Building a Grant Strategy with Fund Mapping
State Budget Department�Grants Management Office
Mark Gordon, Governor | Kevin Hibbard, Director
Dru Palmer, Grants Integration Manager
Christine Emminger, Administrator for the Grants Management Office
Diana Cabriales, Deputy Administrator for the Grants Management Office
June 23, 2026
Session Objectives
Describe the role of a “fund mapping” lens in the grant research process
Explore alternative funding strategies by identifying the sectors that intersect with a project
Perform fund mapping for a project to uncover new grant opportunities and funding strategies
Introduction to the “Fund Mapping” Process
Discussion Question
By show of hands, who attended last year’s Funding Summit, and what do you recall about the Fund Mapping concept or process?
What is Fund Mapping?
“Fund mapping” is a process that maps, or matches, unmet needs with potential funding sources
Universe of Available Funding
Relevant Funding Sources
Universe
of Needs
Fund Mapping at Different Levels
Project Level
Organization Level
Applying the Fund Mapping Process
Define the Purpose
1. Define the Purpose
2. Review Current Scope
3. Explore Scope from Different Lenses
4. Refine Grant Research Strategy
5. Research Funding Opportunities
Fund Mapping Purpose
Review Current Scope
1. Define the Purpose
2. Review Current Scope
3. Explore Scope from Different Lenses
4. Refine Grant Research Strategy
5. Research Funding Opportunities
Defining the Project
Case Study: Project Need
The County’s Office on Aging is interested in joining the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities. To do so, the Office has followed the required steps of:
County’s Action Plan
Their Action Plan includes over 100 unique projects designed to support AARP’s 8 Domains of Livability, including:
Spotlight on Initiatives
19
25
18
Spotlight on Project Prioritization
Scan Here for the GMO’s Project Prioritization Tool!
Applying Different Lenses
Fund mapping involves looking at a project through different lenses to see the project in a broader context and uncover new possibilities and opportunities you might not have considered
1. Define the Purpose
2. Review Current Scope
3. Explore Scope from Different Lenses
4. Refine Grant Research Strategy
5. Research Funding Opportunities
What is the full potential of this project?
Are there other components to this project that are not currently part of the project’s design?
Beyond our organization’s focus area, does this project contribute to additional sectors or focus areas?
What are our funding gaps? Should we be looking for planning grants, implementation funding, construction resources?
Shifting the Lens – Health Project
Project Idea: Install public outdoor exercise equipment | Could this be a community health project that creates a wellness hub with walking paths or trails, with the exercise equipment placed along the trail, and wellness signage with health tips on nutrition, hydration, and stress management, along with local resources for health services and community events? |
Shifting the Lens – Public Education
Project Idea: Install public outdoor exercise equipment | Could local schools, sports clubs, or youth programs use this space for classes, sports, or outdoor education? Could we add a conservation element to the wellness hub, with signs or activities that teach about local birds, native plants, and ways to protect water and other natural resources? |
Shifting the Lens – Art Programming
Project Idea: Install public outdoor exercise equipment | Could this project include a community garden or showcase art from local artists? Could this space provide opportunities for historical societies or veterans’ groups to display monuments or exhibits that honor local history and community members? |
Who is already involved in or will be impacted by this project?
Who will be impacted by this program? Who benefits if this program is implemented successfully?
Are there community partners and organizations that also have a vested interest in the success of this program?
Are there organizations already engaged in this work that may be well positioned to lead this program, with support from our organization?
Identifying Partners
Activity | Potential Partners for the Office on Aging’s Projects |
Install public outdoor exercise equipment |
|
Building partnerships into your project design can strengthen eligibility and credibility upfront, while also expanding your capacity to manage and sustain grant funding over time.
Refine Grant Strategy
1. Define the Purpose
2. Review Current Scope
3. Explore Scope from Different Lenses
4. Refine Grant Research Strategy
5. Research Funding Opportunities
Now that you’ve explored all potential avenues for your projects, you can refine the project idea based the multiple lenses and partnership pathways, which will ultimately inform your grant research strategy.
This is often considered the “Play-dough Stage” of the fund mapping process.
Conduct Grant Research
Review federal and state programs and funding sources found in resources such as:
Connect with all of the identified partners to discuss their role and interest in supporting this project and opportunities for stacking and braiding funding sources
1. Define the Purpose
2. Review Current Scope
3. Explore Scope from Different Lenses
4. Refine Grant Research Strategy
5. Research Funding Opportunities
Tips for Building a Strong Grant Strategy
Strategy Area | Tip |
Reframing | Adjusting the project’s scope or phasing work to match grant eligibility and align with partner and funder priorities |
Project & Grant Opportunity Prioritization | Adjusting the grant strategy based on available and forecasted opportunities |
Braided Funding | Coordinating multiple sources across project phases and parters |
Potential Age-Friendly Wellness �Hub Project Sectors
Public Health & Wellness
Education & Child Development
Environment & Conservation
Community & Economic Development
Arts & Culture
Returning to GMO’s Grant Research Steps
Step 1: Determine Research Strategy
Step 2: Develop Search Keywords, or “Buzzwords”
Step 3: Perform Grant Research
Step 4: Create a List, or an “Opportunity Scan”
Step 5: Assess Grant Fit
Broadening Buzzwords Based on Funding Mapping Exercise
Seniors, older adults, elderly, senior center, accessibility, disability, mobility, livability, aging in place, transit, connection
Public Health & Wellness
Age-Friendly
Arts & Culture
Human services, nutrition, healthcare, health, exercise, community services, therapy, wellness
Exhibit, historic preservation, tourism, cultural attraction, education, museum, library, veterans, 250th anniversary
Potential Funding Opportunities
After completing an opportunity scan using the broad list of buzzwords for this Age-Friendly project, the office identified potential funding opportunities:
Strategic Shift in Project Planning
One need can generate multiple fundable components because different parts of a project may qualify for different funding sources.
Instead of asking: “What grant fits my project?”
Ask: “What parts of my project can be funded in different ways?”
One project need ≠ One grant
Approaching the Grant Research Process
Fund Mapping Activity
Activity
Over the course of this class, you’ll participate in two fund mapping activities.
Instructions: During the project planning class yesterday, you developed a project design.
During this activity, participants use the Building a Grant Strategy with Fund Mapping worksheet to examine that project through different lenses.
Activity – Part 1
Step 1: In the first column of the “Step 1: Identifying Potential Sectors for Project Activities” table, list all of the project activities, including creative opportunities to expand this project design into other sectors or components
Step 2: In the second column of the “Step 1” table, identify all potential sectors associated with each activity
Discussion Question
Would anyone like to share how they applied a different lens and how that opened new possibilities and opportunities you hadn’t considered yesterday?
Activity – Part 2
Participants will use the “Step 2: Fund Mapping” table to capture potential funding opportunities for two of the project activities identified above.
Step 3: For each project activity:
Discussion Question
How did the fund mapping process influence your opportunity scan? Were you able to locate funding opportunities in new areas?
State Budget Department�Grants Management Office
Email: sbd-grants@wyo.gov
Website: https://sbd.wyo.gov/grants
Kevin Hibbard, Director, Wyoming State Budget Department
Christine Emminger, Administrator for the Grants Management Office
Diana Cabriales, Deputy Administrator for the Grants Management Office
Email: dru.palmer@wyo.gov
Dru Palmer, Grants Integration Manager
Governor’s Office�Grants Management Initiative
Hagerty Consulting, Inc