To enter stepwise, please click the link labeled "My Stepwise". This will take you to a personalized page where you can track each prospectus and the overall progress of each submission within the Stepwise process. Stepwise will also track correspondance, uploaded documents, and completed Stepwise projects.

What is Stepwise?
Stepwise is the process facilitated by the Grande Ronde Model Watershed for sponsors to apply for restoration funding. Prospective projects undergo a series of developmental stages (or steps) in this process which informs GRMW’s Board of Directors final funding decisions. These steps also help to improve potential projects, taking them from concepts to implementable projects with clearly defined goals and measureable objectives. If you are interested in applying for restoration funding please work with one of our partners on completing the Stepwise Process. We suggest working with one of the following organizations ODFW, CTUIR, USWCD, NPT, TU, USFS.

How Does it Work?
Stepwise is broken down into a series of steps starting with a prospectus [Step 1 - Prospectus]. This is where basic information about the project is gathered into a standardized document through the use of online forms. When a new prospectus is generated, GRMW is notified and the document is reviewed by staff as well as the IT (Implementation Team) [Step 2 - Review]. The IT determines whether the project should be considered based on the information provided. If the project shows merit, the sponsor will be asked to submit a draft proposal of the project [Step 3 – Draft Proposal]. The IT will review the draft proposal and then arrange a site visit and provide feedback [Step 4 – Site Visit & Feedback Loop]. Once adequate feedback has been given, the sponsor will be solicited to provide a final proposal [Step 5 – Final Draft]. The final proposal is a refined and polished document with clear and measureable objectives included. Once a final proposal has been submitted, the GRMW Board of Directors will review the document and make the decision to either fund, modify or reject the proposal [Step 6 - Approval]. Should the board decide to reject a proposal, the submitter may be asked to make changes to the final proposal and resubmit at a later date. Likewise, funding can be awarded conditionally by the board, requiring the sponsor to make certain changes to the final proposal before funding can be awarded [Step 7 – Final Decision].

Where Do I Begin?
All prospective projects begin with a prospectus. To start a new prospectus, you must be logged into the grmw.org website. Once logged in, navigate to the Stepwise web page from the top bar menu. From the Stepwise page, click on the ‘My Stepwise’ link button above this description. If you have other prospectus/proposals, they will show up on the resulting page. In the top right corner of the window labeled ‘My Projects’ you will see a button labeled ‘Add New Project’. From here, follow the prompts in the form until it has been filled out to the best of your abilities. You can save the prospectus and come back to work on it at a later time if you are not able to finish filling out the form all at once. You may also decide to work on certain parts of a prospectus at different times, each step of the prospectus form is navigable and can be saved individually so you do not have to worry about losing work. Once the prospectus have been filled out to your satisfaction, return to your project by selecting it from the ‘My Projects’ list once more. You will now see a button labeled ‘Generate Prospectus’. Clicking this button will clear any previously generated prospectuses you had for this project. You will receive a warning message stating this. If this is your first time submitting a prospectus for this project, you can ignore this warning. Once you accept the warning, an email will be sent to GRMW staff notifying them that the prospectus has been submitted.

Stepwise Schedule (Fall 2024)
Draft Proposals .... Oct 15th
Site Visits ............ Oct 29th
Final Proposal ... Nov 11th
Board Decision ... Nov 26th
Notification Letters ... Dec 2nd

Stepwise Schedule (Spring 2025)
Draft Proposals .... March 3rd
Site Visits ............ March 26th
Final Proposal ... April 7th
Board Decision ... April 22nd
Notification Letters ... May 29th