Thompson Grants Workshop: American Rescue Plan Act

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 (Pub. L. 117-2), signed into law by President Biden earlier this year, provides some $1.9 trillion in economic stimulus funding for numerous programs across the government to help the country recover from the economic and health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ARPA funds will provide needed relief to state, local and tribal governments, as well as to universities and other nonfederal entities, to enable them to continue to support the public health response and encourage an economic recovery. ARPA programs – such as the $350 billion State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund – will help governments address the revenue losses they have experienced as a result of the crisis. It will assist in replacing costs incurred due to responding to the public health emergency and aim to provide support for a recovery through assistance to households, small businesses and nonprofits, aid to impacted industries, and support for essential workers. Other programs – such as the Rental Assistance Program and Unemployment Compensation under ARPA – also are designed to aid those economically struggling during the pandemic.

Nonfederal entities also should be aware that the Office of Management and Budget is requiring federal agencies to use these funds for programs that encourage fair and equitable administration of financial assistance and valuable program outcomes. There is much to learn about the distribution of these emergency funds, and grantee responsibilities for managing them correctly. 

Join us for this on-demand workshop to discuss the development of the American Rescue Plan Act, as well as the organizational management.

Agenda

Session 1: General Overview of the American Rescue Plan Act

This session will address:
• What is ARPA, more details on economic emergency relief bills and how they differ from traditional congressional allocations
• Timeline of the passage of the CARES Act, CRRSA, ARPA and spending deadlines for funds allocated
• The current administration’s priorities included in ARPA that may differ from the CARES Act and CRRSA
• OMB flexibilities provided to federal agencies
• Understanding agency guidance related to these funds

Session 2: Addressing the Organizational Management of ARPA Funds

This session will address:
• How do recipients best address fraud risks? (PTEs)
• Risk assessments of subawards
• Separation of funds (emergency relief packages vs. traditional grant funding)
• What are the current reporting requirements?
• New to single audits? What steps can you take to prepare for the single audit process?
• Analysis on what to expect going forward in a post-pandemic era

Meet Your Instructors

Jillian Neimeister is the Head of Delivery for AmpliFund, the leading enterprise grant management software platform. She oversees the team responsible for intricately understanding customer needs and configuring AmpliFund to meet them post-purchase. Jillian has managed over a hundred implementations for AmpliFund, including leading the state-wide implementation for the State of Illinois and a roll out to five territory-wide agencies within the government of Puerto Rico in a single year. Her tenacious spirit and unmatched planning capabilities allow her to lead the team to deliver a best-in-class level of service to clients. Prior to joining AmpliFund, Jillian served as a grant writer, manager, and fundraiser in nearly a decade of work in the nonprofit industry. Jillian holds a Masters in Nonprofit Administration and Leadership degree from the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University and Bachelor of Arts degree from John Carroll University.

Adam Roth is the Founder and President of AmpliFund, the leading enterprise grant management software platform. Adam is one of nine grant reporting executives to sit on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) DATA Act pilot program board. Adam works closely with industry and government officials to facilitate the development of improved regulatory guidelines for managing grant funding using standardized data structures, speaking frequently on the topic to audiences around the country. As a result of his work, he was honored with the NGMA Impact Award/Private Sector for exceptional contributions to advancing the field of grant management.


Sandra Swab is currently an independent consultant focusing on grants management, data reporting standards, and funding policy and procedure requirements for federal and non-federal organizations. She has over 30 years of government experience in federal program management, and grants and financial management. Sandra worked at the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board where she served as its Data Manager and Senior Advisor for Grants, Performance and Data Standards. While at the Recovery Board, Sandra managed an analytics team that developed several reporting concepts used for public information on federal funding and managed the Grants Reporting Information Project (GRIP) which was the basis for Section V Reporting of the DATA Act. Prior to working at the Recovery Board, she worked as a senior manager and subject matter expert for companies supporting the federal government after working at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as a Senior Policy Analyst in the Office of Federal Financial Management (OFFM). While at OMB, she was responsible for writing federal grant policies and oversight for Grants.gov implementation.