Following the post and comments here, I decided to send an email to Katherine Pytleski, Norwalk’s Grants Coordinator suggesting the workshop idea. She promptly wrote back and described her very active role in working with departments to date.
Over the past year Katherine has met with DPW, Health, Parks and Recreation, Fire, Police, Youth, Board of Ed, Redevelopment, Historical Society, Conservation, the Library, and Marketing/Business Development. Her plan was to get past the introductions, and work on understanding the issues and needs as well as plans for future proposals. She singled out the Department heads from DPW, Parks and Recreation, as well as staff from the Redevelopment Agency, as taking the time to spend several hours with her including tours of the city to show her what they had been doing to date.
The basic take away is that Katherine has worked hard at building a good relationship with city departments, and the process is picking up steam. From her email:
As I find grant opportunities, I contact the appropriate Department staff and the Mayor with a synopsis of the RFP. They review the opportunities in light of department needs and get back to me. We either go forward or pass on an opportunity based on everyone’s assessment of its relevance. I also look for funding that fits people’s ideas and requests.
In a follow up conversation she said she was working on a youth services grant application along with one for a DPW project. But she was eager to work with non-profits in the city, and thought the idea of a workshop for non-profits was an excellent idea.
WIth that, she encourages anyone to contact her, and suggest ideas for grants and ask questions about the process.
Katherine Pytleski can be reached at (203) 854-7894 or email: KPytleski@norwalkct.org
