Web cookies (also called HTTP cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small pieces of data that websites store on your device (computer, phone, etc.) through your web browser. They are used to remember information about you and your interactions with the site.
Purpose of Cookies:
Session Management:
Keeping you logged in
Remembering items in a shopping cart
Saving language or theme preferences
Personalization:
Tailoring content or ads based on your previous activity
Tracking & Analytics:
Monitoring browsing behavior for analytics or marketing purposes
Types of Cookies:
Session Cookies:
Temporary; deleted when you close your browser
Used for things like keeping you logged in during a single session
Persistent Cookies:
Stored on your device until they expire or are manually deleted
Used for remembering login credentials, settings, etc.
First-Party Cookies:
Set by the website you're visiting directly
Third-Party Cookies:
Set by other domains (usually advertisers) embedded in the website
Commonly used for tracking across multiple sites
Authentication cookies are a special type of web cookie used to identify and verify a user after they log in to a website or web application.
What They Do:
Once you log in to a site, the server creates an authentication cookie and sends it to your browser. This cookie:
Proves to the website that you're logged in
Prevents you from having to log in again on every page you visit
Can persist across sessions if you select "Remember me"
What's Inside an Authentication Cookie?
Typically, it contains:
A unique session ID (not your actual password)
Optional metadata (e.g., expiration time, security flags)
Analytics cookies are cookies used to collect data about how visitors interact with a website. Their primary purpose is to help website owners understand and improve user experience by analyzing things like:
How users navigate the site
Which pages are most/least visited
How long users stay on each page
What device, browser, or location the user is from
What They Track:
Some examples of data analytics cookies may collect:
Page views and time spent on pages
Click paths (how users move from page to page)
Bounce rate (users who leave without interacting)
User demographics (location, language, device)
Referring websites (how users arrived at the site)
Here’s how you can disable cookies in common browsers:
1. Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
Choose your preferred option:
Block all cookies (not recommended, can break most websites).
Block third-party cookies (can block ads and tracking cookies).
2. Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
Under the Enhanced Tracking Protection section, choose Strict to block most cookies or Custom to manually choose which cookies to block.
3. Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the top-left corner of the screen.
Go to Preferences > Privacy.
Check Block all cookies to stop all cookies, or select options to block third-party cookies.
4. Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies and site permissions.
Select your cookie settings from there, including blocking all cookies or blocking third-party cookies.
5. On Mobile (iOS/Android)
For Safari on iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security > Block All Cookies.
For Chrome on Android: Open the app, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies.
Be Aware:
Disabling cookies can make your online experience more difficult. Some websites may not load properly, or you may be logged out frequently. Also, certain features may not work as expected.
Can an applicant apply for funding in both Track 1 and Track 2? Yes.
Can partial amounts be awarded from a project budget if CIRCA cannot award the full amount applied for? Yes, the review committee may partially fund an application. We suggest applicants identify parts of their project in need of different funding amounts. If the entire project cannot be funded, then the review committee may fund a portion of the total request.
Are the two tracks offering differing award amounts? Awards totaling $150,000 will be made in each of the two tracks. In Track 1, requests can be made up to $100,000 and in Track 2, requests can be made up to $50,000.
What is meant by “develop knowledge or concepts that are transferable,” as referenced in the request for proposals? A transferable project will yield knowledge and/or concepts that can be useful in multiple locations outside where the project awarded.
Is leverage required? Leverage is preferred, and indicates the extent to which the resources will leverage those of other engaged partners. However, it is not required.
Can municipal and/or state funds be included in the total project budget? Yes, as leverage.
Is it possible for a municipality to submit a proposal and be involved in another, regional proposal? Yes.
Can a COG or NGO participate in multiple applications? Yes.
Can work completed prior to the grant be considered for reimbursement under the grant?No, work completed prior to the award of the grant will not be reimbursed.
If a project is awarded funds, would CIRCA consider supporting associated outreach initiatives? Yes. CIRCA would consider potential outreach initiatives with interested awardees and would be willing to discuss non-financial support for sharing project outcomes through a CIRCA webinar.
You require resumes of all professionals working on the project. We have not secured a consultant for the project yet. We can provide resumes of staff who will be managing the project. Any guidance? CIRCA recognizes that if you have not yet secured a consultant for a project for which you are requesting funding, then you will not be able to provide that information. Including the resumes of all municipal staff and partners listed in the proposal is sufficient for the application.
Is there information available on past MRGP awards from CIRCA? There have been four rounds of funding thus far. You can view a description of past awardees HERE. Though it is important to note that this new round has more targeted funding for Track 1 and 2 topics.