To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): County Executive’s Office
Staff Name and Phone Number: M. Christina Rivera, Yvonne Shu, Marcus Clarke 707-565-2431
Vote Requirement: Informational Only
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
County Quarterly Grant Update - Third and Fourth Quarter, Fiscal Year 2024-25
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Receive quarterly report on departmental grant activity.
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Executive Summary:
This report provides the grant activity of County departments during the third and fourth quarters of FY 2024-25. Departments shared their recent successes and challenges in applying for grants, identified funding needs for the coming year and provided a list of grants applied for or awarded from January to June 2025. During the reporting period, the responding departments were awarded $86,837,072 in grant funding.
Since implementation of the County’s 5-Year Strategic Plan began in 2021, County departments and agencies have achieved the goal specified in the Strategic Plan Organizational Excellence Pillar of achieving over $60 million in grant awards. Following, the newly established Strategic Grants Program in the County Executive’s Office is exploring options for a more streamlined and timely way to share grant activity and information. As such, this is the final quarterly grant report.
Discussion:
The County’s 5 Year Strategic Plan includes an objective under the Organizational Excellence pillar to “secure $60 million in grant funding by 2026 for strategic priorities, including technology tools, climate resiliency, and other capital projects.” Staff in the County Executive’s Office have coordinated and provided regular updates to the Board of Supervisors on grant activities that accomplish this Strategic Objective and support County priorities since spring 2023.
During the reporting period of January through June 2025, the responding departments applied for $62,063,181 and were awarded $86,837,072. Departments continue to identify, track and apply for grants, and have achieved success in securing awards. Attachment A provides details on these grant opportunities.
Departments are making positive strides in grant management and processes. One department has effectively used their grant assessment form to evaluate whether opportunities align with its scope, staff capacity, and value to the County, ensuring more strategic pursuits. Another has strengthened its capacity by adding a dedicated Grants Analyst to support both applying for and managing funds. In several cases, staff grant knowledge has grown through targeted trainings provided by the County’s grants consultants and the National Grants Management Association, enhancing overall grant readiness and better positioning departments to identify, secure, and manage funding opportunities.
Along with the successes, there have also been significant challenges over the past six months. These include reduced grant opportunities due to federal and state cuts, shifts in federal priorities, and concerns about staff capacity if funding declines. Grant accounting and compliance continue to demand close attention, with precise financial tracking needed to meet diverse funding requirements. For departments that have relied on large federal funding streams, declining availability is prompting a shift toward smaller, state-funded projects, requiring new strategies and capacity adjustments.
The County Executive’s Office is pleased to share that the Strategic Plan goal of securing $60 million in grant awards has been achieved. Given that, and the organizational shift to the County Executive form of operations, and grant administration needs identified by departmental staff have prompted a re-evaluation of how grant coordination, information, and updates are managed, and the development of a Strategic Grant Program within the County Executive’s Office. The newly established Program is exploring a more effective system to enhance overall coordination and to improve the sharing of grant information across departments, the Board of Supervisors, and the public. As such, this will be the last quarterly grants update to the Board.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Organizational Excellence
Goal: Goal 4: Seek out grant funding to enhance programs and improve infrastructure
Objective: Objective 1: Secure a total of $60 million in grant funding by 2026 for strategic priorities, including technology tools, climate resiliency, and other capital projects.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
The Board has received quarterly updates on departmental grant activity since April 18, 2023. On March 2, 2021, the Board adopted the Sonoma County Strategic Plan, which established the priority of securing $60 million in grant funding by 2026.
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
There are no fiscal impacts associated with this quarterly report. However, the grant activity efforts described in the report increase revenue capacity to meet County priorities.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
There are no staffing impacts associated with this informational report, but any successful grant award will require staff capacity for grant management and project execution.
Attachments:
Attachment A: FY 2024-25 Q3 and Q4 Consolidated Grant Update Report
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A