Fremont City Council Meeting: 06/17/25 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Human Services Department Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Grants
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5414) DOC ID: 5414
Updated: 6/12/2025 10:55 AM by Dina Lewis Page 1
FY 2025-2028 HUMAN SERVICE GRANT RECOMMENDATIONS – Referrals from Human Relations Commission; Approve Recommendations for FY 2025-28 Human Service Grant Funding and Authorize the City Manager to Execute Agreements with Non-Profit Agencies.
Contact Persons:
Name: Marisha Engineer Arquimides Caldera
Title: Management Analyst I Human Services Director
Div/Dept: Human Services Department Human Services Department Phone: 510-574-2087 510-574-2056
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: The Human Relations Commission (HRC) has developed its FY 2025-2028 Human Service Grant cycle funding recommendations. The HRC reviewed twenty-eight proposals, including twenty-seven for Social Service Funds and one for Opioid Settlement Funds, totaling $1,925,304 in requests. The HRC is recommending funding twenty programs with Social Service Funds and one with Opioid Settlement Funds, resulting in a total of $872,732 in grant funding for Human Service programs.
BACKGROUND: Since the late 1970s, the City of Fremont has administered a grant program for non-profit agencies to deliver social services to Fremont residents and historically the Human Relations Commission has facilitated the RFP process and made funding award recommendations to the City Council. The grants are directed to the following three categories:
• Strengthening Services that are designed to foster independence and/or prevent people from needing services in the future.
• Crisis Intervention Services that help people who are in crisis and at immediate risk of losing their independence.
• Basic Needs Services that help people with the fewest resources and who are most in need.
The City awards Human Service Grants on a three-year competitive funding cycle. These grants are supported through a combination of General Funds and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. FY 2025-2026 will be the first year of a new cycle. All grant agreements with the selected agencies will be for one year, and an agency’s continued funding for the remaining two years of this grant cycle is contingent upon satisfactory completion of the service goals, completion of administrative requirements, and funding availability. The HRC will review and evaluate the agencies on an annual basis and making funding recommendations to the City Council for its consideration and approval.
In July 2021, several large opioid manufacturers and distributors agreed to pay $26 billion to settle over 3,000 opioid crisis-related lawsuits nationwide (collectively, the “2021 National Opioid Settlements”). In May 2023, the City Council authorized the City Manager to execute and ratify agreements related to National Opioid Settlements, making the City eligible to directly receive funding. The City convened a group of partner agencies to determine how to utilize these funds to best serve the Fremont community. The City Council Staff Report (ID # 5414) Meeting of June 17, 2025 Updated: 6/12/2025 10:55 AM by Dina Lewis Page 2
agreed to distribute these funds via an RFP. The City allocated $100,000 per year, for a total of $300,000 over the next three-year grant cycle.
FY 2025–2026 Human Service Grant Funding Process: In October 2024, the HRC reviewed and approved the Request for Proposals (RFP) documents, the funding timeline, and plan for the 2025-2028 Grant review process. On November 1, 2024, staff and the HRC issued a Notice for Funding Availability (NOFA) for the next 3-year funding cycle and an RFP. The RFP process was completed as follows:
1. November 1, 2024: RFP materials were made available to the public. The availability of funds was advertised in the Tri-City Voice, on the City’s website, the City’s cable channel, via email, and was further broadcast via the Patch.
2. November 6, 2024: Staff conducted a grant workshop for prospective applicants that gave applicants the opportunity to understand the proposal process, including proposal parameters, scoring criteria, and the SCC’s role in the process.
3. November 29, 2024: Mandatory pre-applications were due.
4. December 3 and 4, 2024: Commissioners were trained on the use of ZoomGrants, the electronic grant application software.
5. December 13, 2024: Applications were due by 5pm.
6. December 2024 and January 2025: Commissioners and staff independently reviewed proposals and developed supplemental questions. Applicants responses to these additional questions were due by March 3, 2025. The HRC then evaluated proposals on the following criteria:
• The agency program is clearly addressing one or more of the impact categories. • The proposed program will produce outcomes that meet a priority community need.
• The program has clearly articulated measurable outcomes. • The agency has the knowledge, methods, and capacity to document and measure program outcomes.
• The agency demonstrates effective service and management capability. • The agency or parent organization demonstrates good fiscal strength. • The agency successfully leverages City funding to bring funding to Fremont. • The agency or program has a substantial presence in the Fremont community. • The agency has local support and community ownership. • The agency collaborates with the City to improve service delivery. • The proposal is complete, accurate, and clearly addresses all questions posed in the application.
7. March 17, 19, and 20, 2025: HRC conducted public hearings to interview agencies regarding their proposals.
8. April 17, 2025: HRC held a public hearing to develop recommendations for the City Council’s consideration and approval. Applications were scored and ranked as a starting point for discussion of funding recommendations
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: The HRC had a total of $952,731 in grant funding to recommend for award. This included a pool of $852,731 for any human services eligible under the three categories listed above, and an additional $100,000 in Opioid Settlement Funds that required an agency to meet a specific set of guidelines as dictated by State settlement terms.
The HRC reviewed twenty-eight proposals, including twenty-seven under Social Service Funds and one under Opioid Settlement Funds, totaling $1,925,304 in funding requests.
Council Staff Report (ID # 5414) Meeting of June 17, 2025 Updated: 6/12/2025 10:55 AM by Dina Lewis Page 3
After completing the process above, the HRC decided to fund the top twenty Social Service Fund applicants and one Opioid Settlement Fund applicant. The HRC recommends granting $852,732 in funding for twenty programs from Human Service Funds and $20,000 in grant funding using Opioid Settlement Funds, resulting in a total of $872,732 in awarded grant funding to all programs.
The Commission based its final recommendations on areas of need, including additional support for homeless individuals, meeting basic nutritional needs, legal assistance, support for victims of domestic violence, providing information and referrals, support for homeless and low-income resident’s pets, education/early intervention, and specialized support for children and case services.
HUMAN SERVICE FUNDS:
Agency Area of Need Request Recommendation
Fremont Education
Foundation Homeless Students $30,000 $20,000
Daily Bowl Food Insecurity $25,000 $21,707
Abode Homeless $300,000 $163,000
Friends of Children
with Special Needs
Services for Children
with Special Needs $50,000 $25,000
IIBA Legal Support $62,190 $30,000
Irvington
Presbyterian Church Food Insecurity $64,000 $25,000
Narika Domestic Violence $40,000 $30,000
Eden I&R Info & Referrals $60,369 $58,000
EBAC Services for Children $50,000 $50,000
SAVE Domestic Violence $90,000 $90,000
DCARA Deaf Services $30,000 $30,000
Tri-City Volunteers Food Insecurity $150,000 $100,000
Calico
Child Abuse
Intervention $25,000 $25,000
Bay Area Legal Aid Legal Support $54,670 $50,000
Kidango
Education/Early
Intervention $70,000 $50,000
BACH “ARISE
Program”
Mental Health
Support $75,000 $20,000
Salaam Food Pantry Food Insecurity $12,000 $12,000
Afghan Coalition Case Services $55,000 $20,000
5 Sikh Seva Food Insecurity $100,000 $20,000
Ohlone Humane
Society
Pet Pantry and
Veterinarian Costs $30,000 $13,025
Pars Equality Center Legal Services $207,000 0
Young STEAMers Education $24,903 0
Citizen for Better
Community Community Services $20,000 0
Mental Health Assoc.
for Chinese
Mental Health
Support $100,000 0
Council Staff Report (ID # 5414) Meeting of June 17, 2025 Updated: 6/12/2025 10:55 AM by Dina Lewis Page 4
Agency Area of Need Request Recommendation
Communities
Hively Info & Referral $70,172 0
St. Joseph Parish
MSJ Food Insecurity $25,000 0
Rcoz
Mental Health
Support $70,000 0
SHEKonnect Education $15,000 0
Total: $1,905,304 $852,732
OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS:
Agency Area of Need Request Recommendation
BACH “Generations
Harm Reduction” Opioid Intervention $20,000 $20,000
Total $20,000 $20,000
FISCAL IMPACT: The recommended grant awards will be funded with $787,732 of the annual General Fund transfer for social service grants to the Human Services Department’s Special Revenue Fund (Fund 102) and $65,000 in CDBG funds (Fund 105). Opioid grants will be funded with $20,000 in National Opioid Settlement funds in the Miscellaneous Special Revenue Fund (Fund 210). These funds were appropriated as part of the City’s FY 2025-2026 adopted operating budget.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: Approval of the grant agreements is exempt from and not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because, without limitation, it is not a “project” as defined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(2) , 15378(b)(4), and/or 15378(b)(5) and as it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity may have a significant effect on the environment per CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), each as a separate and independent basis for CEQA compliance.
ATTACHMENTS: None.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Approve the allocation of FY 2025-2026 Human Service Grant funding as recommended by the Human Relations Commission and consistent with the City’s FY 2025-2026 adopted Operating Budget.
2. Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute agreements with recommended non-profit agencies, effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, and any other implementing documents that may be required, as set forth in the staff report.