City Community Programs Grants
The City budgets a total of $60,000 annually to provide qualifying organizations with financial grants to enhance services or programs. Under direction of City Council Policy A-12, the City Manager's Office reviews all requests for the Community Programs Grant and prioritizes the following when making a funding recommendation:
• Local groups located within the city and offering programs to Newport Beach residents;
• Regional groups located in Orange County and offering programs to Newport Beach residents;
• Groups located in California and offering programs to Newport Beach residents; • Groups that have not received funding from any City source for three consecutive years or more.
Please note, groups not offering programs or services to local residents shall not be eligible for support from the City.
If your organization is interested in applying for a Community Programs Grant for fiscal year 2025-26, please read the program overview, eligibility, and criteria, and then complete the online application.
In addition to filling out the online application, applicants are required to upload the following:
• A copy of the most recent annual financial report and proposed budget; • A current Statement of Information filed with the Secretary of State (sample); • A current W-9 (blank form);
• A signed Declaration of Grantee (and supporting documentation, if organization works with minors)
Successful applicants will be expected to sign a grant agreement (sample) and submit all necessary forms as required prior to grant funds being released. Applications that do not meet the requirements may be subject to revocation of the grant.
There is no guarantee that the City will be able to provide all, part, or any of the financial support requested by each applicant. Thus, applicants should not make commitments on the expectation of receiving City support. Recurring programs do not automatically receive funding. All applications received by the deadline will be evaluated based on the eligibility, qualifications, evaluation criteria and requirements as outlined.
Recommendations will be forwarded to the City Council for final review and approval.
The City Council can approve, amend, or deny any staff recommendation.
The deadline for applications (including all required attachments) is Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 5 p.m. Late submissions will not be accepted.
ATTACHMENT D
13-12
Application Guidelines:
Community Program Grants Overview
The City of Newport Beach (City) recognizes there are many organizations in the community that provide valuable programs and services to Newport Beach residents. The Community Programs Grant provides financial support to organizations that serve the community through ongoing programs addressing social issues and/or provide community enrichment adding to the quality of life in Newport Beach. The opportunity to apply will open at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. The application deadline is Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 5 p.m. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to receive City support, applicants must demonstrate that:
1. The organization is located within the city of Newport Beach and offers programs to assist Newport Beach residents.
2. The organization is regionally located and offers programs to assist Newport Beach residents.
3. The organization is located in California and offers programs to assist Newport Beach residents.
Ineligibility
The City will not provide financial support to:
• Programs that do not serve a significant number of Newport Beach residents. • Do not align with current City Council priorities.
• Organizations that have not fulfilled previous City grant obligations. • Individuals.
Qualification Criteria
To qualify to be considered to receive a City Community Programs Grant, all applications must comply with the following:
1. Are submitted online, on time, and are 100-percent complete. Late, incomplete, or applications that do not fully comply with the instructions will not be considered.
2. Demonstrate how the grant will be used to benefit/support the Newport Beach community.
3. Demonstrate how many Newport Beach residents have been served in the past.
4. If there is no direct connection to Newport Beach, how does the service benefit Newport Beach.
13-13
5. Demonstrate strong fiscal management of the organization.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be reviewed and evaluated based on the following criteria:
1. The grant will address social issues in the community, particularly in which there is currently a crisis.
2. The grant will address social issues within the County, in which there is currently a crisis.
3. The grant will address social issues in which are not in crisis and benefit the community.
4. The grant will provide community enrichment adding to the quality of life in Newport Beach.
Other Requirements:
Successful applicants will be expected to sign a grant agreement within 30 days of award and submit all necessary documentation as required. Applications that do not meet the requirements may be subject to revocation of the grant.
Applying for a Grant
1. Fill out the online application.
2. Attach the following required materials: a) A copy of the most recent annual financial report and proposed budget; b) A current Statement of Information filed with the Secretary of State; c) A current W-9; and d) A signed Declaration of Grantee (and required supporting documents, if working with minors).
3. The deadline for applications (and all required attachments) is Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 5 p.m.
Additional Information
There is no guarantee that the City will be able to provide all, part, or any of the financial support requested by each applicant. Thus, applicants should not make commitments on the expectation of receiving City support. Recurring programs do not automatically receive funding. All applications received by the deadline will be evaluated based on the eligibility, qualification, evaluation criteria and requirements as outlined.
Recommendations will be forwarded to the City Council for final review and approval.
The City Council can approve, amend or deny any recommendation.
Please be advised that if your organization is the recipient of a Community Programs Grant, it will be required to enter into a grant agreement with the City of Newport Beach.
Funds cannot be released until the City and Grantee have both signed the agreement.
Also note, that if the organization supports youth, fingerprinting is required of all staff that work with children. (See below for a sample grant agreement.) 13-14
It is anticipated that the award of the fiscal year 2025-26 Community Programs Grants will be awarded at the June 10, 2025 City Council meeting.
Special Event Grant Applications
FY 2025 Special Event Support Program Information
The City of Newport Beach (City) recognizes the social and economic benefits associated with special events. The opportunity to apply will open at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. The application deadline is Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at 5 p.m. This application period is for events that take place July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.
The Special Event Grants provide financial support to two categories of Newport Beach- based events:
1. Community and Charitable - Serve or benefit locally based organizations and causes and/or provide recreational, cultural, social benefits to Newport Beach residents. Newport Beach-based nonprofit organizations and events that serve the Newport Beach community specifically. These events pay or incur City of Newport Beach fees through the Special Event Permit process.
2. Signature Events - Large-scale events, based in Newport Beach, that promote Newport Beach regionally, attract visitors, and provide measurable, economic benefits to the City. Signature events must demonstrate the following:
• The event does or can attract visitors from throughout Southern California (Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino) and ideally, the Southwestern United States.
• It must have at least 3,000 participants.
• The event organizers have a strategic, measurable marketing plan and can immediately produce the plan and metrics from past years (if applicable) upon the City’s request.
• Event organizers must clearly demonstrate how the event will provide substantive and measurable economic benefits to the City by supporting tourism, generating hotel room nights, supporting local business, and providing measurable exposure.
Applying for a Grant
• Applications are available online beginning Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 8 a.m. • This call for applications is for special events that will be held in Newport Beach between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026.
• The deadline for applications (and all required attachments) is Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at 5 p.m.
13-15
Types of Special Event Support
A. Community and Charitable – Grants will be awarded and set at levels that correlate to the amount of City fees the applicant is expected to pay. Successful applicants will be awarded grants in the form of credits toward their City fees. The City does not provide cash to these grant awardees. Grants awarded may, but should not be expected to cover all of an event organizer’s costs/fees associated with City oversight. If an awardee incurs fees higher than the grant award, they will owe the City the difference. If the awardee’s costs are lower than was projected during the grant award process, the City will retain the difference.
The application review process will consider the size and scope of the event and how well it meets the program’s evaluation criteria. The City may require an agreement with grant awardees in this category. All agreements will include right to audit language and that the organizer submit an event conclusion report, which includes the event’s balance sheet and income statement.
B. Signature Events – Grants will be available at set, not-to-exceed levels based upon an evaluation of the event budget, the estimate of City fees, and the estimated economic benefits to the City. Funding support may be assigned to an event at a level between $10,000 and $150,000. The City’s financial support should represent no more than 25 percent of the overall event expenditure budget. All agreements will include right to audit language. All signature events will be required to submit objectives and performance measures from the previous year’s event with the application. This will assist in evaluating the event’s marketing and economic impact.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to receive City support, applicants must demonstrate that:
• The entire Community and Charitable event takes place within Newport Beach.
All, or a majority of, the Signature event takes place within Newport Beach. • The event is scheduled to take place between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, and the exact date(s), time(s) and location (within Newport Beach) have been determined.
• The event is not financially dependent on receiving City support. • The event is sponsored, hosted and organized by a Newport Beach or Orange County-based non-profit organization or a Newport Beach community or neighborhood organization.
• The applicant has no outstanding debt due to the City of Newport Beach. • The event does not need to be free of charge but should be accessible to the entire community/public.
Ineligibility
The City will not provide financial support to:
13-16
• Events that benefit for-profit enterprises.
• Events that serve a political purpose or are sponsored by political organizations. • Event organizers and organizations that have not fulfilled previous City sponsorship or special event obligations or have an outstanding debt to the City of Newport Beach.
• Individuals.
• Invitation-only events; those not open to the general public.
Qualification Criteria
To qualify to be considered to receive City special event support, all applications must comply with the following:
• Are submitted online, on time, and are 100 percent complete. Applicants who do not fully comply with the instructions will not be considered. • ALL events must include a copy of the complete event budget, which clearly states the anticipated revenues and expenditures. Potential City support should not be listed as a revenue line item.
• Must demonstrate strong financial management over the event, including cost effectiveness.
• Only one event per application; however, there is no limit to the number of applications an organization can submit.
• Signature Event applications must provide a post-event report on measurable objectives and performance numbers at the conclusion of their event.
Evaluation Criteria
A. Community & Charitable Events
Applications will be reviewed and evaluated based on the following criteria:
• The event serves, involves, and / or promotes Newport Beach, its residents, schools and/or businesses.
• The event directly or indirectly benefits the Newport Beach community by supporting its schools, cause-related or non-profit organizations; offering educational, cultural or arts experiences; or providing recreational or social activities.
• The event benefits a Newport Beach or Orange County-based non-profit organization or Newport Beach community or neighborhood organization. • The event pays City fees.
B. Signature Events
Applications will be reviewed and evaluated based on the following criteria:
• The event delivers substantive and measurable economic benefits to the City. 13-17
• The event organizers utilize strategic and measurable marketing practices in planning and implementing the event. These measurables will be included on the application and a post-event performance report will be required at the conclusion of your event.
• The event enhances the quality of life within Newport Beach with cultural, social or educational activities of interest to the community. • The event attracts visitors to Newport Beach from the regional market (Southern California and ideally, the Southwestern United States). • The event promotes Newport Beach as a highly desirable place to live, visit, work and recreate.
• The event directly or indirectly benefits or promotes Newport Beach businesses. • The submitted post-event measurable objectives and performance measures must demonstrate how the event will provide substantive and measurable economic benefits to the City.
Other Requirements:
Successful applicants—under both Community and Charitable and Signature events— will be expected to follow the City’s separate, Special Event Permit Process and sub mit all necessary forms, insurance and fees as required. Applications that do not meet the requirements and are not submitted within the specified deadlines risk forfeiting their City Special Event support.
Signature Event Recipients Only:
Signature event grant recipients must agree to provide the event’s financial statements and allow the City to conduct its own review of them, if requested.
Additional Information
There is no guarantee that the City will be able to provide financial support to the applicant.
Recommendations will be forward to the City Council for final review and approval. The City Council can approve, amend, or deny any recommendation.
City co-sponsored events that do not have associated City permit or related fees, or events hosted by City support groups (such as the Friends of the Library or the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation) of which the City Council or City Manager has approved waiving City permit or related fees, do not have to apply for a Special Event Support grant.
13-18