Attached you will find Congressman Arcuri's fiscal year 2010 funding request form. Please read this email carefully because it contains pertinent information about both the appropriations process and also to how to submit your request. The completed form MUST be returned ELECTRONICALLY (in a non-PDF file) no later than 6 PM EST on Friday, February 13, 2009, in order to receive consideration. For those of you unfamiliar with the federal appropriations process, it is completely unlike the member item process in the New York State legislature. Under the federal system, members of Congress submit requests for funding to the House Committee on Appropriations, which has the final say on which projects receive funding in the annual spending bills. Non-selection does not necessarily mean that a project is unworthy or doesn't qualify for federal funding because the amount of earmarks continues to be reduced every year. The process also has no rigid timetable for final resolution. We are still awaiting final word on the majority of projects that Congressman Arcuri requested for the current fiscal year (2009). As this process is uncertain, I would also encourage you to pursue funding through the competitive grants process. A far wider range of programs and funding opportunities are available each year through the competitive grants process and you can research those opportunities through http://www.grants.gov. Please do not hesitate to use Congressman Arcuri's staff as a resource on the competitive grants process as well. I would also point out that entities whose projects do receive funding through the annual appropriations process will still be required to meet all requirements for grantees of the agency administering the funds before you receive the funding. Steps for submitting a fiscal year 2010 funding request: 1. Complete the attached form and return it electronically in Microsoft Word 2000-07 format (*.doc format - not *.docx). Scanned PDF format will not be accepted. A format that can be cut and pasted saves staff an incredible amount of time processing the hundreds of requests that Congressman Arcuri receives. Your assistance in this manner is greatly appreciated. 2. Email the completed form to Chris Wilcox at Chris.Wilcox@mail.house.gov no later than 6 PM on Friday, February 13, 2009. I realize this requires a fairly quick turn-around. However, the Committee on Appropriations has not yet informed Congressional offices of what the deadline will be for members to submit their requests to the Committee and that deadline could be as early as late-February. The sooner that you submit your request, the better chance we have to work with you and Committee staff to correct any deficiencies or make any modifications necessary to avoid submitting an ineligible request. 3. You will also need to provide at least three letters of support for your request. The purpose of these letters is to demonstrate broad-based community support for the project and also to highlight the impact that it will have on the community as a whole. Letters of support should be from people outside the submitting organization that are in a position to speak to the need for or the benefit to be gained by the project. These letters of support must accompany your application, and should be emailed along with the appropriations request form. Letters of support may be scanned or faxed, if you so choose, but please avoid sending anything pertaining to your request by regular mail as the House security screening delays most mail by an additional 7-10 business days. If you have any questions about this process or in preparing the form, please do not hesitate to contact me. We are standing by to assist you in any way that we can. Thank you, Christopher E. Wilcox Legislative Counsel Office of U.S. Representative Michael A. Arcuri (NY-24) 127 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 P: 202-225-3665 F: 202-225-1891 To sign up for Congressman Arcuri's regular e-newsletter, click here. <>