Community Navigator Project Trainings and Resources

See below for training opportunities and resources developed as part of the Watershed Center’s involvement in the U.S. Forest Service’s Community Navigator initiative. Read more about our work on our Community Navigator Project webpage.

TRAININGS

FEDERAL GRANTS MANAGEMENT

Does your organization receive funding through federal grants or agreements, or are you considering applying for federal opportunities in the future? Do the rules and guidelines associated with these dollars feel a bit bewildering? Join our four-part series intended to help communities better understand key requirements for successfully managing federal funding. This series, featuring presenters from Kelley Nonprofit Consulting, will cover budgeting and financial planning for federal awards, complying with expense and match tracking, working through procurement, and more! We’ll also leave plenty of time for Q&A with our knowledgeable presenters.

Session 1 - Introduction to Managing Federal Funding Awards

• Watch the Session 1 recording here (ASL option available)

• Access the Session 1 slides here.

Session 2 - Financial Management and Compliance

• Watch the Session 2 recording here (ASL option available)

• Access the Session 2 slides here.

Session 3 - Subgranting and Procurement

• Watch the Session 3 recording here (ASL option available)

• Access the Session 3 slides here.

Session 4 - Risk Mitigation and Continuous Improvement

• Watch the Session 4 recording here (ASL option available)

• Access the Session 4 slides here.

This webinar series is hosted by the Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network and the Watershed Research and Training Center and supported by the USDA Forest Service.

Federal Grants Compliance and Audit Requirements: Best Practices and Watch-outs

Government grants can provide valuable support to communities, but they come with many strings attached. This two-part series, featuring presenters from Clark Nuber Accounting and Consulting Services, will cover key aspects of federal grants compliance with a focus on preparing for auditing requirements associated with federal dollars.

Topics covered include:

• Federal grants management regulations, best practices, and common pitfalls

• Introduction to Single Audit requirements

• Single Audit preparation, best practices, and common pitfalls

• Implications of a Single Audit finding

The intended audience for these trainings is communities and partners who have been awarded federal grants, or who plan to apply for federal funding in the coming year. These sessions will be of particular value to organizations who anticipate meeting the threshold for a Single Audit.

Session 1

• View the Session 1 recording here

• View the Session 1 slides here

Session 2

• View the Session 2 recording here

• View the Session 2 slides here

Q&A Session

• View notes of key takeaways from our Q&A session covering audit thresholds, procurement, indirect, and equipment. 

This webinar series is supported by the USDA Forest Service.

Federal Service Grants, Agreements & Partnerships

• Understanding and Navigating the U.S. Forest Service

  • Interested in learning more about the U.S. Forest Service, how the agency is organized, and how it works with partners? This session, hosted by the Watershed Research and Training Center and the Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network, provided an introductory overview of the Forest Service’s structure and scope, the policy and financial drivers of its activities, and bigger changes and opportunities relevant to partnerships that have been spurred by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. This webinar was supported through generous private donations to the Watershed Center.

    • Watch the recording here (available in English, Spanish, and with ASL interpretation).

    • View a PDF of the presentation slides.

• Forest Service Grants & Agreements 101

  • Join us for this introduction to Forest Service grants and agreements, essential tools the agency uses to deliver funding and work in partnership with nonprofits, fire departments, conservation districts, local governments, Tribes, and more. This webinar session reviewed key grants and agreements tools for wildfire and climate resilience work, including important functions, features, and distinctions.  We also heard from Forest Service staff about services and resources offered by the agency’s Grants and Agreements Outreach and Partnership Engagement branch with plenty of time reserved for participant Q&A. This webinar was supported by USDA Forest Service through the Community Navigators initiative.

    • Watch the recording here (available in English, Spanish, and with ASL interpretation).

    • View a PDF summary of the session content.

• Grants & Agreements: People and Processes 

  • Forest Service grants and agreements facilitate an array of partnership work in communities and landscapes across the country. The people and processes behind these tools often vary based on a project’s context, Forest Service unit, agency priorities, and more. Join our panel of Forest Service staff and nonprofit leaders – all with deep grants and agreements experience – who will walk through various ways these tools are put into practice, important steps and strategies, and their own lessons learned and advice for more successful outcomes with grants and agreements. This webinar was supported by USDA Forest Service through the Community Navigators initiative. 

    • Watch the recording here (available in English, Spanish, and with ASL interpretation).

• Community Wildfire Protection Planning with The Ember Alliance

  • Learn all about Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) in this overview hosted by The Watershed Research and Training Center and The Ember Alliance in partnership with Coalitions and Collaboratives and the Hispanic Access Foundation. This webinar was supported in part by the USDA Forest Service through the Community Navigators Program. 

    • Watch the recording here (available in English and Spanish).

FEATURED RESOURCES