City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
COMMUNITY GRANT POLICY
For Council Consideration 12/03/2024 Council Policy 049 Page 1 of 8
PURPOSE
POLICY
To establish a standardized process to award grants to qualifying:
Qualifying 501(c)(3) non-profit community organizations; Youth athletic groups or organizations;
Educational groups or organizations; and
Individuals,
that have demonstrate a financial need for grant funding for the use of supporting high impact events, activiti es, programs, community projects (collectively referred to in the Policy as “Community Events/Activities ”), and youth competitions and performances in which the main purpose is to directly benefit the City of Santa Clara (City) and its residents, students, and schools.
Annually, and subject to availability of funds, the City Council shall establish grant appropriation(s) as part of the budget approval process.
Community grants, subject to avail ability of funds, shall not exceed $10,000 per applicant, per fiscal year. Al l grant requests, including those made directly to a member of the City Council, shall be referred to the City Manager’s Office for review. Applicatio ns will be evaluated by the City Manager’s Office on a case-by-case and “first come-first served” basis, throughout the fiscal year.
The City Manager’s Office shall appr ove or deny an applicant’s request based upon the eligibility criteria, adherence to procedures set forth below, and subject to funding availability as approved by the City Council through the adoption of the annual budget. Additionally, if the event or activity being requested for funding has been pr eviously supported by the City, the City Manager’s Office may eval uate the event or activity’s past success, measured by the applicant’s ability to meet attendance and/or grant goals, fundraising projections and the applicant’s ability to satisfy the requirements of this policy, when c onsidering approval or denial of a request.
An applicant that receives grant funds (grant recipient) may be required to return awarded grant funds, in part or in full, and considered ineligible to submit a new grant request a fter the conclusion of their Community COMMUNITY GRANT POLICY (cont.)
For Council Consideration 12/03/2024 CP 049 Page 2 of 8
ELIGIBILITY
CRITERIA FOR
COMMUNITY
EVENTS /
ACTIVITIESY
In addition to a timely and complete application, the applicant must demonstrate that the Co mmunity Event/Activity submitted for consideration being fu nded by thefor the City’s grant will satisfy all of the following criteria:
a) Must be held within the City of Santa Clara
b) Contributes positively to the recognition and image of the City of Santa Clara
c) Provides a community benefit to the residents of Santa Clara Eevent/Aactivity/ or Youth C ompetition/Performance should any of the following occur:
Misuse of grant funds,
Failure to provide documentati on demonstrating t hat grant funds were spent in the manner that they were approved by the City, Failure to follow the terms outlined under this Policy and in the approved grant application; and
Major Material changes to the Community Ee vent/ Aa ctivity, or Youth Ccompetition/Performance without prior City approval.
Grant recipients that are ineligible to apply for a Community Grant in the future due to incompliance with this Policy, may apply again one year after resolution of outstanding issues.
Submission of an application in no way obligates the City to award a grant and the City reserves the right to reject any or all applications, wholly or in part, at any time, without penalty. In a ll cases, the City reserves the right to reject any and all applications in the event the City Manager’s Office identifies a potential conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest. Staff shall report any distribut ions in accordance with applicable tax law.
Applicants that have receiv ed a grantGrant recipients , regardless of the type of activity, shall maintain sufficient books and records in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The City shall have the right to audit the books and records of the grant recipient for up to four (4) years from the date of disburse ment of grant funds for the purpose of verifying any and all reimbursement requests made by the grant recipient.
COMMUNITY GRANT POLICY (cont.)
For Council Consideration 12/03/2024 CP 049 Page 3 of 8
d) Must be open to the general public, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic under state or federal law e) Aligns with one of the following grant focus areas:
Santa Clara Identity/Cult ure/Representation/Equity
Santa Clara Youth
Community Service
f) Must be cConsistent with applicable federal and state laws regarding limitation on use of public funds. Public funds shall not be used for the following:
Religious Purposes. Grant funds shall not be used to
conduct religious services or ceremonies. A grantee
shall not spend any portion of the grant to inhibit or
promote religion, nor to convey a religious message.
Political Purposes. Grant funds shall not be used for political purposes, such as political advocacy efforts
whether for or against a political candidate, ballot
measure, or bill.
g) If the event or activity is a fundraising event, that the proceeds from the fundraising activity will support programs, services or events for residents of the City of Santa Clara.
Grant funds may only be used for the following eligible expenses for the Community Event/Activity:
City Ppermits, fees and services from the City of Santa Clara and other public agencies
Venue rental fees and related insurance
Food and non-alcoholic bev erage (Food and beverage costs should not exceed 15% of the total grant request amount) Trash and recycling
Rental of sStage, tents, and similar equipment rentals Marketing and , promotion of the Community Event/Activity, and advertisingsuch as printing expenses of promotional COMMUNITY GRANT POLICY (cont.)
For Council Consideration 12/03/2024 CP 049 Page 4 of 8
materials and fees related to advertising to the public (excluding third-party consultant services to design marketing materials production)
Incidental, one-time expenses purchased specifically for the Community Event/Activity
Grant funds shall not be used for other costs, including but not limited to the following:
Gifts and giveaway items (e.g., such as gift cards, raffle baskets, and prizes)
Programmatic expenses such as staff time, overhead costs, consultant services, and payment of hired staff
Additionally, grants for Community Events/Activities shall not be provided for waiver of or reimbursement for already discounted permit fees nor shall they be provided to organizations that receive separate annual funding from the City.
PROCEDURE
FOR
COMMUNITY
EVENTS /
ACTIVITIESY
1. Applicant submits timely and co mplete grant application to the City Manager’s Office for review at least ninety (90) days and no more than six (6) months before the planned Community Event/Activity. The applicati on must include an itemized budget for the Community Event/Activity, which must of eligible expenses that detail how the request ed grant funds will be spent on eligible expenses, if awarded.
2. City Manager’s Office reviews application for compliance with eligibility criteria and availability of funds. City Manager’s Office may seek additional information from the applicant as
necessary.
3. If an application is approved, the approved application, marked accordingly, shall be transmitted to the applicant with additional instructions, if any.
4. If an application is not approv ed by the City Manager’s Office, the applicant will be notified in writing.
5. Grant recipients s hall submit within in thirty (30) days after the Community Event/Activity documentation of:
COMMUNITY GRANT POLICY (cont.)
For Council Consideration 12/03/2024 CP 049 Page 5 of 8
Proof of all allowable expenses incurred (e.g., receipts and invoices) and submitted in an organized fashion
that clearly demonstrates that the grant funds have
been spent in the manner and for the purposes stated
on the approved application and identifies . Uunspent
grant funds, if any, should be identified.
Attendance numbers
A cCommunity impact statement that describes how the
event impacted the Santa Cla ra community (not to
exceed five hundred words). The community impact
statement may be used for t he purposes of posting on
the City’s website.
Fundraising actuals, if applicable
6. The applicant is responsible fo r identifying and returning any unspent grant funds to the City within two (2) weeks after the Community Event/Activity. City Manager’s Office will review the submitted documentation outlined above for compliance and notify the grant recipient to confirm if any funds must be returned to the City. It is the responsibility of the applicant grant recipient to return any unspent grant funds within the required timeframe. submit the requi red documentation within the required timeframe and return any grant funds to the City within thirty (30) days after the City’s confirmation. A grant recipient may be deemed ineligible to apply for future grant opportunities through the Community Grant Program for late or return
incomplete/insufficient documentation , failure to submit documentation, or late return or failure to return grant funds as required by the City.
7. City Manager’s Office will review the submitted documentation outlined above for compliance and notify the applicant to confirm if any funds must be re turned to the City. It is the responsibility of the applicant to submit the required documentation within the required timeframe. A grant recipient may be deemed ineligible to apply for future grant opportunities through the Community Grant Program for late submission of documentation, incomplete/ In sufficient documentation, or failure to submit documentation.
COMMUNITY GRANT POLICY (cont.)
For Council Consideration 12/03/2024 CP 049 Page 6 of 8
ELIGIBILITY
CRITERIA FOR
YOUTH
COMPETITIONS/
PERFORMANCES
If the activity being funded is individual or group attendance at a youth competition or performance, then the applicant must demonstrate that the activity being funded by the City’s grant will satisfy all of the following criteria:
a) Funding the activity provides a benefit to Santa Clara residents, students or schools
b) Contributes positively to the recognition and image of the City of Santa Clara
c) Aligns with one of the following grant focus areas:
Santa Clara Identity/Cult ure/Representation/Equity
Santa Clara Youth
Community Service
d) Must be cConsistent with applicable federal and state laws regarding limitation on use of public funds. Public funds shall not be used for the following:
Religious Purposes. Grant funds shall not be used to conduct religious services or ceremonies. A grantee
shall not spend any portion of the grant to inhibit or
promote religion, nor to convey a religious message.
Political Purposes. Grant funds shall not be used for political purposes, such as political advocacy efforts whether for or against a political candidate, ballot
measure, or bill.
e) Grant funds reques ted will only be used for specific state, national, or international titles, competitions, or
performances
f) Grant funds requested should do not exceed 20% of the allowable expenses (registration, hotel, transportation, and food for participants and coaches/chaperones only) and
comport with the other requirements stated in the
application
g) Individuals, teams, or groups should either be from Santa Clara schools or have at least 50% of the students from the teams or groups be residents in the City of Santa Clara. h) Grant funds for travel related costs shall not be spent on more than one coach/chaperone for ever y six students. The
COMMUNITY GRANT POLICY (cont.)
For Council Consideration 12/03/2024 CP 049 Page 7 of 8
student-to-coach/chaperone ratio is at minimum six students to one coach/chaperone
PROCEDURE
FOR YOUTH
COMPETITIONS/
PERFORMANCES
1. Applicant submits timely and co mplete grant application to the City Manager’s Office for review. Due to short notice of advancement to state, national, or international
competitions/performances, applicant shall submit an
application within one week of advancement.
2. City Manager’s Office review s application for compliance with eligibility criteria and availability of funds. City Manager’s Office may seek additional information from the applicant as necessary.
3. If an application is approved, the approved application marked accordingly shall be transmitted to the applicant with additional instructions, if any.
4. If an application is not approved, the applicant will be notified in writing.
5. Grant recipients sha ll submit within in thir ty (30) days after the Youth Competition/Performance documentation of:
Proof of all allowable expenses incurred (e.g., receipts and invoices) submitted in an organized fashion that
clearly demonstrates that the grant funds have been
spent in the manner and for the purposes stated on the
approved application. Unspent grant funds, if any, should be identified.
Attendance numbers confirmi ng the number of students and coaches/chaperones that attended the youth
competition/performance.
A community impact statement that describes how the
competition/performance impacted the youth
groups/organizations or indivi duals (not to exceed five hundred words). The community impact statement may
be used for the purposes of posting on the City’s website.
4. If the applicant has received a grant for championship competition/performance att endance,rant shall submit
documentation within in 30after the competition/performance documentation of all allowable expenses incurred (e.g., receipts and invoices) and demonstrate that the grant funds have been COMMUNITY GRANT POLICY (cont.)
For Council Consideration 12/03/2024 CP 049 Page 8 of 8
spent in the manner and for the purposes stated on the approved application.
5. The applicant is responsible for identifying and returning any unspent grant funds to the City within two (2) weeks after the Community Event/Activity. It is the responsibility of the applicant to return any unspent grant funds within the required time frame.
A grant recipient ma y be deemed ineligible to apply for future grant opportunities through the Community Grant Program for late return or failure to return the unspent grant funds.
6. City Manager’s Office will review the submitted documentation outlined above for compliance and notify the applicant grant recipient to confirm if any funds must be returned to the City. It is the responsibility of the applicant grant recipient to submit the required documentation within the required timeframe and return any grant funds to the Cit y within thirty (30) days after the City’s confirmation . A grant recipient may be deemed ineligible to apply for future grant opportunities through the Community Grant Program for late or submission of
documentation, incomplete/insufficient documentation, or failure to submit documentation , or late return or failure to return grant funds as required by the City.
Attachment: City of Santa Clara Community Grant Application