⇒ There are many government grant programs. Some are available from state agencies and we have been very fortunate in winning several, but the world of government grants is much more robust among Federal agencies, and we can do more here. In previous lives I have led many successful proposal marketing and grant-writing efforts involving Federal agencies. While I am not running for grant-writer, I can provide some guidance and feedback to these processes.

⇒ For onetime grants, of varying sizes and foci, the private foundation world is also a prime target. This is particularly so concerning projects that are more oriented to the community development side of our aspirations (e.g., parks and recreation). I know this world as well, and have been similarly successful. I taught a class at Michigan State on grants and grant-getting, and would be open to helping us get better.

⇒ In addition to the one-time needs and solutions, the most significant and lasting impacts of “soft money” (grants) projects is their potential to permanently and significantly decrease some operational costs. There are many opportunities here to really improve our financial situation. For example, one opportunity that has grown for entities like a County, or a CSD, is to enter into a power purchase agreement (20-plus years duration) with a solar company (e.g., REC Solar, Solar City) to provide lower cost power for pumping water from an aquifer or for operating a wastewater treatment plant, with essentially zero upfront costs. This is something to look into.