Update on CAPP Grant

From Ellen McLean, Executive Director:

MOPA will be applying for a 2012 CAPP Organizational Development Grant in December.  As you may know, the status of all CAPP grant monies to states (including Legislative Grants, Emergency grants) has been dramatically cut because of several financial issues.  Thanks to a number of states, including Missouri, who actively rallied against these proposals and worked with CAPP to find common ground, additional cuts for 2012 have been postponed.  This extension will not necessarily apply to 2013, we are looking at ways to achieve economies of scale... possibly through a multi-state online CE program.

Here is a summary of CAPP Grant status from the Small States Executive Committee:

At this time, the organizational grants will be funded at a minimal of level of $150,000.  Any increase in this amount will be determined during the 2012 budget cycle; preliminary discussions regarding budgets began this Thursday, September 1, 2011.   While this is a reduction from the $250,000 in organizational grants in past years, it does allow CAPP to cover the states that need the funding the most.  Legislative and Emergency grants will also be under funding consideration during the budget process, and as soon as we learn more, we will update you immediately.

As promised, CAPP did reconsider the reduction to the organizational grants. Please know that when the budget allows, the first restoration to funding will be to the STPA grants. CAPP has committed to this and has also stated that they will not allow a state to fail due to lack of funding.

States that need to apply for an organizational grant for the 2012 operational year should continue to plan to complete the process as normal. The criteria for the grants has not changed. CAPP and CESPPA will continue to have an open dialog and the executive committee will report these conversations. We are all working toward a long term solution to this problem. In the meantime, the best thing that all states can do is share the message about the good that is done with CAPP grants. These grants are funded through the special assessments, if our members are not willing to make this contribution, the APAPO and with it the CAPP grants program will eventually cease to exist.