Post-Election Grant Community Briefing: What Effect the Election Will Have on the Future of Federal Grants
Post-Election Grant Community Briefing: What Effect the Election Will Have on the Future of Federal Grants
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
On Wednesday, November 17, the APTS Grant Center hosted a webinar to assess the political fallout of the mid-term elections and focused specifically on the ramifications the election results could have on federal grant funding.
Education policy experts Danica Petroshius and Vic Klatt were on hand to share their thoughts on the overall outlook for federal funding. On the call, we discussed the following impacts of the election on public media funding:
- Changes in Congressional leadership will inevitably change how federal funds are distributed. Changes in committee structure affect policy, as well, in more nuanced, specific ways.
- It is possible there will be more gridlock in the next Congress due to the tighter margins between Democrats and Republicans. This could mean that more work is done at the administrative level, through regulations and guidance at the agencies and departments.
- At the time of the call, the Fiscal Year 2011 appropriations had not been passed. Danica and Vic predicted that they will likely include funding for signature Obama Administration programs, such as Race to the Top, i3, and Promise Neighborhoods, but at lower funding levels than in Fiscal Year 2010.
- Other programs could face challenges. Programs funded by the stimulus could face elimination. Long-standing, authorized programs will likely continue to be funded, but at much lower levels.
Buzzwords indicative of trends that are likely to continue in Congress and philanthropic circles include:
- Early childhood education.
- Teacher recruitment and effectiveness.
- College and career-ready graduates.
- College completion.
Takeaways include:
- Everyone is trying to do more with less money.
- There is an opportunity for public media to be seen as a cost-effective investment.
- Partnerships are very important.
- Almost every education bill is up for reauthorization, and there will be opportunities to see changes made to important policies.
