Grant Strategies: Adapting to Today's Funding Environment

Host Jared Asch interviews Kristen Cooper of Grants Management Associates about major shifts in federal, state, and local grantmaking and administration following Trump administration changes and the HB 1 “Big Beautiful Bill,” focusing on accountability rather than politics. Cooper describes an OMB rewrite proposing a wholesale overhaul of 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance), including explicit agency authority to terminate awards, mandatory pre-issuance political appointee review for discretionary awards, and “routine 332” conditions baked into award terms; proposals are under review with heavy public comment and likely litigation. They discuss much shorter RFP response timelines, the increased need for overt political support, and a pivot from Justice40/equity toward job creation and workforce development, including partnerships with colleges. They highlight California opportunities such as Prop 4 water and resilience funding, ongoing SRF/CDBG/HOME flows, housing grants tied to greenhouse gas reductions, public safety tech funding, and energy trends including continued EV charging incentives, hydrogen, and geothermal.