Exploring Rural Municipal Governments� Grant Capacity

The degree to which local governments are able to take actions that help the residents of their towns respond to and move forward from challenges is critical to rural resilience. One key capacity in doing so is the ability to apply for, receive, and administer grant funding. The objective of this study was to understand the factors that enable and constrain rural municipalities’ grant capacity. We interviewed officials from 21 Maine towns representing a range of sizes, geographies and governance types in the fall of 2024. We identified the types of grants frequently accessed by municipalities, factors towns take into account when deciding what grant to pursue, constraints faced in managing grants, and opportunities for technical support. Our results suggest that funders could enhance the support they provide based on identified weaknesses, tailored support is needed for a range of individuals who apply for grants, grant programs should be structured to reduce barriers, and support is needed by towns across all phases of the grant process from applying to close out. Overall, we found that service providers and volunteers play crucial roles in enhancing rural grant capacity, and that additional work is needed to help towns facilitate projects through to their implementation phases.