Learning Reflection: Maryland Governor's Grants Conference

Submitted on Monday, November 23, 2015


Full Name: Harry Sachs
Email: hsachs@washcolibrary.org
Library System: Washington County Free Library

Event Title: Maryland Governor's Grants Conference

Learning Event website: http://grants.maryland.gov/Pages/ConferenceDocs.aspx

Top 3 things learned:

1) The Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism (GOSV)
(http://www.gosv.state.md.us/), a unit of the Governor's Office of
Community Initiatives, advocates for effective volunteer program management
and recognizes volunteer service statewide on behalf of the Governor. The
GOSV currently funds 17 AmeriCorps State programs during this program year to
support disaster services, economic opportunity, education, environmental
stewardship, healthy futures, and veterans and military families in Maryland.
In this program year, Washington County participates in two statewide
programs (Maryland Conservation Corps and Volunteer Maryland) and one
regional program (ASTAR! In Western Maryland).
The Appalachian Service Through Action and Resource (ASTAR!) has 195
Americorps members who will engage students in education, increase resources
to those in need and manage volunteers in Garrett, Allegany, Washington and
Frederick Counties.

2) EARN Maryland (www.earn.maryland.gov) is a state-funded competitive
workforce development grants program that is industry-led and regional in
focus. EARN Maryland aims to address the demands of businesses by focusing
intensively on the workforce needs of a specific industry sector over a
sustained period. EARN Maryland invests in strategic industry partnerships
from key economic sectors in every region. In 2014, grantee partnerships
included the Washington County Manufacturing Partnerships but the county is
not represented in the grantee partnerships for this year.

3) Business Funding (Neighborhood Business Works Program and Video Lottery
Fund Program)
a) The Neighborhood BusinessWorks Program
(http://www.neighborhoodrevitalization.org/Programs/NBW/NBW.aspx) provides
gap financing, i.e. subordinate financing, to new or expanding small
businesses and nonprofit organizations in Sustainable Communities throughout
the State. Maryland-based small businesses (as defined by the U.S. Small
Business Administration), local development corporations and nonprofit
organizations whose activities contribute to a broader revitalization effort,
and whose projects are intended to promote investment in commercial districts
or town centers are eligible to apply. The City of Hagerstown and Fort
Ritchie-Cascade are the only Sustainable Communities in Washington County.
b) Small, Minority and Women-Owned Business Account - Video Lottery Terminal
Fund (VLT) (http://commerce.maryland.gov/fund/programs-for-businesses/vlt)
VLT provides for 1.5% of the proceeds from video lottery terminals (slots) to
be distributed in targeted areas surrounding five Maryland casinos: At least
50% of the VLT allocations will be deployed to small, minority and
women-owned businesses located within a 10-mile radius of the casinos. The
other 50% will be available to small, minority and women-owned businesses
located throughout Maryland. The fund manager in Western Maryland is the Tri
County Council for Western Maryland.

How to implement:

AmeriCorps members have worked at the Wicomico County
Public Library in Salisbury in planning and leading afterschool library
activities for elementary and middle school students, participating in
branch story time programs, serving as a library liaison to the school and
helping develop a youth advisory group for the Branch. Considering the
broad scope of services that an AmeriCorp member can perform, WCFL could
consider using a member to perform a wide variety of activities within a
library setting, including special event planning.