Hi! My name is Lisa Rice and I am the Grants Coordinator for the Marion County Sheriff's Office. The Grants Coordination division assists the Sheriff’s Office in the research, identification, application development and administration of grant funding to support agency operations. This includes researching potential grant funding opportunities at the local, state, federal and private entity levels, evaluating opportunities to determine if they compliment agency operations, and communicating that information to the appropriate bureaus and divisions. The division directs the development of grant applications, including assisting divisions with project planning, budgeting project expenses and performance outcomes. The division is also responsible for the administration of all grant award agreements, including approving expenditures to ensure they are within the terms of the agreement, overseeing implementation of project related activities, and financial and programmatic reporting. During the 2005 – 2006 fiscal year, the grant division was responsible for the administration of 33 agreements worth nearly 3.5 million dollars.

Establishing positive relationships with funders and monitoring the legislative and funding environments are important functions of grants coordination. Strong working relationships with community partners is also essential in order to bring grant funding into the community that will ultimately improve the quality of life in Marion County. The division often assists community partners in their efforts to apply for grant funding.

The Grants Coordination division is also responsible for the identification of expenses that may be reimbursable from other sources, such as FEMA. The division is responsible for developing the reimbursement claims to recoup these expenses to ensure the Sheriff’s Office is a good steward of the taxpayer dollar.  During the 2004 Hurricane season, the division oversaw the reimbursement of $954,338 from FEMA and other mutual aid claims.

If you wish to discuss grants coordination, please contact me at (352) 368-3527 or by email at lrice@marionso.com. Have a great day and thanks for visiting our website!

Sincerely,
Lisa Rice