Michael Kannensohn, President of Strategic Funding Group, in Lexington, met with the Fulton Commission, during a special called meeting, Nov. 16 to discuss grant writing.
In attendance were Mayor Dan Voegeli, City Manager Kenney Etherton, and Commissioners David Prater and Martha Vowell.
According to Kannensohn, his firm has 20 years of experience with writing grants, with 80 percent of grant applications written, funded this year.
If hired by the city, the firm would be responsible for conducting grant research and using the results to create funding packages specific to clients needs. The results are usually presented in the context of a funding plan.
Although the commission agreed the city could stand for improvement in all areas, infrastructure, including sewer system needs, and upgrades in the fire department, were top priority.
“All of these projects we can not simply do out of our budget,” Etherton said. “Obviously we could use help in all areas. Shouldn’t we focus on one?” Commissioner Prater said.
According to Kannensohn, there are usually four or five key areas of interest as framework. In most cases all are not chosen.
Fees are based on the type of grant, and type of service received. Services per grant can range from $3,500 to $10,000. However, the average cost per grant is $5,500, which includes the research, funding report, meeting, and telephone briefing, according to Kannensohn. The firm also offers clients a monitoring service for an additional monthly fee.
Although the firm has a high success rate, in the event the grant is not funded, the city will still be responsible for services rendered.
Mayor Voegeli said his main concern is the firm’s brief history working with local government.
There was no decision made during the meeting.
