eCivis provides a searchable Web site with listings for all grants available to each department of governments including EMS/fire, police, health and human services, agriculture, and rural developments. The county's obligation will include non-profit organizations.
The county will pay $15,900 for usage for the remainder of the 2007-08 fiscal year which ends June 30. For the 2008-09 budget year, the county will pay $27,200.
Commissioner Brady Wooten said the county board had discussed hiring a grant writer.
"The county needs a grant writer," he said. "Two not one to meet all the departments' needs."
By hiring eCivis the county has illiminated a need to hire a professional grant writer, while saving money. Wooten and commissioners estimated a grant writer's salary would be between $60,000 to $75,000 per year or more.
Commission Chairwoman Kim Phillips said the county wouldn't be able to afford such salaries.
"They will still need access to the information," she said.
eCivis Regional Manager Nicole Haskins said more than 8,000 grants are available each year. Those grants total more than $40 billion in federal and $66 million in state dollars.
She said eCivis is the "Google of grants."
"It's quickly finding the right solicitation for programs," Haskins said. "It brings to the county's doorsteps the funding that is out there."
Commissioners said department heads will be trained on the Web site within the month.
"If we go with this program, every department head will be a grant writer," Commissioner Tommy Garner said.
Having department heads better develop grant writing abilities decreases the need for adding a centralized grant staff in the future. Haskins said only 10 percent of eCivis' clients have such staffs.
"The reason it's unsuccessful is you still have to know the ends and outs of all projects," she said. "They spend too much time finding grants instead of writing. That's why they get the service.
"It's a daunting task."
County Manager Eric Williams said department heads would be more knowledgeable of their own departments anyway.
"We've got a lot of bright people who are working hard," he said. "This gives them a tool."
eCivis' grants network allows the county to search all grants available. Currently, many grants applied for are federal grants the county is notified on.
eCivis has access to grants that do not notify agencies. Emergency Management Director Dale Trivette, who finds grants for his county department, said he'd "certainly be interested in working with it."
eCivis is employed by 400 government bodies nationwide. North Carolina clients include Franklin and Iredell counties.
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