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Intro Federal Finance WebCourse
December 9-10, 2024
Daily: 12:00-5:00 PM Eastern

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-Overview

The Intro Federal Finance WebCourse provides an overview of the federal funding sources available to help advance economic development efforts and strategies for navigating and securing these resources. This course explains how federal support tools can work in coordination with other development finance tools for programs and projects on the local level.

Attendees will hear from and have the opportunity to engage with representatives from across federal agencies, including the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Small Business Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Departments of Treasury, Transportation, Energy, Agriculture, and Housing and Urban Development.

This course qualifies for the CDFA Training Institute's Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) Program. Join us online, and start down the road to personal and professional advancement today.

Register

Course Objectives

  • Understand how federal financing fits into economic development and the development finance toolbox
  • Learn about the types of funding resources available through a variety of federal agencies’ programs
  • Identify ways to evaluate funding opportunities and plan ahead for future funding
  • Discuss strategies for applying to receive federal funds
  • Explore best practices when engaging with federal agency staff and building community partnerships
  • Recognize the long-term organizational considerations for managing federal funds
  • Learn how federal funding can be layered with other financing tools to advance economic development

    Topics Covered

    • Overview of federal agencies and the funding programs they offer
    • Different types of support tools available as federal funding (i.e. grants, loan funds, etc.)
    • Strategies for evaluating and planning for federal funding opportunities
    • Best practices for applying to receive federal funds
    • Sources of information needed to learn about current funding opportunities
    • Long-term management considerations for federal funding
    • Case studies for various funding programs and combining federal dollars with other sources of capital

    Who Should Attend?

    • Economic development professionals
    • Community development professionals
    • State and local government employees
    • Nonprofit finance officers
    • Elected officials
    • Small business owners/entrepreneurs

    Course Advisor

    Andres Caro Andres Caro
    Council of Development Finance Agencies
    Manager
    Andres Caro is the Manager of Advocacy and Government Affairs at CDFA. He is responsible for managing CDFA’s vast advocacy, legislative, policy, public affairs, and federal relations activities. This includes the production of the annual policy... (More)

    -Agenda

    Monday, December 9, 2024

    Mon 12:00 PM - 12:15 PM
    Welcome & Overview
    Welcome to the course! This session will introduce CDFA, explain how to use the online software, and provide a brief overview of the two-day Intro Federal Finance Course.
    Speaker(s)
    • Andres Caro, Manager, Council of Development Finance Agencies
    Mon 12:15 PM - 1:15 PM
    Basics of Federal Support Tools
    Federal financing programs - or federal support tools - are a part of the Development Finance Toolbox that includes bonds, tax increment finance, access to capital tools, tax credits, and more. This session will introduce the toolbox and discuss the various forms of funding available from federal support tools. Speakers will also talk about the basic structures for how federal funding is allocated to the state and local levels for programs and projects.
    Speaker(s)
    • Toby Rittner, President & CEO, Council of Development Finance Agencies
    Mon 1:15 PM - 1:45 PM
    Landscape of Federal Agency Funding Programs
    More than a dozen agencies at the federal level offer funding programs for economic and community development, and navigating this landscape of resources can be challenging. This session will provide a snapshot of each agency and its funding programs, noting which programs tend to be available on an ongoing basis and which are short-term programs.
    Speaker(s)
    • Toby Rittner, President & CEO, Council of Development Finance Agencies
    Mon 1:45 PM - 2:30 PM
    Understanding NOFOs
    Developing a system for monitoring and reviewing federal Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) is essential for a strong federal funding strategy. Speakers will talk about where to find NOFOs, how to stay up to date with opportunities, and how to review NOFOs in an efficient manner for eligibility, goodness of fit, and timeline.
    Speaker(s)
    • Lucas Jackson, Senior Associate, Sustainability Tax Services, EY
    Mon 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
    Best Practices for Assembling Your Team & Applying for Funding
    A significant amount of work is needed to apply for most forms of federal funding. This session will discuss best practices for building the grant writing team, collecting data, and engaging the community - plus key strategies for crafting the application itself. This includes recommendations for developing a work plan, how to approach key sections of the narrative, selecting demonstrable outcomes, and identifying data sources that will support the full proposal.
    Speaker(s)
    Mon 3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
    Break
    Mon 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
    Federal Funding from DOE & EPA
    Agency representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protect Agency (EPA) will join the course to share their key sources of funding, discuss new programs their agencies offer, and present a handful of case studies demonstrating how their federal support tools can help local economic development.
    Speaker(s)
    • Mary Fasano, Underwriter – WIFIA Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
    • Stephanie Klein, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Engagement, U.S. Department of Energy
    • Emily Slusser, Management and Program Analyst, U.S. Department of Energy
    • Claire Weston, Senior Program Manager, Center for Creative Land Recycling
    Mon 5:00 PM
    Adjourn

    Tuesday, December 10, 2024

    Tue 12:00 PM - 12:15 PM
    Revisiting Day 1
    The first day of the Intro Federal Finance Course focused on understanding, identifying, and navigating the vast array of federal support tools. During Day 2, we will continue with more representatives from federal agencies and wrap up with a conversation about how to get started on your own strategy.
    Tue 12:15 PM - 2:00 PM
    Federal Funding from EDA, SBA & CDFI Fund
    Agency representatives will join the course from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), the Small Business Administration (SBA), and the U.S. Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund). These presenters will share their major funding programs, discuss new opportunities, and present case studies showing their federal support tools in action.
    Speaker(s)
    • Matt Knutson, Acting RLF Coordinator, U.S. Economic Development Administration
    • Annie Kraft, Associate Program Manager, U.S. Department of the Treasury
    • Briana Rickertsen, Production Manager, B: Side Capital & B: Side Fund
    Tue 2:00 PM - 2:15 PM
    Break
    Tue 2:15 PM - 4:00 PM
    Federal Funding from USDA, HUD & DOT
    Agency representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will join the course to share their key sources of funding, discuss new programs their agencies offer, and present a handful of case studies demonstrating how their federal support tools can help local economic development.
    Speaker(s)
    • Alex Clegg, Transportation Specialist, U.S. Department of Transportation
    • Jorge Morales, Lead Loan Financing Specialist, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
    • Borjan Panovski, Head of Credit Underwriting at Build America Bureau, U.S. Department of Transportation
    • Christopher Warren, Business Grant & Loan Analyst, U.S. Department of Agriculture
    • Ken Wiseman, Management and Program Analyst, U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Tue 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM
    Management & Reporting Requirements
    The work has only just begun once you receive federal funding. In addition to executing your proposal, it is important to keep in mind the grant management and reporting requirements that will accompany funding. This discussion will cover staff capacity, accounting measures, reporting systems, and other operational considerations that go into managing federal funds.
    Speaker(s)
    • Frank Dickson, Director, Strategic Business Initiatives, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
    Tue 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM
    How to Get Started
    The course will conclude with a brief presentation on how to get started engaging federal support tools in your community. This will include determining strategic priorities for funding, systems to put in place for monitoring NOFOs and attending relevant informational webinars, and getting set up in grants.gov with your organization’s key information.
    Speaker(s)
    • Joan Kato, Partner, Community Engagement Strategies
    Tue 5:00 PM
    Adjourn

    -Location


    The Intro Federal Finance WebCourse will take place on Zoom. The course will meet each day from 12:00-5:00 PM Eastern. Attendees must have access to a computer and the internet to attend the course.

    -Registration

    This training course qualifies for the CDFA Training Institute's Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) Program. Start down the road to personal and professional advancement today.

    Scholarships are available to attend this event. Learn more about the CDFA Scholarship Program, and submit your application today.

    CDFA permits only one person to log in and participate in the course. If multiple people are accessing the course without paying to attend, we will terminate the connection and access. CDFA offers group discounts for organizations that wish to register multiple people.

    Register by November 22, 2024 for Early Bird Rates.
    Early Bird Rates
    (Ends November 22)
    CDFA Member: $550
    Non-Member: $825
    Standard Rates
    (After November 22)
    CDFA Member: $600
    Non-Member: $875


    Register