Agenda Item No. 10
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council DATE: May 22, 2023 FROM: Matthew Bronson City Manager
PREPARED BY: Kristin Eriksson, Deputy City Manager
SUBJECT: Award of FY 2023-24 Community Grants
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the recommended FY 2023-24 Community Grants to provide $50,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to community-based organizations to provide services or programs for Grover Beach residents.
BACKGROUND:
In 2021, the City was allocated $3.2 million in one-time ARPA funding over a two-year period. As part of the FY 2022-23 revised budget adoption on June 27, 2022, Council provided direction to staff to use $50,000 of that funding for nonprofit assistance grants for agencies serving Grover Beach. On February 15, 2022 the Council approved a Community Grants policy (see Attachment 1) to provide guidance on the award of City discretionary money to be awarded by the City Council in any budget year. The policy establishes eligibility criteria for agencies or organizations and allowable services or programs for community grant funding. The policy also establishes scoring criteria for applications for community grant funding.
Staff used this approved framework to bring these recommendations to the Council to approve the appropriation of funding to eligible nonprofit agencies for the FY 2023-24 program year. The City accepted applications for grants up to $5,000 per organization between March 13 and April 14, 2023. The City received 20 timely applications from various organizations with a total of $102,500 of requested funding. Staff convened a review panel, including the City Manager, Deputy City Manager and two community stakeholders to score the applications. Based on the review panel’s combined scores, staff recommends the Council award a total amount of $50,000 in ARPA funding to 11 organizations, as shown in the chart below:
Applicant Proposed Program Amount
Requested
Arroyo Grande Community
Hospital
Homeless Patient Services Program –
healthcare services for homeless patients
$5,000
Boys and Girls Club of South SLO
County
8 Week Pickleball Play Program $5,000
Casa Solana Services for low-income women with
substance abuse
$5,000
Environmental Center of SLO Creeks to Coast litter pickup event $2,000 Five Cities Christian Women Food
Pantry
Feeding Our Neighbors in Need - food
bank services
$5,000
Staff Report: Approval of Recommended FY 2022-23 Community Grants Page 2 May 23, 2022
Hospice of SLO County In-home Support and Grief Counseling Program – increase awareness and access
in Grover Beach
$5,000
One Cool Earth School Garden Nutrition Education
Program
$5,000
Shower the People Mobile Shower Program – free, hot
showers for homeless residents
$5,000
SLO Noor Foundation Health Clinics – free primary/specialty healthcare for uninsured residents
$4,000
Smart Share Housing Solutions Affordable housing and support for seniors $5,000 South SLO County Womenade Winter Break Food Program –
supplemental food for families with schoolage children over winter break $4,000
$50,000
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of the recommended Community Grants will provide $50,000 in the City’s previously allocated ARPA funding to various nonprofit organizations who serve the Grover Beach community.
ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:
1. Approve the recommended FY 2023-24 Community Grants; or
2. Provide alternative direction to staff.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Community Grants Policy
2. FY 2023-24 Community Grants Applicant List
1 City of Grover Beach
Community Grants Program Policy
Policy Statement
Grover Beach recognizes that nonprofit organizations can and will perform beneficial services through the granting of local funds. The City Council sets legislative financial management policies, as recommended by staff and advisory committees. Historically, the City Council has awarded community grants, when possible within budgetary constraints, to contribute toward the funding of programs conducted by non-profit organizations that actively enhance the quality of life for Grover Beach residents. This Community Grants Program Policy is designed to establish guidelines to allow for such funding, furthering City Council Goals.
Policy
1. Non-profit organizations must file a City application for the community grants funding program in accordance with the City’s timeline for grant applications, which may vary from year to year. Notification of the open grant period will be provided on the City’s website.
Applications must be submitted to the City Manager’s Office and forms are available on the City’s website or at City Hall. The application format and requested information is provided as Attachment 1.
2. Public funds shall be made available only when the funds are to be expended for a community program or service that will benefit the community and residents of Grover Beach.
3. Funds will not be allocated to the following organizations and activities (so as to maintain local government impartiality towards political campaigns, religious activities and fundraising endeavors):
a. Political action committees, political candidates, political campaigns, or programs engaged in partisan political activity;
b. Any organization conducting, promoting or denigrating religious activity wherein the funds would be used for sectarian purposes;
c. To support an organization’s fundraising event or activity;
4. Funds requested from membership-based adult organizations will not be considered if the funds requested are to be used to directly benefit its members and not the community of Grover Beach at large.
5. Requests for funding will be considered for award by the City Council only during the periods determined in this Council Policy and if submitted on the appropriate City application form.
6. Funding of a program will not constitute a precedent for contributions in subsequent years. 2 Eligibility
To be eligible for award of a community grant, agencies must:
1. Submit a separate, completed application form for each project or program (see Attachment 1).
2. Be incorporated as a tax-exempt nonprofit corporation (IRS 501-C) and/or exist as another government entity.
3. Operate in or provide direct services to the community of Grover Beach.
4. Demonstrate the managerial and financial capability to receive and expend grant funds.
5. Assure compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws including but not limited to non-discrimination requirements.
In the review panel’s sole discretion, an otherwise qualified applicant (who is unable, pursuant to an articulated justification consistent with promotion of City’s needs, to reasonably meet application requirements) may be granted an exception by the panel from one or more application requirements.
Programs for which funding is requested must qualify under one of the categories below:
1. Community and Social Services: Funding for programs and services that address identified community needs or problems (as stated in the City’s General Plan, Major City Goals, or other policies). These may include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. Crisis Intervention and/or Centers
b. Health and Safety
c. Youth-Serving Agencies
d. Social service agencies and programs.
e. Bilingual service agencies
f. Low-income service agencies
g. Homelessness
2. Project: Funding for one-time projects designed to address a significant community need or problem. City funding shall be limited to a specific timeframe, usually not more than one year.
Funding Request
All applications must submit a completed City application (Attachment 1) and the following attachments unless already on file with the City:
1. Names/addresses of current Board of Directors
2. Board approved current operating budget
3 Evaluation/Scoring Criteria
All applications will be submitted to the Office of the City Manager, C/O of the Deputy City Manager, for consideration. The Deputy City Manager will forward all qualifying applications to a review panel comprised of City staff and community stakeholders for review and consideration.
The review panel will score each qualifying application up to a possible total of 100 points, using the following criteria:
Criteria Total Possible Points
Degree to which the program or services
focus on the City of Grover Beach and its
residents
25 Projected impact or outcomes 25
Alignment with Major City Goal or other
Council Goals and priorities
15 Reasonableness of the proposed budget for
project or services
15 Ability to leverage other funding from
alternative sources
10 Organizational stability/competency 10
100 Total Possible Points
After review, the scored applications will be presented to the City Council for their consideration.
At the time of consideration and evaluation, staff will advise Council of available funding amount to be awarded. The Council will determine which applications will receive available funding and will direct staff to include that funding in the draft proposed budget.
Post Funding Application Requirements
Following award of community grant funds, the recipients will be asked to sign a City Grant Agreement (Attachment 2) stipulating the following conditions:
1. Carry adequate liability insurance naming the City of Grover Beach as additional insured as may be required by the City.
2. Not discriminate in employment or in clients served because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or sex.
3. Be accountable for revenue and expenditures through standard bookkeeping procedures.
An annual audit or review at the applicant’s expense may be required, with the results available to the City of Grover upon request.
4. Provide access to periodic reviews by City staff and City Council for purposes of monitoring the program should the City wish to do so.
5. The funded applicant shall provide the City with a year-end report, including a full financial accounting and narrative report (Attachment 3).
The end-of-the-year report shall be in writing and submitted within 60 days after the oneyear grant period. This report must include a complete financial statement detailing all 4 expenditures of City monies for the program(s) covered under the grant and a narrative report on the project or program and its significance. The financial and narrative report should compare actual expenditures and accomplishments with the budget and objectives cited in the original proposal.
Failure to comply with the reporting requirements by the stipulated dates may lead to termination of the grant agreement and funds being returned to the discretion of the City Council. Failure to comply with reporting requirements will also automatically exclude an agency from eligibility to receive community grant funding from the City for the following two fiscal years
6. Funded applicants must return to the City any unexpended funds at the end of the oneyear period, or agreed upon project or program timeframe, or whenever the City reasonably determines that the applicant has not performed in accordance with the approved program proposal.
7. Any funds returned in accordance with this policy shall be returned to the fund from which they were allocated from.
8. City moneys shall be used only for the purpose and program(s) duly authorized and in accordance with the approved budget. Any deviation from the approved program proposal may be made only with the City’s prior written approval which requires Council authority.
If moneys are used outside the approved program proposal without prior written approval from the City, funds must be returned immediately to the City.
FY 2023-24 Community Grants Applicants
Animals in Need Fund
Arroyo Grande Community Hospital
Boys and Girls Club of South San Luis Obispo
Camp Fire Central Coast of California
CAPSLO
Casa Solana, Inc.
Central Coast Seniors
Environmental Center of SLO
Five Cities Diversity Coalition
Hospice of San Luis Obispo County
One Cool Earth
San Luis Obispo YMCA
SCORE San Luis Obispo, Chapter 597
Senior Angels of the Central Coast
Shower the People
SLO County UndocuSupport
SLO Noor Foundation Health Clinics
Smart Share Housing Solutions, Inc.
South SLO County Womenade
The Five Cities Christian Women Food Pantry
Attachment 2