Community & Economic Development

Once an idea or identified need becomes defined, the Big Sandy Area Development District employs staff that can assist the project sponsor whether that be a county, city, special district, or other non-profit organization in identifying potential sources of funding for the project.  Our Grants Writer/Researcher will seek out sources of funding that may include grants or loans from federal agencies, state agencies, or private foundations.  Coordinating with Big Sandy ADD project developers and administrators in a team approach as well as the local sponsor to further define the project, the grant researcher will identify appropriate funding sources and then review the guidelines necessary to meet funding agency requirements for preparing an application.

 The first step toward project development involves identifying specific community needs and issues.  This is best done at the local level with community officials, local residents, and Big Sandy Area Development District staff participating in the process.  The scope of the project must be defined and the potential sources of financial support must be identified.  The Project Developer works effectively with funding agencies to coordinate a project and assist the project sponsor in identifying appropriate funding alternatives including federal, state, local or private sources.  After which, the Project Developer will gather the necessary data for application writing purposes with input from the project applicant and appropriate professional service providers and complete the required documentation for the application(s).  Fees charged for preparation of funding applications are based upon a rate of $35 per hour or an agreed upon fixed fee for administration of the project. Fees charged are dependent upon the funding source requirements and level of detail/involvement needed 

From initial project planning to notification of a project being funded, our project administration staff can assist in overall coordination of the project on behalf of the applicant.  Fees for these services are negotiated with the applicant and are determined based upon the funding sources in the project.  Responsibilities of the project administrator include working closely with the applicant in providing the overall supervision of the project which may include the following services as required by the funding agency: Maintaining Project Specific Documentation; Managing Procurement of Professional Services; Environmental Assessment; Acting as Liaison with Funding Agencies; Financial Management; Civil Rights Compliance; Labor Standards Compliance; Contract Review; Project Benefit Profile; Project Close-Out

A geographic information system (GIS) integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. GIS allows us to view, understand, question, interpret, and visualize data in many ways that revel relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of maps, globes, reports, and charts. A GIS helps you answer questions and solve problems by looking at your data in a way that is quickly understood and easily shared. GIS technology can be integrated into any enterprise information system framework.

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