February 17, 2026
Department
DATE: February 17, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Patrick Seals, Administrative Chief,
Jora Atienza Washington, Senior Management Analyst,
Nicholas Delgado, Associate Management Analyst
Subject:
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth Calendar Year
2026 - 2027 Grants
FINANCIAL IMPACT: For calendar years 2026 and 2027, the City has received an additional $1.5 million in General Fund revenue. In
alignment with the Charter, approximately $1,217,161
annually will fund these grants (Account String:
13371018-400201).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
December 3, 2024
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Department of Children and Youth has received
additional revenue for the next two fiscal years. Per the Charter, the additional funds must be distributed to youth serving organizations. The Richmond Fund for Children
and Youth’s Oversight Board met and discussed potential funding plans. A consensus was made to award eight (8)
new grants that would run for two calendar years to the next highest scored applicants from the calendar 2025-
2027 grant cycle.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution approving grant award
recommendations from the Richmond Fund for Children
& Youth (RFCY) Oversight Board for Calendar Years
2026-2027 to eight (8) youth-serving nonprofit
organizations in a total amount not to exceed $1,217,161 annually and AUTHORIZE the city manager, or their
designee, to negotiate and execute grant service
agreements with approved grantees - City Manager’s
AGENDA
REPORT
February 17, 2026
Office (Patrick Seals 510-307-8016/Jora Atienza
Washington/Nicholas Delgado 510-620-6523).
DISCUSSION:
Since its inception, the Richmond Department of Children and Youth (RDCY) has steadily increased its share of the City’s General Fund, reflecting the City’s growing investment in programs that support children, youth, and families. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2021–2022, the Department received one percent of the General Fund, which increased to two percent in FY 2022–2023 and then three percent in FY 2023–2024.
RDCY administers these funds through a standard allocation model that prioritizes direct community investment and accountability. Under this model, the Department allocates:
Eighty-five percent (85%) of funding to community-based organizations (CBOs) through competitive grantmaking; and
Fifteen percent (15%) to departmental operations, including:
o Ten percent (10%) for administrative costs; and
o Five percent (5%) for evaluation activities to ensure funded programs are achieving intended outcomes in an effective and equitable manner.
Currently, RDCY is managing 37 active grants through contracts with 36 organizations covering the period from January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2027. These organizations were recommended for funding by the Oversight Board on November 19, 2024, and subsequently approved by the Richmond City Council on December 3, 2024.
The Department has since received an additional $1.5 million in General Fund revenue to be expended across the next two fiscal years. In alignment with the Department’s standard allocation model, 85 percent of this amount (approximately $1,275,000) must be distributed annually through new grants to eligible organizations. This additional funding presents an opportunity to expand RDCY’s reach and increase community impact over the next two years.
At the Oversight Board meeting on August 4, 2025, Department staff presented three potential funding approaches for the newly available General Fund revenue:
1. Allocating funds to the next eligible applicants from the FY 2025–2027 grant cycle
2. Creating a new two-year grant program
3. Developing an entirely new funding strategy to guide allocations
After deliberation, the Oversight Board voted in favor of Option 1, directing staff to allocate funds to the next eligible applicants from the FY 2025–2027 grant cycle (Attachment 1).
February 17, 2026
At the Oversight Board meeting on December 9, 2025, the Board took formal action consistent with that direction and voted to recommend funding eight (8) specific organizations. These organizations were identified in alignment with the Board’s original intent to distribute funds broadly across multiple agencies. Department staff analyzed the pool of eligible organizations and selected those that: (1) had not previously received an RDCY grant, (2) achieved strong evaluation scores in the competitive process, and (3) fit within the available funding amount for new contracts. This approach balances fairness, demonstrated performance, and adherence to fiscal constraints.
The recommended awards are organized by the City’s four Core Needs:
Core Need
1 Organization
Recommended
Award Amount
Richmond Community Foundation $195,915
Seneca Family of Agencies $200,000
TOTAL $395,915
Core Need
2 Organization
Recommended
Award Amount
Rosie the Riveter Trust $167,976
West County Mandarin School $83,270
TOTAL $251,246
Core Need
3 Organization
Recommended
Award Amount
Aspire Education $90,000
Oakland Technology & Education Center $80,000
TOTAL $170,000
Core Need
4 Organization
Recommended
Award Amount
West County Salesian Youth Club $200,000
Hope Solutions $200,000
TOTAL $400,000
In total, these recommended awards allocate $1,217,161 annually in grant funding available for distribution (Attachment). The recommended grant expenditures are now being brought forward to the Richmond City Council for final approval.
Next Steps
Once approved, RDCY staff will enter into agreements with these new organizations.
February 17, 2026
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Scoring Matrix
Attachment 2 – Resolution