Transforming Municipal Grants Management for Long-Term Capacity and Impact

Project Overview

In 2024, the City’s Grants Division engaged Hagerty to support its pursuit and management of federal grant funding. In response, we developed a Strategic Grants Management Action Plan, providing a holistic framework to support the development of an effective grants management program. This plan established a clear roadmap for building the City’s grant management structure, system of practice, and internal capacity to enhance both performance and sustainability in securing and managing grant funding.

Understanding the Mission

The City’s primary goal was to reimagine the structure and operations of its existing Grants Office to maximize its ability to secure and administer grant funding effectively. To support this goal, the Hagerty team leveraged its deep expertise in municipal government to engage the client team early and consistently throughout the engagement. Through carefully designed sessions, we ensured alignment between the team’s goals and the client’s stated needs.

Importantly, Hagerty developed a thorough understanding of the broader operational context in which the City’s grants function operated. This allowed the team to refine and expand the initial scope of work into a more targeted service approach. As a result, beyond supporting the City’s primary goal of aligning grant resources with funding needs, Hagerty helped catalyze greater focus and investment in the City’s grants practice.

The Hagerty Approach

The Hagerty team conducted a comprehensive assessment of the City’s current grant management practices, policies, and procedures through consultations with city officials, independent research, and detailed analysis.

Additionally, we benchmarked peer municipalities across the country to identify a range of grant management structures, operational models, and best practices that could inform the City’s future approach. This comparative analysis helped ground recommendations in proven strategies while tailoring them to the City’s unique needs and operating environment.

Achieving Results

By combining research findings with our experience in full lifecycle grant management, Hagerty developed actionable insights to guide the City’s continued development of its grants management strategy.

The Strategic Grants Management Action Plan delivered a series of recommendations to strengthen the City’s Grants Division, including opportunities to better integrate grant strategy into the City’s broader planning and budget development processes. The plan also outlined funding and capacity-building strategies to support the Division in leading the enterprise-wide identification, pursuit, and administration of both federal and private grant opportunities.