Grant Programs Directorate Information Bulletin
No. 352
January 18, 2011


TO:		All State Administrative Agency Heads
All State Administrative Agency Points of Contact
All State Emergency Management Agency Directors
All Public and Private Sector Port Security Partners
All Urban Area Security Initiative Points of Contact
All Tribal Nation Points of Contact
All Eligible Regional Transit Agencies
All Private Sector Transportation Security Partners

FROM:		Elizabeth M. Harman
Assistant Administrator
Grant Programs Directorate
Federal Emergency Management Agency

SUBJECT:      Timeliness of Grantee Drawdowns 


As the New Year begins, FEMA would like to take this opportunity to highlight lessons learned from last year and reiterate some important practices regarding the financial administration of FEMA grants moving forward.  

In order to provide an accurate representation of FEMA grant fund usage, we would like to re-emphasize the importance of the timely drawdown of grant dollars.  The Grants Program Directorate (GPD) is requesting that, whenever possible, grantees draw down funds no less than on a quarterly basis.  By adopting this practice, GPD will be able to more effectively communicate the availability of funds.  In addition,  overall expenditure data associated with grant programs will be more accurately represented to the public and our  stakeholders.    

GPD is committed to working with you to best ensure that goals and objectives are met regarding the expenditure of grant funds.  Protecting the future of funding for FEMA’s grant programs is a mutually beneficial goal, and we greatly appreciate the cooperation of grantees in adopting optimal financial administration practices. 

Any questions or concerns regarding this request may be directed to Dana Bourne in the Regional Coordination and Oversight Branch at Dana.Bourne@fema.gov. 



        U.S. Department of Homeland Security
                 Washington, DC  20472






www.fema.gov