Case Studies
BIA Tribal Community Resilience Grant
Grant Description
The Tribal Community Resilience Grant, previously known as the Tribal Climate Resilience Grant, is a competitive program that provides financial support to Tribes and Tribal organizations to address current or future impacts on conservation practices, food sovereignty, infrastructure, economies, and public health. Priority is given to Alaska Native Villages where environmental hazards pose high-risk.
External Links:
A. Client: Wrangell Cooperative Association
Date: 2023
Project Summary
In 2023, the Wrangell Cooperative Association (WCA) was seeking funds to develop a comprehensive Climate Action and Adaptation Plan as a response to the growing concern and risk of environmental change. The Plan would aid the Tribe in adapting to and mitigating impacts from increasing natural hazards on the environment and Tribal members. The award received from the previous year’s TCRG was used to conduct a community survey that highlighted areas of concern for community members to guide the planning process and allow the focus to stay on community priorities.
TBEC was brought on to assist the WCA with drafting the grant proposal and compiling the application package. The proposal was written using information provided from the WCA through client meetings, as well as additional background research, information gathered from a webinar, and a review of the community survey data acquired the previous year. TBEC also drafted a letter of support and a finalized budget narrative to be submitted alongside the proposal. Revisions to both the proposal and budget were made according to feedback from the WCA.
Overall, writing and compiling together this application package took 3 weeks and Wrangell Cooperative Association was awarded $222,952. The TCRG is a competitive program, with Tribes and Tribal entities from all over the country sending in applications. 146 Tribes and Tribal organizations received awards totaling over $120 million in 2023. Of this, $30.2 million was awarded to 42 applicants in Alaska.
Project Deliverables:
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Completed TCRG proposal that includes:
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Project description
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Gaps in existing knowledge summary
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Project milestones and deliverables
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Methods
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Completed budget narrative
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Letter of support draft
External Links:
B. Client: Native Village of Tyonek & Tyonek Native Corporation
Date: 2024
Project Summary
In 2024, the Native Village of Tyonek (NVT) & Tyonek Native Corporation (TNC) were seeking funds to develop the Tyonek Cultural Resources and Infrastructure Vulnerability Assessment. This project would provide a condition assessment of cultural resources and graves and a vulnerability study along the Tribe's coastal land, providing vital information for planning future implementation projects for infrastructure protection and cultural resource management.
TBEC was brought on to help prepare the application package, which included a proposal, budget narrative, and application form. TBEC organized meeting with both NVT and TNC to gain an understanding of what the project is and what concerns the community had. Additional information was gathered to support the proposal and provide background information of the Village and the threats it faces. Office hours put on by the BIA were attended by TBEC employees to determine what was needed for this grant application. In addition to drafting the project proposal, TBEC also produced a budget narrative, filled out forms that were required to be submitted alongside the proposal, and drafted a Tribal resolution that outline the terms of the partnership between NVT and TNC for the purposes of developing this assessment.
In total, TBEC spent 11 weeks gathering information, drafting, and finalizing all the components of this application package. Nationwide, 124 Tribal applicants were awarded funds through this program in 2024, totaling $121 million. NVT and TNC received $192,508 to fund their project.
Project Deliverables:
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Completed TCRG proposal that includes:
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Project purpose description
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Methods description
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Timeline and project milestones
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Project benefits
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Completed budget narrative
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Tribal resolution draft
