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Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 6.A
Meeting Date: March 13, 2024
From: Kevin Biersack, Financial Services Director
Title: FY 2024/2025 Community Assistance Grant Review,
Appointing an Ad-Hoc Subcommittee
City Council
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council appoint an Ad Hoc subcommittee to review grant applications.
BACKGROUND:
In the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024/2025 adopted budget, City Council approved a General Fund Community Assistance Grant Program to comprehensively support requests for grants and sponsorships from community non -profit organizations and other governmental jurisdictions. The program combines $40,000, (formerly funded by the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and is now being funded through the General Fund) and $30,000 supporting smaller grants. Last fiscal year, the program received 25 applications. City Council awarded 19 grants totaling $70,000 ranging from $1,000 to $8,000. Staff recommends grant applications be submitted for funding requests between $1,000 and $10,000.
DISCUSSION:
Staff is requesting City Council appoint an Ad Hoc subcommittee to review the applications and make a recommendation to the full Council for formal action. Staff plans to advertise the program on Friday, March 15, 2024, and request grant applications be submitted by 5:00 pm PDT on Monday, April 15, 2024. Staff will then provide the applications for subcommittee review and convene a meeting to review and make recommendations on which grants to fund. Once the subcommittee recommendations are finalized, the proposed grant awards will be presented to City Council for review and approval at the Wednesday, June 12, 2024, meeting. Awardees will be notified no later than Monday, July 1, 2024.
Program Guidelines: To be considered for funding:
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1. Applicants must be a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization or a tribal or governmental agency.
2. Applicants must be based in Cathedral City or demonstrate they provide services to residents or businesses of Cathedral City.
3. Applicants must be able to demonstrate they receive funding from other sources and are not relying only on City support.
4. Preference will be given to applicants meeting health and human service needs of underserved populations.
The grant program and grant application will be sent to local media and advertised on the City’s website, social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Nextdoor), and will be included on the Discover Cathedral City website -- See the attached Public Service Grant Application and the Notice of Publication for Grant Applications.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Once grant applications are approved, these grants will be funded from the FY 2024/2025 General Fund budget, budgeted at $70,000. Funding for this program was approved in the adopted budget.
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
This action will further Goal C – Fiscal Stability and Sustainability
Objective - Cathedral City has economically prospered by facilitating the investment of private dollars in high quality development which benefits the community. We remain financially solvent by instituting prudent fiscal policies and transparent financial practices.
ATTACHMENTS:
Public Service Grant Application Fillable Form - FY2025 Notice of Publication for Grant Applications - FY2025