March 2, 2023

This week, the CSAC Grants Initiative (Initiative) enters an exciting new phase with the expansion of access to no-cost member resources and the launch of affordable premium services.

Aligning Needs and Resources

Past President Ed Valenzuela and Chief Executive Officer Graham Knaus introduced the Initiative in August of 2022 in response to an increasingly challenging situation. They recognized that all California counties are looking inside their communities and seeing wide-ranging local needs and looking outside their communities and hearing about—but not necessarily accessing—wide-ranging external resources.

How, they asked, should the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) help counties to identify and leverage outside funds for local purposes? Their answer was the Initiative—a new platform for helping counties access federal, state, and foundation grants.

Increasing Access and Options

The Initiative’s first phase, which focused on developing no-cost grant tools for all CSAC members, has proven successful. For example, more than 470 subscribers are getting updates on new funding opportunities via a Weekly Grants Newsletter.

The next phase begins this week with the roll out of two major expansions:

• Streamlined Member Access – the Initiative is moving to more systematically solicit submissions to the Project Ideas Portal (Portal). Since the Portal’s release in November, experience has shown that the best way for counties to maximize access to the Initiative’s resources is to go through the Portal. Working to ensure more and steadier submissions is expected to result in more counties accessing more tools.
• Optional Premium Services – the Initiative is adding its second arm of local support by making flat-fee Annual Packages and flat-fee A La Carte Services available. These options are designed to be affordable because counties get CSAC’s negotiated 10% discount; efficient because counties contract directly with the California Counties Foundation (Foundation); and flexible because counties can treat consulting hours as fungible. Counties are encouraged to sign up.

The next phase will also include a series of Spring webinars, one of which is already scheduled:

• Maximizing CSAC Resources + Seeking Homelessness and Housing Grants – March 30^th from 10:30am to 12:00pm (virtual) – Get process-related tips on leveraging the CSAC Grants Initiative while also getting topic-specific tips on applying for homelessness and housing grants.

For pricing and other details on Annual Packages and A La Carte Services, visit CSACgrantsinitiative.org. 

Highlighting Foundation Courses

The Intiaitive is one of several programs that the California Counties Foundation (Foundation) runs in support of CSAC members. Counties are encouraged to attend the Winter-Spring courses that the Foundation makes available at the William ‘Bill’ Chait Institute for Excellence in County Government, including:

• Initiating, Navigating, and Negotiating the Dynamics of Change in County Government March 9 from 9am to 1:30 pm (virtual) – Explore a six-part framework developed from change processes in children’s services, health services, homelessness, and other issues for underserved or vulnerable communities challenging county governments in California.
• How to Speak Confidently and Compellingly Anywhere, Anytime – March 17 from 9am to 1:30pm (virtual) – Gain confidence in public speaking with instruction from David Liebler, former Director of Public Affairs and Member Services.
• Adaptive Leadership March 17 from 10am to 3:30pm (Fresno Campus) – Learn how to go beyond simply addressing issues by finding creative ways to solve them utilizing the skills and talents of all employees throughout all levels of an organization. 
• Coaching for Success – March 23^rd from 9am to 1:30pm (virtual) – Build leadership skills with instruction from Kelli King-Jackson, an Associated Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
• Realignment 301: Public Safety Funds and Realignment Funding – April 6^th from 9:30am to 3pm – Learn about the nature and significance of public safety and realignment funding with instruction from state and local experts.

To sign up or get additional course information, visit CSACinstitute.org.