To All Interested Parties:

As soon as the President sends his budget up to Congress, the fiscal year 2005 appropriations season begins. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, the committee which determines the specific spending levels for the annual budget, I have the opportunity to promote projects of interest to Wisconsin. In some cases there is directed federal funding available for projects in specific communities. In other cases, there are larger accounts that provide funds to states or federal grant programs. I am calling on you to let me know of your needs to help me in the appropriations process.

In past years I have heard from many local leaders about projects of interest to the people of Wisconsin. The following information should guide you in recognizing those projects which are most likely to receive funding from the Appropriations Committee. Particularly in this tight budget environment, there are no guarantees that any specific project will receive funding; however I am committed to making the case for directing scarce dollars to vital projects in our state. Of course, I want to hear about all your needs. Additionally, I am often aware of other sources of federal funding beyond the Appropriations process that may be available to you, and I welcome the opportunity to direct you to these resources. Toward that end, please feel free to contact Rebecca Ford, my Federal Grants Coordinator, in my Milwaukee office at 414-297-4451 for additional assistance.

As the process unfolds, it will be very helpful to learn as much about your projects and organization as possible. In addition to completing the request form that appears below, please be sure to provide on a separate sheet the exact name and location of the potential grant recipient, along with the name, title, address, phone number, and e-mail address of a contact at the organization.  Also provide the names of all officials at the organization, board of directors, and all their contact information.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or Phil Walzak of my staff at (800) 247-5645. Due to delays in the processing of Senate mail, correspondence should be faxed to my Washington office at 202-224-9787 to the attention of Naomi Baum, or, especially in the case of larger submissions, mailed to my Milwaukee office to the attention of Phil Walzak:

310 S. Wisconsin Ave, Suite #950
Milwaukee, WI 53203

I look forward to working with you and your organization. Best wishes.

Sincerely,

Herb Kohl
U.S. Senator