By Alan Sorensen
ROCKY BOY RJS & Associates of Rocky Boys Indian Reservation in North Central Montana has done it again.
RJS, which was honored earlier this year as the Montana Indian-owned Business of the Year by the Small Business Administration, was awarded a major contract by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Native Americans (ANA).
ANA announced Thursday that RJS was awarded the contract to provide training and technical assistance to Native American organizations in Region VI through its Center II.
RJS also will provide training and technical assistance to non-federally-recognized Indian tribes in the 48 contiguous states and the native peoples of Hawaii and Alaska through its Center VI at Rocky Boy. Non-profit Native organizations and urban Native groups also qualify for assistance from RJS.
Highly-trained consultants will provide the services on an individual basis, as well as through cluster training and post-award workshops throughout the lower 48 states, RJS President and CEO Dr. Robert J. Swan said in a news release.
Center VI is intended to concentrate on teaching participating groups how to develop quality ANA proposals. Representatives of the groups will be trained in other areas, too, including funding opportunities for ANA match and leverage ANA projects. Theyll learn to conduct needs assessments and feasibility studies and to develop retirement and business plans.
Staff also will provide telephone and walk-in technical assistance and develop a web page devoted to funding opportunities for eligible applicants in the continental United States.
Furthermore, Swan said, RJS will provide Internet services along with the development of a PowerPoint training program for successful grant writing.
The Center will be staffed by Swan, project director; Paul Russette, Jr., project coordinator; James R. Swan, web master; Roger DeCora, Jr., administrative assistant; and 14 or more consultants.
Center VI staff also will join Center II staff in serving the federally-recognized tribes within Region VIs 16 states: Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Iowa, and Wyoming.
Dr. Swan also announced that RJS has signed an agreement with the Chippewa Cree Business Committee to provide grant writing services to the Tribe.
For more information, contact RJS & Associates, Inc. by phone at (406) 395-4757 or by e-mail rjsinc@rjsinc.org.
