating in a more cost-effective business environment. The Sun Corridor is one of only 10 U.S. markets expect-ed to see most of the nation’s growth over the next 35 years. This Partnership has the poten-tial to bring new markets and opportunities to Arizona, benefiting local communities and residents and diversifying the state’s economy for many years to come. §

Support available through Alliance

Fund to combat money laundering

As cities and counties across Arizona con-tinue to face tight budget constraints, many have put an end to special assignments that foster cases and programs that directly address the growing power of criminal groups. A pos-sible funding alternative to sustain these vital enforcement projects is the Southwest Border Anti-Money Laundering Alliance, the result of a settlement agreement reached between the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and West-ern Union Financial Services, Inc. The main purpose of the program is to enhance and bet-ter coordinate investigations and prosecutions of money laundering in the Southwest Bor-der Area (SWBA) and other areas affected by money laundering, with the goal of reducing money laundering and thereby reducing vio-lence associated with smuggling organizations operating in the SWBA.

Alliance funds are available for federal, state, county, local, tribal, and Mexican Initia-tives, including technical assistance, training, personnel, supplies, and contractual support to

accomplish any one or more of the goals of the Alliance strategy, which are to: disrupt crimi-nal organizations that engage in cross border violence; disrupt the movement of weapons that flow across the southwest border into Mexico; develop a Southwest border area in-formation sharing network; provide training for law enforcement, prosecutors, and private sector partners regarding money laundering; and support multi-jurisdictional domestic and international money laundering investiga-tions. The Alliance plans to further implement its vision by allocating funds throughout the SWBA to initiatives that foster such cases and programs and the creation of an anti-money laundering network and collaboration among grantees. These efforts must go beyond the in-vestigative resources of individual agencies, cross jurisdictional boundaries, and lead to the arrest and criminal and civil prosecution of money laundering violators.

Grant applications are being accepted by the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. Program funds are available during this cal-endar year until the $50 million Alliance Fund is fully disbursed. To assure adequate minimum distributions of funds to each of the four member states of the Alliance, the Board will issue grants totaling at least $7 million to law enforcement organizations in each of the four member states. To find more information about the Alliance Fund, visit http://goo.gl/ryzE6 §

This article was contributed by Meggie Chapman of Meggie Chapman & Associates. Meggie Chapman is very knowledgable of the grants and funding territory in AZ and works with local governments and non-profits on grants-related services there.