Technical Assistance Toolkit Step 4: Identify a Funding Source
In some cases, securing funding for technical assistance (TA) may be challenging, and in other cases it can be quite simple. For California Climate Investments programs, which are funded through California’s Cap-and-Trade auction proceeds, agencies have authority to use local assistance funding to administer TA. Certain grant programs have a specific set-aside in legislation to fund technical assistance. However, in cases in which neither of these clear funding sources is present, agencies may need to explore other potential funding options.
This section does not cover details specific to bond funding. We encourage you to engage with your legal and administrative staff to better understand how TA can be an eligible cost for bond funding associated with your program.
Local Assistance Funding
If you are planning to provide TA related to a California Climate Investments (CCI) grant program, keep in mind that the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) 2018 California Climate Investments Funding Guidelines allow the use of CCI program funds for TA. State agency staff should work with budget, procurement, and accounting personnel to understand their options and any limitations to the use of the funds. If your TA program is funded through “local assistance dollars” and/or you have statutory or budgetary authority, then you may also be able to provide TA through a local assistance contract or grants. See the “Contracting Best Practices” section for more information.
State Operations Funding
If it is not possible to use local assistance dollars for your TA program, consider working with legal and accounting personnel to explore whether your agency has state operations (or state support) funding that could be used for this purpose. In this case, the justification for using this funding is that technical assistance is an extension of state staff functions. See the “Contracting Best Practices” section for more information on the procurement methods that are available using this funding source.
Alternatively, if you plan to offer in-house TA, you could also identify current state agency staff at your agency or at other partner agencies who have the capacity and expertise to offer TA to local entities as a part of their existing duties. It is important to note that TA is a unique, specialized service in many cases, so agencies should carefully assess if program staff are the best suited to offer this assistance. In the case of application assistance for competitive grant programs, ensuring that TA provision by state agency staff does not constitute a conflict of interest is also critical.
Budget Change Proposal
If your agency does not currently have funds budgeted for a TA program, you may need to consider developing a Budget Change Proposal (BCP) to receive new funds. Work closely with budget and administrative staff to scope out a budget for the staffing and programmatic funding needed to carry out effective TA. Specifying the data-informed needs, intended outcomes, and preferred structure of your TA effort in steps 1, 2 and 3 can be helpful to develop the content and justification for your BCP. See the Making the Case and the Storytelling sections for additional guidance on communicating effectively about the importance of TA.
Public-Private Partnership
If you are unable to secure funding through state sources, another option is to explore philanthropic partnerships to fund your TA efforts. Working with your agency leadership to cultivate relationships with philanthropy is an important first step to developing these partnerships. When you are ready to develop a pitch, utilizing the conclusions of your data analysis, objectives, and scope of the TA program developed in steps 1, 2, and 3 will be helpful to develop a concise description for the TA program. In preparing to pitch to philanthropic partners, it is also important to conduct research into their mission, goals, and theory of change to identify ways that supporting your TA effort can help advance their objectives. For example, your TA effort may help to advance equitable outcomes in the funder’s target communities or build readiness to implement funder goals related to climate and sustainability, economic development, public health, or other key policy objectives.
Federal Funding Opportunities
Another funding source to explore are federal dollars that can support technical assistance and projects that are aligned with your goals. Look for federal funding opportunities on the grants.gov website. Some federal agencies also currently offer technical assistance support directly to communities, including the Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Program and the Distressed Cities Technical Assistance Program, which may be beneficial to communities you serve if offering direct TA is infeasible.