Annual Grant Cycle Help Center

• What’s the difference between TOT and TBID funds?
  • TBID-funded projects require NTCA Board approval.
  • TOT-funded projects require Placer County Board of Supervisors’ approval.
• Is the funding upfront or reimbursable?
  • Funding is reimbursable. Grantees must submit quarterly progress reports for reimbursement processing.
• Is partial funding a possibility?
  • Yes. If partial funding is recommended, applicants will be notified and given options to adjust their proposal.
• How will I be notified about the status of my application?
  • All communication will happen through Submittable. Please make sure to check your junk mail and/or Submittable for updates on the status of your application or any other matters concerning your application.
• I’m applying for Emergent Grant Cycle funding. Can I apply multiple times a year?
  • Yes. Applicants may submit multiple requests throughout the year. However, approval of one request does not guarantee future funding.

Objectives

1. Definition:
   • Objectives are specific, quantifiable goals that measure project/program progress within the grant period.
   • They articulate key milestones or components of the project/program implementation.
2. Examples:
   • Winter Trail-Grooming Project
     • Groom 2.2 miles of the North Tahoe Trail from Dollar Hill to Cedar Flat twice weekly for the winter season of 2024-2025 when the snowfall is greater than 4 inches, commencing when the snowpack is 12 inches deep and ceasing when the snowpack melts to less than 12 inches deep. 
     • To capture trail-use metrics and qualitative community feedback, a monthly community survey will be conducted at three separate trailheads on Saturday mornings throughout the peak winter season.  
   • Workforce Housing Advocacy and Direct Assistance in North Lake Tahoe Program
     • Provide $50,000 in direct payments to landlords and utility companies and other housing-related costs in fiscal year 2025 to ensure that families accepted into the Housing Stability Program stay housed in Eastern Placer County.  
3. Characteristics:
   • Specific: Clear parameters about what objectives will accomplish and who they will impact.
   • Measurable: Quantifiable criteria to determine achievement.
   • Achievable: Can realistically be completed during the grant period as determined by organizational capacity, permitting, and funds.
   • Relevant: Directly signal project/program advancement or completion.
   • Time-bound: Constrained by a specific timeline or deadline within the grant period.
4. Role:
   • Objectives provide a clear focus and define success criteria for the project/program.
   • They guide the selection and prioritization of tasks and activities to ensure project/program completion.
   • They are assigned to specific team members or stakeholders responsible for their completion.

Please note that objectives are referred to as “goals” in the video.

Tasks:

1. Definition:
   • Tasks are specific actions or activities sequentially executed to complete the project’s/program’s objectives. 
   • They are the individual steps or assignments required to implement the project/program plan. 
2. Examples:
   • Winter Trail-Grooming Project
     • Hire three part-time groomers who are available for work on weekday mornings. 
     • Rent a storage facility for grooming equipment adjacent to the Dollar Creek Trailhead.   
     • Weekly maintenance of grooming equipment.
   • Workforce Housing Advocacy and Direct Assistance in North Lake Tahoe Program
     • Conduct a housing-needs assessment in Kings Beach.
     • Leverage $12,000 from the Southwest Gas Utility Assistance Partnership for utility payments.
     • Translate housing resource-navigation materials into Spanish.
3. Characteristics:
   • Actionable: Clearly defined actions that can be executed.
   • Sequential: As discrete actions, tasks should be listed in chronological order of implementation.
4. Role:
   • Tasks are the building blocks of a project plan and provide a roadmap for
     project execution.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

1. Definition:
   • KPIs demonstrate how effectively a project’s/program’s objectives are being met (see above to learn more about objectives). 
   • They are quantifiable measurements to track and evaluate project/program progress and success. KPIs are tracked regularly using data-collection tools, software systems, surveys, or direct observation.
2. Examples:
   • Winter Trail-Grooming Project
     • Total number of winter North Tahoe Trail users on weekend mornings, broken down by activity type.
     • Percent Increase of trash volume collected in the winter of 2024-2025 (compared to the winter of 2023-2024).
     • Volume of snow removal from trailhead parking lots during peak winter months.
   • Workforce Housing Advocacy and Direct Assistance in North Lake Tahoe Program
     • Percentage increase of housing retention rates during fiscal year 2025.
     • Number of affordable units developed or preserved in Eastern Placer County during the grant period.
     • Completion rates of the Housing Stability Action Plan in the first quarter of 2025.
     • Total funds paid to landlords on behalf of tenants during fiscal year 2025.
3. Characteristics:
   • Quantitative: Numerical data that can be objectively measured.
   • Short-term: Assesses project/program progress within the grant period.
   • Specific: Directly measure objectives outlined in the project/program scope of work..
4. Role:
   • KPIs provide concrete evidence of progress towards project/program objectives.
   • They empower data-driven decision making and strategic adjustments rooted in real-world performance metrics.

Outcomes:

1. Definition:
   • Outcomes are enduring impacts, benefits, or results that directly result from project/program completion.
   • While KPIs measure progress and successes during project/program implementation, outcomes focus on long-term benefits during and after project/program completion.
   • Outcomes are assessed through evaluations, surveys, case studies, and other qualitative and quantitative methods.
2. Examples:
   • Winter Trail Grooming Project
     • Increased community awareness of the winter trail system and support for winter trail grooming on the North Tahoe Trail during the peak winter season (as determined by monthly survey responses).
     • Increased usage rates on the North Tahoe Trail of self-identified adaptive users throughout the winter (as determined by monthly survey responses).
     • Decreased emergency response time for rescue operations compared to the previous winter season.
   • Workforce Housing Advocacy and Direct Assistance in North Lake Tahoe Program
     • Reduced homelessness rates in the North Lake Tahoe community.
     • Increased GPAs, salaries, and quality-of-life assessments for participants in the Housing Stability Program from Quarter 1 to Quarter 4 of 2024 (as determined by a twice-annual survey of participants).
3. Characteristics:
   • Qualitative: Often described in terms of improvements, changes in behavior, or societal impact.
   • Long-term: Indicate enduring changes beyond the project’s/program’s duration.
   • Broad: They encompass the overall achievements or changes that the project brings.
4. Role:
   • Outcomes demonstrate the long-term benefits that a project/program creates.