Inside Richmond: The City's Pulse

Episode 6 - Inside Richmond: The City's Pulse | Behind the Scenes with Richmond's Grant Administrator: Funding City Progress

• Kevin Shook

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Ever wondered how cities like Richmond find the money to fund essential projects—without asking taxpayers to pay more? The secret often lies in strategic grant funding. In this episode, Audrey Shake, Grant Administrator for the City of Richmond, joins host Lindsay Darnell, Community Development Coordinator, to pull back the curtain on how it all works.

Audrey takes us behind the scenes of the city’s grant process—from digging into research and identifying opportunities, to writing compelling proposals that align with both community needs and grant priorities. Her work touches nearly every department and fuels projects that make a lasting impact across the city.

Audrey shares the data-driven strategies Richmond uses to stand out in the competitive world of grant funding, especially when advocating for disadvantaged communities. Her passion for improving Richmond shines through in stories of recent wins—like a $159,789 grant to inventory city trees and plant 100 new ones in underserved neighborhoods. This initiative not only beautifies the community but also brings environmental benefits like shade for pedestrians, cooler homes, and more walkable neighborhoods.

You’ll also hear about Richmond’s innovative Transitional Housing Support Grant—an initiative that provided $120,000 to three local organizations helping individuals recovering from substance abuse find safe, stable housing.

Whether you're interested in local government, community development, or just want to understand how impactful projects get funded, this episode offers valuable insights into the thoughtful planning and partnerships that power Richmond forward.

Speaker 1:

Welcome back to another riveting episode of Inside Richmond, the City's Pulse. I'm Lindsay Darnell, your host, and today I have Audrey Shake, our Grant Administrator for the City of Richmond, joining us, audrey, thank you. Thanks for having me, lindsay, no problem. So the reason why I wanted to ask you here is to talk a little bit about your job. So can you tell us about your role as the grant administrator for the City of Richmond and what it entails?

Speaker 2:

Yes, so my role as the grant administrator is researching grants for the city and its departments, confirming eligibility and availability of matching funds if they are required for the grant that we're applying for, writing grant proposals, acquiring all the necessary documentation and information for a grant application and post-award reporting. I am in a position that allows me to work with every single department within the city, as well as partnering organizations such as Earlham College, the Wayne County Foundation and local businesses, and so I just want to say this is an important job that you have for the city.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yes. So can you describe the process the City of Richmond follows when applying for grants, from identifying opportunities to submitting an application?

Speaker 2:

Yes. So the process varies when it comes to identifying opportunities. So, for example, beth Fields, our Director of Strategic Initiatives, has been the starting point for multiple grants that I've done since starting with the city. We will discuss projects that the city or a department wants to pursue and I will either research funding opportunities specific to those projects or she will send me a funding opportunity to thoroughly review, to first make sure that we meet eligibility criteria and requirements so that I can begin working on the proposal. Other times, department heads will reach out to me directly to either request that I research grant funding for a specific project or they will send me a funding opportunity that they found. Send me a funding opportunity that they found. So the process following identifying grant opportunities is pretty much the same, which is ensuring eligibility, confirming we have matching funds available, gathering data and documentation and all the information to explain the project, supporting evidence, evidence that supports the need for funding, and supportive evidence proving tangible outcomes for the project. All of that is included in the proposal.

Speaker 1:

That's pretty awesome that you get to work with these and see all these grants that are available for our city to help improve our city. What are some of the key priorities or projects the city is currently focusing on when seeking grant funding? So, again.

Speaker 2:

All the priorities and projects all vary, but there is a common denominator among all grant funded projects throughout the city, and that is how the project will benefit the residents of the city. Whether it's safety, recreation, education or infrastructure, the main focus is almost always how can we improve the quality of life for the residents in our community?

Speaker 1:

And how does the city determine which grants to pursue and which programs or departments will benefit most from them?

Speaker 2:

I thought that this was a really great question when I first started in this position. I wasn't sure how to prioritize the departments or the projects we intended to pursue with grant funding, because every single project and the benefits that they would bring to the community were so important, which I think is a true testament of our department heads. Their leadership and passion are reflected in their pursuit of grant-funded projects, and it could be something as complex as reconstructing a four-way stop into a roundabout to improve flow of traffic and pedestrian safety, or something like updating or replacing radios in our emergency response vehicles, which is not as broad of a project such as infrastructure, but it is still one that greatly impacts safety and efficiency. And when it comes down to it, we choose which grants to pursue based on the need for the project and always keeping the departments and the community at the core of it.

Speaker 1:

So what are some of the challenges that the city faces when applying for grants and how do you overcome them?

Speaker 2:

The challenges that I have faced when applying for grants is kind of few and far in between, but most of the time it's finding out that we're not eligible, whether it be because the grant is for a non-profit organization or it doesn't accurately fit the project that we're wanting to pursue. When I'm reviewing a notice of funding opportunity to check eligibility requirements, I'll run into maybe one little detail that can make us ineligible, which is frustrating, but I like to use that as an opportunity to further research and find other ways that we can apply for funding for these projects for our community.

Speaker 1:

So before I continue on with my questions, I do want to say that normally we are going and requesting for grants. Back in September of last year 2024, you were actually able to flip your reverse and have a grant available to our community. Can you tell us a little bit about what that grant was and who were the ones that were awarded?

Speaker 2:

That was the Transitional Housing Support Grant and which was a great opportunity that I'm very thankful for. Mayor Ron Oler and Beth Fields brought this opportunity to me. We had funding available that we wanted to use to help support organizations in the community that help our residents that are in between housing or have unstable housing, and we were able to award I can't remember the exact amount. I know that we were able to award bridges for life fifty thousand dollars. Refuge of hope, I believe, was also fifty50,000, and then Salt of the Earth, which wasn't Salt of the Earth, was, I think, $20,000, which is still a great amount, and all three of those organizations are dedicated to helping residents that are recovering from drug abuse, substance abuse, and helping them get back on their feet. It's transitional housing.

Speaker 1:

And they're all three great, very, very passionate, very passionate, yes, I was able to.

Speaker 2:

You came with me when, when we were able to meet with all three of those organizations and it was very moving.

Speaker 1:

It was, um, you know, when they got a little emotional that they were awarded, was able to receive this funding to help with their further pursuit and helping people in need. Um, so that was very exciting. I was glad to be a part of that. I know that I made a social media post about it, and so I just kind of wanted to circle back around and let people know that there was a great opportunity that we were able to provide the community. So how does the city collaborate with local organizations, businesses or other government entities when applying for grants?

Speaker 2:

So I kind of narrowed this one down a little bit. We're currently in collaboration with Earlham College and the Lilly Endowment Grant. Earlier this year I submitted an application to the US Department of Transportation for the RAISE grant, which RAISE means Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity. It's a program for funding to develop a comprehensive plan for our transit department. Earlham College is passionately pursuing the purchase of an ADA accessible electric vehicle that will transport their students from campus to the downtown area. They also plan to establish a multimodal path from the front entrance of their campus that extends through Main Street so that our Earlham students can explore the city specifically downtown, whether it be by bicycle, foot or the new electric vehicle. And we plan to work very closely with Earlham during the development of the comprehensive plan for the transit department which hopefully we will be awarded for through the RAISE grant.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I'm excited. I think our transit needs a revamp, you know, and I think this will be a great step forward towards our future. What types of grants are most commonly pursued by the City of Richmond? Federal, state, private or others?

Speaker 2:

So from my experience I know that I have applied mostly for state grants. I've done federal, state and local grants, but the state grants are definitely the ones that I work on the most estate grants are definitely the ones that I work on the most.

Speaker 1:

How do you ensure that the city is able to meet the reporting and compliance requirements for the grants that you receive?

Speaker 2:

So all of the details for the reporting and compliance requirements for a grant post award are included in the notice of funding that I review when I'm determining eligibility for that grant.

Speaker 2:

So, for example, the Historic Preservation Commission was awarded a grant through Indiana Humanities and Indiana Landmarks to fund six workshops that were educational and open to the public for free, that they were able to come in and learn how to care for and replace and repair elements of historic homes.

Speaker 2:

We have a lot of homes in the community that are 100 years old or at least close to that. So the way that you have to take care of an older house is much different than the way that you would care for a house, a modern house. And so every six months I had to do a report updating Indiana Humanities and Indiana Landmarks, letting them know how the workshops were going. They wanted to know if there was anything that they could do to help us with the project, if we needed it, and basically just letting them know how many people were showing up, if it was successful and how everything was going, which is way less detailed than, say, your state or federal grants, but it's the same. With them there's usually quarterly reporting where you have to update them and let them know how the project is going and they're really big on numbers, details with numbers and how many expenses have been made, making sure that you're staying within the budget and that all purchases are accurately reflecting what you had originally put in your proposal.

Speaker 1:

Okay, and I think I do remember seeing those workshops. Last year I think there was one on plaster, one on window replacement, which she led an educational workshop on what plants to put in your yard that are not only native to Indiana but also that accurately reflect the time that your home was built. Oh, that's very awesome. I didn't know that one. Okay. So in your experience, how competitive is the grant application process for municipalities like Richmond and what sets the city's application apart, apart from others?

Speaker 2:

This is my favorite question that you've asked. Grant applications are always competitive. There are countless communities just like Richmond throughout the state and the country that apply for grants. Some have needs similar to ours and sometimes others have more of a need for a specific project than we do. That doesn't mean that we don't pursue funding. Rather, we gather the data and statistics to use as supporting evidence for why our community needs funding assistance for a project that we must also prove will have tangible outcomes and benefit our residents. And this is where I come in. This is a major element of the grant application and how I am able to set Richmond apart from others.

Speaker 2:

There are so many grant opportunities for organizations where a majority of the benefits of a project will target residents in a disadvantaged community we currently have five disadvantaged census tracts within the city of Richmond and, with data regarding socioeconomic status of residents in these communities and environmental and health risk factors, this is the kind of info used in showing the need for a project. So, for example, this city was recently awarded $159,789 through the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry from the USDA Forest Services to conduct a complete tree inventory which identifies at-risk trees in need of removal and planting a hundred new trees, and specifically in our disadvantaged communities. We were able to support the need for this project with evidence such as how many residents in these disadvantaged areas live at, or below, 200% of the poverty line. The median household income is well below average, and these are areas that are not within a reasonable walking distance of educational facilities, grocery stores, medical facilities or local parks and recreational areas, and a majority of these households only own one vehicle. So many residents in these areas also experience debilitating health issues that either hinder or completely eliminate their ability to walk long distances, and all three of these elements your low income, one vehicle and health issues create obstacles for these residents to access safe and reliable modes of transportation.

Speaker 2:

So, for residents that are able to walk long distances, it isn't always safe for them to do so, especially in our warmer months. The city of Richmond currently experiences 18, on average, 18, high heat days a year, and it's projected that by 2050, extreme heat events will more than triple, and so this project, which is being carried out by the wonderful members of our Parks and Street Department, is crucial to the health and safety of our residents and the environment. Planting 100 new trees will increase urban canopy coverage, which will provide shade and cooler temperatures, which will make it safer for residents to travel by foot. It will also increase species diversity and increase resilience to storms, due to the selection of deep-rooted species that are known for their tolerance of high wind and heavy rains. And so, when it comes to setting us apart from other applications, it's a matter of identifying the benefits and expressing the need for this project at every possible angle.

Speaker 1:

And they've already started planting the trees. And another thing, with the urban canopy providing shade not only for walkers or bike riders, it'll also help shade their homes, so you're using less electricity to cool your home. So I think this is a great opportunity that we were able to receive, absolutely receive, absolutely. Looking ahead, are there any specific initiatives or projects the city is hoping to secure funding for through grants in the next few years.

Speaker 2:

We currently received funding for that will benefit us over the next few years is the Community Crossings Matching Grant, and that grant will be used for the milling and paving of 13 local roads, which is definitely needed.

Speaker 1:

Yes, so that is something. I believe we were awarded it last year. We just got noticed we were awarded this year. I'm not sure if there's a list out yet with the streets, but once that's available I'll be posting it on the website so people know what streets are going to be getting milled and paved this year. All right, well, I think that's all I have to ask. I just want to say again that your role within the city is very important. It is something that will bring in funding so we can get projects done that are really needed in the community. Audrey, thank you for joining us. This is Inside Richmond, the City's Pulse. Until next time.