Economic Development
Committee Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE ECONOMIC DATE: may 21, 2026
DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS
FROM: PARKS, RECREATION AND COMMUNITY WARDS: ALL
SERVICES DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: fISCAL YEAR 2026/2027 CITY SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM, julY 1 – december 31, 2026, Value of $158,214 ISSUES:
Receive, review, 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 $158,214 for charitable and community events, which are produced by local non-profit organizations for the six-month period of July 1 – December 31, 2026.
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 July 1 to December 31, 2026; Recommend that City Council approve City Sponsorship support, pending final budget approval for Fiscal Year 2026/2027, in the form of monetary funding and/or in-kind contributions of $158,214, for charitable and community events, which are produced by local non-profit organizations; and Authorize the City Manager, or 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 November and December, prior to the January 30, 2026, deadline, and staff led a Sponsorship 101 webinar in November. 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. 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 2026/2027
Proposed Cash Sponsorship from Arts & Cultural Affairs Budget for July – December, 2026/2027 Total Proposed Cash Sponsorship for July – December 2026/2027 $161,434
$78,806
$85,556
DISCUSSION:
City Sponsorship
The sponsorship applications were evaluated by various City departments, based on each organization’s ability to create or enhance its events and impact on the city. 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).
Fifty-two (52) local, non-profit organizations have applied for monetary and/or in-kind sponsorship during the current application process for events to be produced from July 1 – December 31, 2026, and forty-nine (49) organizations are recommended as sponsorship recipients (Attachment 2). Of the three declined applications, one was scheduled outside the funding period and two were submitted months after the application deadline for previous funding cycle. 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: A Better World Giving, Inc., Eastern Harmony Mental Health, Inc., Inland Dementia Care Center, and Somos Uno Riverside. 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 193,825, representing and serving every age group and a broad cross-section of the City’s people (and pets!). Included in these projects are programs with back-to-school assistance, health/fitness; arts; food security; and celebrations of history and culture.
A summary of the recommended sponsorship values for July 1 – December 31, 2026, appears below:
Recommended Funding for July 1 – December 31, 2026
Cash Sponsorships (Arts & Cultural Affairs)
Cash Sponsorships (RPU)
Total Cash Sponsorships
Total Value of In-Kind Sponsorships
Total Value of Sponsorship
July 1 – December 31, 2026
$78,806
$6,750
$85,556
$72,658
$158,214
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);
Eligible Monetary Request (50%, 35%, or 20%, based on Sponsorship Guidelines); Projected Cost per Participant;
Cultural Program (Y/N);
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (Ability/Culture/Ethnicity/Families/Seniors/Children & Youth) Council Ward; and/or
Availability of Requested Resource (Y/N)
Table Sponsorship
No expenditures for table sponsorships were reported during July-December 2025.
Amended Sponsorship Request
In the presentation for the Spring 2026 City Sponsorship Report submitted to Development Committee and City Council, the Fair Housing Council – 2026 Housing Conference request for $2,500 in funding was accidently omitted. Staff is requesting for Committee Approval as monies were budgeted to support this program.
FISCAL IMPACT:
City Sponsorship recommendations represent a total fiscal impact of $158,214, with $78,806 in monetary contributions from the Arts & Cultural Affairs Division of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department and $6,750 in monetary contributions from Riverside Public Utilities. In-kind services (including facilities) are valued at $72,658. Pending final budget approval for Fiscal Year 2026/2027, sufficient funds are included in the Proposed Budget in the General Fund, PRCS, Arts & Cultural Affairs Division City Sponsorship, Account Number 5240000-450302, and Electric Fund, PU-Customer Engagement, Community Support, Account Number 6020000-456022, that will be brought to Council for adoption in June 2026.
Prepared by: Margery Haupt, Deputy Director Approved by: Pamela M. Galera, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director Certified as to
availability of funds: Julie Nemes, Interim Finance Director 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 July 1 – December 31, 2026 Summaries of Applicant Mission Statements
Presentation
City Sponsorship Program – July 1 – December 31, 2026 Page 5