City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: JUNE 23, 2026
FROM: PARKS, RECREATION A ND COMMUNITY WARDS: ALL
SERVICES DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: FISCAL YEAR 2026/2027 CITY SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM, JULY 1 – DECEMBER 31, 2026, VALUE OF $158,214
ISSUE:
Receive, review, and approve Committee reco mmendations for City Sponsorship Program support in the form of monetary funding and/or in-kind contribut ions of $158,214 for charitable and community events, which are produced by lo cal non-profit organizati ons for the six-month period of July 1 – December 31, 2026.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
1. Receive, review, and provide input on Committee recommendations for the City Sponsorship Program support for the six-month period of July 1 to December 31, 2026;
2. Approve City Sponsorship support, pendi ng final budget approval for Fiscal Year 2026/2027, in the form of monet ary funding and/or in-kind c ontributions of $158,214, for charitable and community events, which are pr oduced by local non- profit organizations; and
3. Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to make non-substantive changes to the recommendations.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Economic Development Committee (Committee) met on May 21, 2026, wi th Chair Robillard and Vice Chair Cervantes present, to consider staff recommendations regarding City Sponsorship for events or projects scheduled from July 1 – December 31, 20 26. Following discussion, the Committee voted unanimously to recommend that t he City Council receive, review, and provide input on staff recommendations for the City Sponsorship Program for the six-month period of July 1 – December, 31, 2026; approve City Sponsorship support in the form of monetary contributions and/or in-kind contributions of $158,214, for c haritable and community events produced by local non-profit organizations; and author ize the City Manager, or designee, to make non-substantive changes to the recommendations.
City Sponsorship Program – July – December 2026 Page 2
BACKGROUND:
The City Sponsorship Program (P rogram) 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 December, prior to the January 31, 2026, deadline, and staff led a S ponsorship 101 webinar in December. 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 Ar ts & Cultural Affairs Division. Staff reviews applications for eligibility, t hen forwards the requests to t he 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
Proposed Cash
Sponsorship from
Riverside Public
Utilities Budget for
July – December
2026/2027
Total Proposed
Cash
Sponsorship
for July –
December
2026/2027
$161,434 $85,556 $6, 750 $92,306
DISCUSSION:
City Sponsorship
The sponsorship applications were evaluat ed by various City departments, based on each organization’s ability to create or enhance its ev ents and impact on the city. Other factors that were considered include projec ted attendance, event/organizati on 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 applic ation process for events to be produc ed 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 applic ation deadline for previous funding cycle. A component of the recommendations for sponsorship includes in-kind sponsorship awards from the Fire Department; Police Department; Parks, Re creation and Community Servic es Department (PRCSD); and Riverside Public Utilities.
New applicants for this funding cycle are: A Be tter World Together, Eastern Harmony Mental City Sponsorship Program – July – December 2026 Page 3
Health, Inc., 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 effort s is estimated by the organizers at 198,825, representing and serving every age group and a broad cross-secti on of the City’s people (and pets!). Included in these projects are programs promoti ng literacy, health/fitness; arts; food security; and celebrations of history and culture.
A summary of the recommended sponsorship valu es 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 H eads concur with this report: Chie f, 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:
1. Projected Attendance
2. Previous Attendance (if applicable)
3. History of Service to Community (Y/N)
4. Eligible Monetary Reques t (50%, 35%, or 20%, based on Sponsorship Guidelines)
5. Projected Cost per Participant
6. Cultural Program (Y/N)
7. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (Ability/Cultur e/Ethnicity/Families/Seniors/Children & Youth)
8. Council Ward; and/or
9. Availability of R equested Resource (Y/N)
Table Sponsorship
No expenditures for table sponsorships were reported during the previous six-month period.
Amended Sponsorship Request
City Sponsorship Program – July – December 2026 Page 4
In the presentation for the Spring 2026 City S ponsorship Report submitted to Development Committee and City Council, the Fair Housing Co uncil – 2026 Housing Conference request for $2500 in funding was accidently omi tted. Staff requested Committee Approval as monies were budgeted to support this program.
FISCAL IMPACT:
City Sponsorship recommendations represent a to tal investment of $158, 214, with $78,806 in monetary contributions from the Arts & Cultural Affairs Divis ion of the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department and $6,750 in mone tary contributions from Riverside Public Utilities. In-kind services (including facilities) are valued at $72,658. Sufficient funding is included in the Biennial Budget that will be brought forw ard to Council for adoption in June 2026 and is budgeted in the General Fund, Arts & Cultural Affairs Division City Sponsorship, Account Number 5240000-450302, and Electric Fund, PU-Custome r Engagement, Community Support, Account Number 6020000-456022.
Prepared by: Margery Haupt, Deputy Director
Approved by: Pamela M. Galera, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director Certified as to
availability of funds: Julie Ne mes, Interim Finance Director Approved by: Kris Marti nez, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Rebecca McKee-Reimbold, Interim City Attorney
Concurs with:
___________________________
Steven Robillard
Chair, Economic Development Committee
Attachments:
1. City Sponsorship Program Agreement
2. Staff Recommendations for July 1 – December 31, 2026
3. Mission Synopses for Applicant Organizations