City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CI TY COUNCIL DATE: DECEMBER 19, 2023
FROM: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PLACEMAKING WARDS: ALL
& BRANDING/MARKETING COMMITTEE
SUBJECT: FISCAL YEAR 2023/2024 CITY SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM, JANUARY 1 – JUNE 30, 2024, VALUE OF $199,616 AND BIANNUAL TABLE SPONSORSHIP UPDATE
ISSUE:
Receive, review, provide input on and re commend City Council approval of staff recommendations for the City Spons orship Program support in t he form of monetary funding and/or in-kind contributions of $199,616 for charitable and community events, which are produced by local non-profit organizations for the six-month period of January 1 – June 30, 2024, and receive and file City Department Table Spons orship summary for January 1 – June 30, 2023.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
1. Receive, review, and provide input on st aff recommendations for the City Sponsorship Program for the six-month period of January 1 – June 30, 2024; and
2. Approve City Sponsorship support in the form of monetary funding and/or in-kind contributions of $199,616 for ch aritable and community event s, which are produced by local non-profit organizations; and
3. Receive and file Table Sponsorship report for January 1 – June 30, 2023.
4. Authorize the City Manager or his designee to execute any necessary financial or legal documents with the approved organizations, including making minor, non-substantive changes necessary to implement the sponsorship funding program.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Economic Development, Placemaking and Branding/Marketing Committee (Committee) met on November 2, 2023, with Chair Fierro, Vi ce Chair Edwards, and Member Hemenway present, to consider staff recommendations regar ding City Sponsorships for events or projects scheduled from January 1, 2024, through June 30, 2024. After discussion, the Committee voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council approve City Sponsorship Program support in City Sponsorship Program – SPRING 2023/2024 Page 2
the form of monetary funding and/or in-kind contributions of $199,616 for charitable, community events and projects produced by local non-profit organizations; and authorize the City Manager or his designee to execute any necessary fi nancial or legal docum ents with the approved organizations, including making minor, non-subs tantive changes necessary to implement the sponsorship funding program.
BACKGROUND:
The City Sponsorship Program (Program) provides local non- profit organizations with the opportunity to apply for city funds and/or in-kind services twice each fiscal year. The July 31 deadline covers applications for charitable and community events and meetings for the following January 1 – June 30 funding cycle. The January 31 deadline covers applications for charitable and community events and meetings for July – December.
Individual organizations were no tified of the process via e-mail notifications in June and July, prior to the July 31, 2023, deadline, and staff led a Sponsorship 101 webinar in June 2023. The City Sponsorship Program Agreement, Guidel ines, and processes are posted on the City’s website and included as Attachment 1.
The Program is administered by the Community & Economic Development Department; fund availability from the Arts & Cultural Affairs Division Budget is as follows:
Arts & Cultural Affairs
Budget for City
Sponsorship, Fiscal Year
2023/2024
Proposed Cash
Sponsorship from Arts
& Cultural Affairs
Budget for Spring
2023/2024
Proposed Cash
Sponsorship from
Mid-Year Budget
Cycle Adjustments
Fall 2023
Total
Proposed
Cash
Sponsorship
for Spring
2023/2024
$135,545 $63,150 $30,400 $93,550
DISCUSSION:
City Sponsorship
The sponsorship applications were evaluat ed by various City departments, based on each organization’s ability to create, or enhance its events in the spirit of the City of Riverside Strategic Plan, as outlined below. Other factors that were considered include projected attendance, event/organization history, event budget, City Sponsorship history, and location of project in an underrepresented ward (see rubric on page 3).
Thirty-nine (39) local, non-profit organiza tions have applied for monetary and/or in-kind sponsorship during the current application process for events to be produced from January 1 – June 30, 2024, and thirty-eight (38) organizations are recommended as sponsorship recipients (Attachment 2); one application was declined becaus e it was outside the appropriate project period. A component of the re commendations for sponsorship includes in-kind sponsorship awards from the Fire Department; Library; Police Department; Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department (PRCSD); and Riverside Public Utilities. This round of funding also includes additional f unding recommended during the mid- year budget cycle review, as noted in the table above.
New applicants for this funding cycl e are: Black Voice Foundati on (Blackfest) and Riverside City Sponsorship Program – SPRING 2023/2024 Page 3
Unified School District Foundation (Showcase). These groups are known to the community, but these are their first applications to the Cit y Sponsorship program. In response to the Committee’s request during the previous round of City Sponsorship review, brief summaries of all applicants’ mission statements are included with this report (Attachment 3).
The events and projects recommended for funding play an integral role in th e quality of life of our City. Total projected attendance for these efforts exceeds 500,000, representing and serving every age group and a broad cross-section of the City’s people (and even their pets). Included in these projects are: an opportunity for youth to share a meal and play basketball with Riverside Police Department officers; a celebration of River side’s citrus legacy; multiple festivals that overflow the parks with art, sound, and diversit y; parades honoring history and civil rights; and a motorcycle ride for the Nation al Cemetery that traverses Riv erside’s neighborhoods in a deafening roar as thousands of residents and visitors line the streets, to cheer and honor service members.
A summary of the recommended sponsorship values for Spring 2023/2024 appears below:
Spring 2023/2024 Recommended Funding
Cash
Sponsorships
(Arts & Cultural
Affairs)
Cash
Sponsorships
(Mid-year
Budget Cycle
Adjustments)
Total Cash
Sponsorships
Total Value of
In-Kind
Sponsorships
Total Value of
Sponsorship
FA 2023/2024
$63,150
$30,400
$93,550
$106,066
$199,616
All impacted Department Heads concur with this report: Chief, Fire Department (RFD); Director, Library; Chief, Police Department (RPD); Director, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department (PRCSD); and General Manager, Riverside Public Utilities (RPU).
All participating Departments use the following rubric during the re view of eligible applications:
Projected Attendance
1. Projected Attendance
2. Previous Attendance (if applicable)
3. History of Service to Community (Y/N)
4. Connection to Specific Sect ions of the Strategic Plan
5. Eligible Monetary Reques t (50%, 35%, or 20%, based on Sponsorship Guidelines)
6. Projected Cost per Participant
7. Cultural Program (Y/N)
8. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (Ability/Cultur e/Ethnicity/Families/Seniors/Children & Youth)
9. Council Ward
10. Availability of Requested Resource (Y/N)
Table Sponsorship
Included in this report is the reporting cycle for table sponsorship from January 1 – June 30, 2023 (Attachment 4). Five events received total table sponsorship of $4,950.
City Sponsorship Program – SPRING 2023/2024 Page 4
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
The City Sponsorship Program supports the Arts, Culture, and Recreation goals of Envision Riverside 2025 by assisting with events and projects that cover all elements of Goals 1.1 and
1.2: learning, arts, culture, recreation, senior programs, and partnerships, as well as facilitation of requests for in-kind sponsorship related to vari ous City amenities. Because of the diversity of requests, the Program also addresses Goal 1.5: programs and services related to literacy, health, and education for all ages. Community Well-Being ( Goals 2.3 – 2.5 ) are addressed through programs related to development of a sense of community, community engagement, neighborhoods, and partnerships.
This item aligns with the following Cross-cutting Threads:
1. Community Trust:
Each round of City Sponsor ship funding is documented fully in the reports that are presented to the Economic Development, Placemaking & Marketing/Branding Committee and to the City Council, includi ng each request item and each staff recommendation item.
Sponsorship 101 workshops are offered to prospective applicants every six months to ensure that they are informed of the processes and requirements.
2. Equity:
As staff members evaluate applications, they give particular attention to organizations that seek to serve populations representing the diversity of Riverside. Access is a key factor in the evaluation pr ocess; each event or project must include significant outreach, with a pr eference for events and projects that are offered at no cost to the participants, and those applican ts that cannot do that must eliminate significant barriers to entry, usually by o ffering free or reduced admission prices for specific populations (children, students, veterans, and seniors).
3. Fiscal Responsibility:
The City Sponsorship program is included in the Arts & Cultural Affairs Division operating budget, placing it directly withi n the sphere of accountability that encompasses each staff member’s work , through the supervision of City Management, to the City Council.
The events and projects do not, generally, pr ovide revenue directly to the City budget; however, sales tax revenue is generated th rough budget expenditures related to the production of each event or project and through the commerce generated by an event or project participants.
Additionally, these Sponsorship dollars are leveraged through the funded projects to provide community-enhancing activities throughout the calendar year, which multiply the value and impact of those dollars.
On average, the nonprofit organizations that spend the City’s Sponsorship dollars utilize about one City dollar per each person who receives services, based on the estimated number of individuals served through these Sponsorship-funded programs and across a broad spectrum of causes.
City Sponsorship Program – SPRING 2023/2024 Page 5
4. Innovation:
Because the Program operates through two rounds of funding each year, there is a broad opportunity for applicants to innovat e in response to community needs, new trends, and fresh inspiration.
The frequency of the application process encourages innovation because it mitigates risk in a way that a project of longer dur ation cannot, and that frequency also allows for flexibility in response to emerging needs in the community. The Program provides opportunities (prima rily during the Sponsorship 101 Training) for nonprofits to interact, opening doors to innovation through collaborations and partnerships.
5. Sustainability & Resiliency:
Funded projects promote the health of our nonprofit community, which makes this an investment in the capacity of the nonprofit community, as well as an investment in each life served by that community.
The nonprofit organizations in our community represent such broad and diverse areas of interest that they serve as a barometer of need in the community.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of the City Sponsorship recommendations represents a total investment of $199,616. This includes $93,550 in monetary contributions and in-kind services (including facilities) valued at $106,066. Sufficient funds are budgeted and available in the General Fund, CD-Arts & Cultural Affairs, City Sponsorship account number 2850000-450302 in the amount of $63,150; and General Fund, Arts & Cultural Affairs, Citywide Events account number 2850000- 450109 in the amount of $30,400. Table Sponsorship expendi tures of $4,950 have no fiscal impact in this funding period.
Prepared by: Cynthia Wright, Project Coordinator
Approved by: Jennifer A. Lilley, Community & Economic Development Director Certified as to
availability of funds: Kristie Thomas, Fi nance Director/Assistant Chief Financial Officer Approved by: Rafael Gu zman, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Phaedr a A. Norton, City Attorney
Concurs with:
_____________________________
Ronaldo Fierro
Chair, Economic Development, Placemaking & Branding/Marketing Committee
Attachments:
1. Program Agreem ent/Guidelines
2. Staff Funding Recommendations for Spring, 2023/2024
3. Summaries of Applicant Mission Statements
4. Table Sponsorshi p, January – June 2023
City Sponsorship Program – SPRING 2023/2024 Page 6