Safety & Consumer Protection >

2010 summer community events grant funding

History

During the past three years, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has provided summertime grant funding to communities around the state. The grant provides the costs of short term alternative transportation (vans, buses or vehicles) to transport community members from the local summer community event to their home. The onetime event is local in nature such as a beer tent, church event, or annual fundraiser where alcohol is legally served. The grant also covers limited marketing and advertising costs as it relates to safe drinking and driving.

Goals

• To continue decreasing traffic deaths in Wisconsin. Statistics show a 7% drop in deaths from 2008 to 2009.
• To work toward "Zero in Wisconsin."
• To provide a safe ride home through the use of alternative transportation by providing funding for patrons attending the local summer community event who have been consuming alcohol and need to get home.
• To collaborate with community members to gain buy in, and develop an action plan to deter drinking and driving before, during or after the event and throughout the year.
• To distribute information on the dangers of drinking and driving, and to promote personal responsibility.

Timeline

Grants will be awarded from approximately April 1 - July 1, 2010. Funds must be used for the identified event before September 30, 2010. The event date can be any time between May 1, 2010 to September 30, 2010.

Eligibility

Any eligible municipality can apply for funding. There must be sufficient alcohol traffic statistics and data showing the need for alternative transportation during the event including evidence of drinking and driving and/or alcohol related crashes during past events. Alcohol related crash data for a minimum of 3 years must be included. Documentation is available from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation by contacting the Traffic Safety Section for alcohol related crashes or viewing our crash facts and general crash information Internet material.

This event must be an annual summer celebration, festival, beer tent, or fundraising event where alcohol is served and customers typically drink and then drive. The grant is not for ongoing summer events such as weekend tubing down the river or very large outdoor events such as Summerfest in Milwaukee. The grant amount awarded will be no more than $10,000; the funding requested should align with the size of the event and anticipated allowable services.

Grant forms should be 100% complete when submitting the forms the first time by providing complete, concise highway safety information.

Allowable expenses:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the funding agency through WisDOT. Federal grant criteria must be adhered to by the sub-grantee and used for the following:

1. Developing, printing and distributing impaired driving materials or marketing incentives. For example, lanyards, posters, window clings, T-Shirts, napkins, etc that are exclusive to the dangers of drinking and driving, and provide information on alternative transportation rides during the event can be purchased. The "Zero in Wisconsin" or "Over the Limit. Under Arrest" logos should be used. Maximum funds for marketing materials are $1,000.
2. Providing short term contractual services for rides to transport patrons to home who have been drinking. Costs cover designated taxi cab service, vans, buses or other vehicles from the event location only to the patrons' home. One ride per night per patron is allowed. Maximum allowable amount is $8,000.
3. Advertising the event, including alternative transportation available, and the dangers of drinking and driving. Use newspapers, ads, posters, flyers, and Internet. Maximum funds for advertising are $1,000. Use "Zero in Wisconsin" logos in all advertising.

Non-allowable expenses:

1. Law enforcement overtime for increasing traffic safety on roadways including streets and highways to deter, detect and arrest impaired drivers. We cannot fund overtime that has previously been funded by other agencies.
2. Law enforcement or others monitoring the entrance to beer tents or other restricted areas. Other duties that do not directly provide alternative transportation (such as crowd control or ID check).
3. Any food, beverage, incentives, gifts, tokens or fireworks costs incurred before, during or after the event.
4. Any admission fees for personnel staff attending shows, entering beer tents, concerts or other events.
5. Reimbursement of staff time for those serving alcoholic beverages or working at events or activities.
6. Reimbursement of staff time at informational booths to distribute materials on the dangers of drinking and driving.

Matching fund requirement:

Match funds must be at least 25% of the grant amount provided by the local municipality. Match can include payroll costs for law enforcement overtime or other direct or indirect costs for traffic safety that are incurred but not allowed by the grant. See items listed above under "Nonallowable expenses". For example, if a $5,000 grant is awarded, the municipality must have a match of at least $1,250 for a grand total budget of $6,250.

The grantee must include dated, valid documentation for all allowable costs when submitting for reimbursement. We will only pay for products or services that are purchased AFTER the grant award approval start date but prior to September 30, 2010 and directly related to the prevention of drinking and driving. The documentation must be for the specific event or related activities and receipt dates must show that.

Process to apply for funding

The municipality may contact the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to get more information or to start the grant application process. The grant application includes problem identification, goals, objectives, work plan, deliverables, an evaluation component, and a detailed budget. The amount of the grant is up to $10,000 per year per event. Grant applications are accepted from April 1, to July 1, 2010. The grant application must include a media plan such as TV, radio, newspaper or Internet and identify when coverage will occur. It must include the Zero in Wisconsin highway safety media campaign.

Municipalities are encouraged to work with other surrounding municipalities if at all possible. For instance if there is a summer event involving several smaller communities, one grant could be awarded. By working together, there are greater efficiencies in staff time, vehicles, and agencies collaborating within the communities. The implementation and reimbursement process is also streamlined.

To assist you in filling out the application, use the following document in preparing data to add to the form.

• Summer event grant application  

For more information contact:

Janet Nodorft
Alcohol Program Manager
4802 Sheboygan Avenue, Room 551
Madison, WI 53707
Phone: (608) 266-0550
Fax: (608) 267-0441
E-mail: janet.nodorft@dot.wi.gov

Or the regional program manager:
Dennis Johnson (northwest area)
Phone: (715) 839-3800 x 134
E-mail: dennis.johnson@dot.state.wi.us

Andrea Loeffelholz (southwest area)
Phone: (608) 267-3249
E-mail: andrea.loeffelholz@dot.state.wi.us

Mike Panosh (northeast area)
Phone: (920) 683-4960
E-mail: michael.panosh@dot.state.wi.us

You will need Microsoft Word to view Word files. If you do not have a copy of Microsoft Word installed on your computer, you can use the Microsoft Word Viewer (provided free of charge) to view Word files. For more information about getting your free copy of Microsoft Word Viewer, visit WisDOT's Software information page.

All external hyperlinks are provided for your information and for the benefit of the general public. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation does not testify to, sponsor or endorse the accuracy of the information provided on externally linked pages.

Questions about the content of this page:
Steve Olson, steve.olson@dot.state.wi.us
Last modified: March 5, 2010