If you are planning to apply for Golden LEAF funding through any Golden LEAF program, teamwork is essential to successful project implementation.
Each Golden LEAF project is supported by two Golden LEAF staff members: a Primary Staff member (typically a Program Officer) and a Program Lead. This model ensures there is always more than one point of contact to answer questions, provide guidance, and keep your project moving forward. Our goal is to help you reach your milestones and outcomes as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Your team also needs to be prepared to support a Golden LEAF-funded project throughout implementation and reporting. We have specific forms, processes, and reporting periods that must be used and followed. There are milestones, goals, and outcomes that must be tracked. To ensure a smooth experience, it is highly recommended that more than one person in your organization is actively engaged in your project. It is also important to have more than one person that has access to and is familiar with the Golden LEAF grant system, which is used to submit reports, request funding disbursements, and for other administrative processes.
We understand many economic development leaders are one-person operations doing their best to make a difference in their communities while wearing many hats. Grantees who include a second person, such as a board member, engineer, colleague, or finance team member often experience fewer issues with reporting milestones and outcomes and keeping their project on its timeline.
Having more than one person involved in a project can also help when there is a staff transition. Transitions without a second person involved can lead to delays that can increase costs, slow the release of Golden LEAF funds, hinder project success, or even end a project that could have created new jobs, strengthened the workforce, or increased agricultural productivity.
Advantages of bringing on a team member to support administration of a Golden LEAF-funded project include:
- Shared understanding and responsibility: Ensures more than one person understands the project goals, budget, and reporting requirements.
- Continuity and compliance: Helps maintain compliance, timely reporting, and adherence to the project timeline if someone is out, on leave, or there is a staff transition.
- Checks and balances: Reduces the risk of errors or oversights in budgeting, documentation, or submitting required reports, keeping the project moving forward.
- Efficiency: Allows team members to share tasks such as collecting invoices, submitting reimbursements, or tracking outcomes, which speeds up processes.
- Capacity building: Builds institutional knowledge within the organization so future projects are easier to manage and the team can plan to have the people and resources projects require for success.
- Partnership strength: Demonstrates organizational capacity and collaboration, which Golden LEAF values in its applicants and grantees.
If you are adding a new team member or if a key team member is leaving, please notify your Golden LEAF Program Officer promptly so your project stays on track.
To create user accounts in our grant system, visit our Grant Portal or learn more on the Golden LEAF website.
Teamwork, both within your organization and Golden LEAF, is essential to every project’s success. Building that collaboration early helps ensure a smoother process from application to outcomes to long-term economic growth.