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Questions and Answers from Conservation Funds Information Session September 25, 2020Q: Hi. Our project is set to close on a property in mid-October. Our nonprofit is purchasing a farm that will be converted to a multi-use Agricultural Center with future programming related to conservation, agro-ecology, programming for youth among other areas. Could we apply for funds through this grant to cover part of the cost retroactively? For example, part of the closing is covered through a loan that we have to repair. Is that beyond the scope of this grant?A: Unfortunately, yes. This grant program will not cover expenses already incurred, for example on properties you’ve already closed on. You could apply to Conservation for All and use that general support for this type of expense, either general support or project support. Q: How do you calculate operating budget? We keep our "special project" budgets (including capital campaigns for land / easement purchase) separate from operating budget... so what's reported on our 990 doesn't necessarily correspond to what we think of as our operating budget...A: You don’t need to include special project budgets within annual operating budget. We understand that organizations track expenses/projects in different ways. Please use the budget narrative section on the application to further explain your budget. You can also explain any budget particulars to the grant reviewer who will call you during the review.Q: Of the proposed 15 Conservation for All grants... what is the anticipated range for grant amounts?A: We hope to give the max amount ($15,000) to all or as many applicants as we can.Q: Could you provide examples of work LT's are doing to help mitigate climate change, especially for disadvantaged populations? A: At this point we don’t really know but are expecting to learn more about this through the applications we receive.Things we have been thinking about include looking at the impact of sea level rise and intense storms on particular communities, fisherman and farmers, and low-income neighborhoods; how to protect or adapt lands to our changing climate; and helping farmers and agriculture workers conserve land for farming. Another example is the work that Maine Coast Heritage Trust is currently doing to look at important marshy areas to protect in order to mitigate flooding and other climate driven changes over time. But we will learn more about what this work looks like from all of you as the applications come in.Q: Do all applicants need letters of support if using partners?A: Letters of support are not required but would be helpful to illustrate the work with partners in the community and to demonstrate community support and engagement on any particular project.Q: Can an organization apply for a program and then also be a fiscal sponsor for another?A: Yes!Q: How many years of funding do you anticipate these grant programs supporting?A: These are one-year grants.These programs are funded through permanent funds, so these grant programs will continue indefinitely. Q: I'm curious about what can and cannot be funded - e.g., are conferences, regular staff pay, media production for outreach, etc. all acceptable?A: Maine Land Protection funds can’t be used for staff time. The funds are intended for land acquisitions and easements. Conservation for All can be used flexible for general support or project support. We intentionally do not want to put restrictions on how the funds are used. Q: Will you have just one deadline/year?A: Currently we plan to have just one deadline for the two programs, as they share one review committee and all of our grant programs are carefully choreographed for staff capacity within MaineCF – in concert with our other grant programs and cycles. This deadline may change to September 15 in 2021, however.Q: Can I supply a letter of support for a project that does not have "partners" (as defined in the grant materials), but where I still think that the perspective of a community organization that we work with frequently would be good for you all to see?A: Yes. Expressions of support are encouraged. This could include things like community wide votes, completed surveys, or anything else that shows community/public support. Q: Can we apply for the Conservation for All grant if we are still completing a project funded by a Community Building Grant from MCF from 2019? The Community Building deadline for project completion was extended to Dec 2020 because of the pandemic.A: Yes!Q: For the Land Protection funding program. We're raising money to purchase a property that was pre-acquired by The Conservation Fund. Would that property be considered to be already protected?A: For the purposes of this program, this land would not be considered to be already protected. You can still apply to the program since the purchase – in the form of your local organization taking ownership and management of the property - has not happened or been resolved. Be sure to outline the details throughout the app and in the budget narrative section. Q: Any identified priorities in terms of awards by diversification of region? Or local vs statewide?A: There are no identified geographic priorities. However, after making the decisions, we go back through the and look at the diversity of geography, project, and organization and make adjustments if needed. Q: For both grant programs, is the "address climate change" priority specific to effects on human communities (as opposed to natural communities/habitat)?A: No; the climate change priority may also be specifically about climate impact on habitat or the natural world. However, the emphasis of both of these grant programs is on connecting Maine people and communities to the natural world, so that would simply make a stronger application. ................
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