We Need Your Help – Reforming the State’s Grants Process

Maryland Nonprofits will be hosting two important discussion sessions on possible state grant reforms in the next few weeks.  Legislation will be proposed in the 2020 Legislative Session to begin a streamlining and standardization of state grants procedures across a number of human service agencies.

The proposal is still being finalized, and we need your input ASAP to determine the immediate focus of the legislation and how significant the need is for this.  THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN  without strong support from nonprofit providers, both for legislation and during the process of structuring reforms.

Both discussion sessions will be in our office in Baltimore on:

• Wednesday December 11 at 1:00pm
• Tuesday December 17, at 1:00pm.

There will also be a call-in option for both sessions – 712-775-7031, access code 336 330#.

In grants management circles, the system developed in Illinois over the past 8 years has become a model – streamlining & standardizing the entire grants management ‘life cycle’ from certifications and applications to procedures and audits – on a cross-agency basis, using the federal Uniform Guidance as a basis.

In Maryland, and frankly many states, most agencies seem eons behind, as you probably have realized.  To get a sense of what the state of the art might be, and what we hope to begin moving toward, check out the Executive Summary (beginning on page 4) of the report linked above.  You will see that service provider support, input and participation has been a critical component.

We hope you can share your thoughts with us in one of these discussion sessions.

Please contact Henry Bogdan by email with any questions.