Proof Positive:
Work that works

How’s the thinking? What’s the creative like? Does it get the job done?

 

Here are just a few of our success stories. And how we made them happen. If you’ve got a specific issue you don’t see represented, contact us. With over four decades of fundraising leadership, we’ve created winning approaches for all kinds of challenges. Maybe one a lot like yours.

 

Of course, that’s just the jumping-off point. The real answers we’ll find together.

proof positive #11: Government Appropriations

Small business tax protections, emergency monies, and preservation of critical development programs keep a large county up and running.
 
Opportunity:
 
Salt Lake County is home to nearly half of all Utahans. The County is filled with diverse communities such as Magna in the northwest, Alta to the southeast, Herriman in the southwest and Emigration Canyon in the northeast. About 250,000 people live in several different "unincorporated" sections of the County. All unincorporated County residents receive basic municipal services through their County government. In effect, this detached "city" is the biggest in Utah.
 
Approach:
 
Our work on behalf of Salt Lake County includes policy and advocacy work in addition to securing significant federal dollars. For example, we worked with the Utah delegation to keep a provision out of the Small Business Tax Bill that would have eliminated or reduced the ability of a local municipality to charge a transient room tax, which would have devastated tourism revenues for both Salt Lake County and the State of Utah.
 
Russ Reid also serves as advocates in an emergency. Following the flooding of Little Cottonwood Creek due to snow melt, Russ Reid helped Salt Lake County secure emergency money from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to restore the eroded creek banks and remediate damage to nearby homes. We worked with the Utah delegation and relevant agencies to secure funds from the Emergency Watershed Protection Program. NRCS provided initial funding, and reports that they will make further funding a priority.
 
Russ Reid provided policy work for Salt Lake County on New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) legislation, potentially extending the program for an additional two years. The program is vital to the County as it provides tax credits for critically important projects, including the solar panel installation and Capitol Theater renovation. Russ Reid contacted the U.S. Treasury Department and the congressional champions on the issue to ascertain the status of the pending “extender” legislation. We developed a strategy to push the legislation during the Congress’s lame duck session, which included the assistance of the Utah delegation and other Members of Congress.
 

Finally, as Congress continues to target massive budget cuts to critical federal programs, such as the Community Development Block Grant, our recent efforts have focused on preserving the funding levels of these programs on behalf of our municipal clients. We have contacted the Executive Branch, including President Obama, OMB Director Lew and HUD Secretary Donovan and the entire Utah delegation to advocate for the County’s concerns and support for additional funding. 

Results:
 
Most recently, Salt Lake County has been successful in securing:
  • $618,475 for energy efficient buildings.
  • $1.5 million to upgrade and consolidate the Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communication Center.