FAs government agencies continue to emphasize and incorporate elements of conservation and sustainability into regulations, public mission statements, and community expectations, the funding to implement such activities is often inadequate or distributed to higher priority public needs projects. Grant funding is often the only means available to make these visions a reality. Unfortunately, in a time of budget cuts and reduced staffing, pursuing grant money is a daunting and time consuming task – but Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI) staff can help you obtain such grants.

At WSSI, we believe in a holistic project approach, including helping our clients find creative funding solutions for natural and cultural resource restoration and enhancement projects. Therefore, we have recently expanded our service offerings to provide comprehensive grant writing, research, and management services for public and non-profit agencies, as well as eligible businesses and individuals.

WSSI provides the following comprehensive grant-related services:

Pursuing grant funding is a great way to implement new projects, as well as leverage additional funding for existing projects. Recently, WSSI secured a grant from the Department of Conservation and Recreation for a dam safety analysis project that covers 40% of the total project budget and saves our client thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses. In many cases, local and state grant monies can also be used as "match" to leverage additional federal funds, and vice-versa. Grant guidelines typically require a cash or in-kind match of up to (or more than) 50% of the total project cost.

Some examples of projects that may be eligible for grant funding include:

With over 20 years of experience, WSSI is uniquely positioned to prepare winning grant applications for our clients. Our extensive technical background allows us to prepare detailed conceptual designs and project approaches, as well as realistic project budgets and implementation timelines – all of which are vital components to a successful grant application. Additionally, projects that are part of an overarching plan or partnership effort, build on the success of previous project implementation, or have measurable goals that are tangible in a short time period (i.e., 12 to 24 months) typically facilitate a more successful grant application.

If you need assistance with your next grant writing pursuit or just want help exploring your project feasibility and funding options in more detail, please contact Kelly McCutcheon.