Posted April 08, 2025

In these past few months, cities and community-based initiatives across the country have been navigating a new reality: a funding climate that is increasingly uncertain. As federal funding wanes, local leaders and partners are finding themselves playing an even greater role in sustaining momentum and adapting to change. 

While the recent freeze on federal grants and executive order reviews has given us pause, it has also galvanized a commitment to long-term, community-led strategies. We’ve remained steadfast in strengthening our partnerships and strategies that define Rio Reimagined as a regional movement grounded in trust, inclusion, and shared vision. 

A Turning Point

As Mayor Kate Gallego recently wrote in Newsweek, “federal funding is under attack—and cities must take the lead.” In the face of freezes and shifting federal priorities, her words ring especially true for those of us working on place-based, collaborative efforts like Rio Reimagined. 

What We Know—and What We Don’t

During our February RIO Partnership meeting, I walked through the current federal context that includes both known constraints and unknown variables: 

• Known: Agency restructuring and strategic realignment are already underway. 

• Unknown: The future of open Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs), how Executive Orders will be resolved in court, and whether existing awards will be honored in full. 

This creates a confusing picture for award recipients. Some funding may be paused; others could move forward under existing agreements. I’m always available to help you navigate the language in your current grant agreements.  Knowing the point of obligation—when your funds were legally committed by the federal agency—is critical. According to federal regulations (50 CFR 80.91), once funds are obligated via a signed grant or cooperative agreement, you’re authorized to begin incurring costs.  

What You Can Do Right Now

1. Stay on Top of Your Awards.
   Review the terms and timelines of every active award. Confirm the point of obligation and look for clauses that allow agencies to modify or withdraw funding. Don’t assume silence means security.
2. Keep Communicating with Federal Contacts.
   If your project connects to Rio Reimagined or the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, maintain open communication, with your federal program contact or with me. As Ambassador, I continue to liaise with agency representatives and will share updates as they unfold.
3. Move Forward Where You Can.
   Even in uncertainty, we’ve seen green lights. Two examples:

• • The Rio Reimagined Invasive Species Planning Initiative, developed in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Silver Jackets, continues to move forward. Please let me know if you’d like to get involved.

• • The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has recently opened the fiscal year (FY) 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program. This program, established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, allocates $5 billion over five years (2022-2026) to support regional, local, and Tribal initiatives aimed at preventing roadway deaths and serious injuries. ​

These don’t just represent isolated projects—they embody a broader strategy: align with resilient, place-based federal partnerships and emphasize multi-agency collaboration to improve competitiveness.

To move forward, we can benefit from strengthening our readiness and capacity. That means supporting our partners with the tools they need to not only pursue funding but to plan for it and manage it thoughtfully, from initial idea to final implementation.

That’s why I’m excited to share a new resource launched this week by the Urban Waters Learning Network: Mastering the Grant Lifecycle: From Prospect to Execution. This five-part recorded series is packed with templates, spreadsheets, sample meeting agendas, and a streamlined framework that walks organizations through the full grant lifecycle. It’s practical, timely, and speaks directly to the kind of organizational capacity-building we need right now.

If you work in a community-facing role, in a city department, a tribal government, or with a nonprofit partner, this is a tool worth bookmarking and sharing widely.

Reframing the Moment: From Risk to Readiness

This moment challenges us to lead with clarity and coordination. As Mayor Gallego reminded us, cities and regions cannot wait for certainty. We must be proactive stewards of public investment—matching funds, planning initiatives, shovel-ready projects, and bringing partners to the table.

So, while the freeze may have given us pause, it also clarifies our path: we are moving forward. Rio Reimagined remains a long-term commitment rooted in resilience, and impactful growth. This is a perfect segue to a conversation that I just hosted today.

Today, I moderated a panel discussion, Sustaining Impact—Creative Funding Approaches Across the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, featuring four representatives from the national Urban Waters network who shared practical examples of how they’re adapting strategies, strengthening partnerships, and staying grounded in community priorities. If you couldn’t join the discussion, please listen to the recording!

Our panelists included Ambassadors from Albuquerque, New Orleans and a former Ambassador from Baltimore. Dr. Tyson Vaughan, with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, brought a federal perspective. Please check out their bios and the work they are doing. You may also contact them if you’d like to learn more about their work and funding strategies they talked about.