Admittedly 2020 was not the most optimal year to seek new grant opportunities. With that in mind and the prospect of additional funding on the horizon, the fiscally responsible Falls Supervisors voted to extend its contract with a grant writing firm.
Middletown Township has seen more than $10 million in grant funding since 2010, which was why the Supervisors last year hired the same grant writing firm, Millennium Strategies, LLC to actively seek grants for Falls projects.
For 2020, the firm helped Falls obtain $1,200 in grant funding, according to Township Manager Matt Takita. In addition, $174,000 in grant applications have been submitted and are pending review. Last year, the firm submitted grant applications totaling $67,000, which were all denied, he said.
“There’s a tremendous amount of activity,” Takita said. “They’re proactive in their approach.”
The firm will create a strategic plan, review each department’s upcoming projects, research grant opportunities related to what is planned and seek out a variety of grants.
Millennium secured $654,510 for Middletown Township in 2019; $1,290,833 for 2018; and more than $10.3 million since the firm began working with Middletown in 2010.
Under the contract, the firm will receive $3,000 per month as part of the one-year contract. Falls can cancel the contract at any time with a 14-day notice.
In addition to Falls and Middletown, Millennium Strategies provides grant writing services to more than 90 municipalities, counties, school districts and nonprofits in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Since its inception in 2005, the company has secured more than $600 million in both governmental and non-governmental grants for its clients.
Millennium has secured funding for a wide range of projects, including arts and culture, economic development, open space preservation, parks and recreation, environmental planning and restoration, public safety, sustainable energy, historic preservation, as well as transportation-related projects.
