Economic Development Committee
TO: THE HONORABLE ECONOMIC DATE: NOVEMBER 20, 2025
DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS
FROM: PARKS, RECREATION AND COMMUNITY WARDS: ALL
SERVICES DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: fISCAL YEAR 2025/2026 CITY SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM, jANUARY 1 – jUNE 20, 2026, Value of $170,476.20; AND BIANNUAL TABLE SPONSORSHIP UPDATE ISSUE:
Receive, review, and provide input on and recommend City Council approval of staff recommendations for the City Sponsorship Program support in the form of monetary funding and/or in-kind contributions of $170,476.20, for charitable and community events, which are produced by local non-profit organizations for the six-month period of January 1 – June 30, 2026, and receive and file City Table Sponsorship summary for January 1 – June 30, 2025.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the Economic Development Committee:
Receive, review, and provide input on staff recommendations for the City Sponsorship Program for the six-month period of January 1 – June 30, 2026; Recommend that City Council approve City Sponsorship support in the form of monetary funding and/or in-kind contributions of $170,476.20 for charitable and community events, which are produced by local non-profit organizations; Receive and file Table Sponsorship report for January 1 – June 30, 2025; and Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to make non-substantive changes to the recommendations.
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 notified of the process via e-mail notifications in May and June, prior to the July 31, 2025, deadline, and Staff led a Sponsorship 101 webinar in June 2025. The City Sponsorship Program Agreement, Guidelines, and processes are posted on the City’s website and included as Attachment 1.
The Program is administered by the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department and the application review process begins with the Arts & Cultural Affairs Division, now located in the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department. Staff reviews applications for eligibility, then forwards the requests to the appropriate City Departments and compiles the subsequent recommendations. Following Council Committee approval, the Council Committee reports to the full City Council for final approval.
Fund availability from the Arts & Cultural Affairs Division Budget is as follows:
Arts & Cultural Affairs Budget for City Sponsorship,
Fiscal Year 2025/2026
Proposed Cash Sponsorship from Arts & Cultural Affairs Budget, Spring 2025/2026
Proposed Cash Sponsorship from Riverside Public Utilities Budget, Spring 2025/2026
Total Proposed Cash Sponsorship,
Spring 2025/2026
$156,644
$79,050
$1,051.54
$80,101.54
DISCUSSION:
City Sponsorship
The sponsorship applications were evaluated by various City departments, based on each organization’s ability to create or enhance the events and programs. Other factors that were considered include projected attendance, event/organization history, event budget, City Sponsorship history, and location of project in an underrepresented ward (rubric on page 3).
Forty-two (42) local, non-profit organizations have applied for monetary and/or in-kind sponsorship during the current application process for events to be produced from January 1 – June 30, 2026, and forty-one (41) organizations are recommended as sponsorship recipients (Attachment 2). A component of the recommendations for sponsorship includes in-kind sponsorship awards from the Fire Department; Police Department; Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department (PRCSD); and Riverside Public Utilities.
New applicants for this funding cycle are: Foster Army Animal Rescue, Quilts of Valor, U.S. VETS Inland Empire, Vitality Department Foundation, Inc., The Life Church – Outreach, UCR Society of Women Engineers. 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 the quality of life of our City. Total projected attendance for these efforts is estimated by the organizers at 129,110, representing and serving every age group and a broad cross-section of the City’s people and pets. Included in these projects are programs promoting literacy, health, and fitness; opportunities for youth to express themselves creatively; celebrations of history, culture, and identity; and a motorcycle ride honoring our country’s military veterans.
A summary of the recommended sponsorship values for Spring 2025/2026 appears below:
Spring 2025/2026 Recommended Funding
Cash Sponsorships (Arts & Cultural Affairs)
Cash Sponsorships (RPU)
Total Cash Sponsorships
Total Value of In-Kind Sponsorships
Total Value of Sponsorship
Spring 2025/2026
$ 79,050
$1,051.54
$80,101.54
$90,374.66
$170,476.20
All impacted Department Heads concur with this report: Chief, Fire Department (RFD); 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 review of eligible applications: Projected Attendance Previous Attendance (if applicable)
History of Service to Community (Y/N)
Connection to Specific Sections of the Strategic Plan
Eligible Monetary Request (50%, 35%, or 20%, based on Sponsorship Guidelines) Projected Cost per Participant
Cultural Program (Y/N)
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (Ability/Culture/Ethnicity/Families/Seniors/Children & Youth) Council Ward
Availability of Requested Resource (Y/N)
Table Sponsorship
Included in this report is the reporting cycle for table sponsorship from January 1 – June 30, 2025 (Three events received a combined total table sponsorship of $3,600.) Event Name
Event Date
Sponsorship Amount
AAF Inland Empire American Advertising Awards
3/21/2025
$1,100
125th Inaugural Celebration – The Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce 3/20/2025
$1,500
Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Dinner & Recognitional Ceremony (LEAC) 4/30/2025
$1,000
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of the City Sponsorship recommendations represents a total investment of $170,476.20, with $79,050 in monetary contributions from the Arts & Cultural Affairs Division of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, $1,051.54 from Riverside Public Utilities Cash Sponsorships and in-kind services (including facilities) valued at $90,374.66. Sufficient funds are available in the General Fund, Arts & Cultural Affairs, Sponsorship, Account Number 5240000-450302 and the Electric Fund, Community Support Outreach Education Account 6020000-456022. Table Sponsorship expenditures of $3,600 have no fiscal impact on this funding period.
Prepared by: Margery Haupt, Parks, Recreation and Community Service Deputy Director Approved by: Pamela M. Galera, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director Certified as to
availability of funds: Kristie Thomas, Finance Director/Assistant Chief Financial Officer Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Rebecca McKee-Reimbold, Interim City Attorney Attachments:
Program Agreement/Guidelines
Staff Funding Recommendations for Spring, 2025/2026
Summaries of Applicant Mission Statements
Presentation for Summary of Funding Recommendations
City Sponsorship Program – Spring Page 5