Tipton hires contract grant-writing team for 2025, aims for at least two applications a month

Mayor Keegan Schmicker said Tipton has contracted a for-profit grant-writing firm for the entirety of 2025 and expects that team to help the city apply for "no fewer than 2 grants a month" across parks, public safety and other capital needs.

"What we know is that we're leaving money on the table," Schmicker said, describing the city’s view that external grant funding is underused and that a dedicated, experienced grant-writing team will increase application success. He said the firm has experience with other Indiana communities and that one owner formerly served as a grant writer for Noblesville.

City officials described the contract as a purposeful effort to centralize grant expertise rather than having department staff prepare applications themselves. Diana Tomlinson, identified in the podcast as a parks department staffer, was cited as an existing staff grant applicant who will work with the contracted team to keep project planning and program strategy in the departments while the firm handles application preparation.

"We're going to be applying for no fewer than 2 grants a month, throughout the entirety of 2025," Schmicker said. The city listed likely grant targets as parks and recreation, the newly formed Tipton Arts Commission, public safety, community development, infrastructure and economic development.

Officials said grants frequently require matches and specialized application formats; the mayor framed the contract as an efficiency step to increase successful submissions and relieve department staff to focus on operations and project definition. The podcast did not disclose the firm's name, contract value, or whether the contract requires city council approval; those details were not specified on the recording.