Neighborhood
Organization Grant
Program
Instructions ● Requirements ● Forms Fiscal
Year 2023-2024
The Neighborhood Organization Grant Program is designed to provide financial support to assist neighborhood organizations with programs and activities that increase connectivity among neighbors and provide meaningful opportunities for residents to be engaged in improving their communities, so that they may build membership and further communication with the residents within their neighborhood
KEY DATES
Covers Expenses Incurred July 1, 2023 – June 15. 2024
Application Deadline March 30, 2023
Final Close-Out Report Deadline June 22, 2024
Attachment A
INSTRUCTIONS & REQUIREMENTS
Per adoption of the FY 2023-2024 budget, the City of Santa Monica is accepting proposals from qualified neighborhood organizations for up to $7,000 in funding through the Neighborhood Organization Grant Program.
• THIS GRANT COVERS EXPENSES INCURRED BETWEEN JULY 1, 2023 AND JUNE 15, 2024 • COMPLETE AND SUBMIT THE APPLICATION AND REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS NO LATER THAN 5:30 P.M. PST ON MARCH 30, 2024 •
• MAINTAIN THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION TO SUPPORT USE OF FUNDS FOR THE
FINAL CLOSEOUT REPORT
• COMPLETE AND SUBMIT THE FINAL CLOSEOUT REPORT ALONG WITH ALL REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION NO LATER THAN 5:00 P.M. PST ON JUNE 22, 2024 All funds awarded during the FY 2023-2024 grant cycle are to be expended by June 15, 2024.
Organizations will be required to provide a Final Closeout Report and return any remaining grant funds in accordance with the Grant Reporting Requirements section of this Request for Proposals (RFP). Fiscal Year 2023-2024 grants will not be awarded until prior years grants are properly accounted for and any unspent funds are returned.
MINIMUM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
In order to be considered for funding, applicants must meet the following minimum eligibility requirements:
• Represent a commonly recognized neighborhood within Santa Monica; • Possess tax-exempt status as a nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) or Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Service Code (hgp://www.irs.gov) or Section 23701(d) or 23701(f) of the California State Franchise Tax Code (hgp://www.ib.ca.gov); • Have an active board of directors or officers, selected in accordance with association bylaws, who meet regularly, with meetings open to the public. For virtual meetings, organizations must post links for the public to access online meetings; • Hold at least one general membership meeting annually; • Maintain a membership list of at least 50 active members (residing at separate addresses) or 10 percent of eligible households within the neighborhood boundaries as defined in the bylaws, whichever is less
ELIGIBLE USES OF FUNDING
The Neighborhood Organization Grant Program is designed to support projects and activities to further communication, increase engagement and build membership from within the neighborhood the organization represents. The funds can be used for a combination of projects and activities supporting communication, community engagement and membership building.
Creativity is encouraged!
A wide range of projects and activities may be eligible for funding, such as:
• Publishing and distributing a newsletter or meeting announcements*. • Purchasing ads announcing meetings and events.
• Implementing or participating in an event aimed at improving communication and increasing membership for example:
• Hosting a neighborhood cleanup day
• Hosting a community block party or potluck
• Hosting a neighborhood chalk art contest
• Hosting a movie night in the neighborhood park
• Conducting a neighborhood interest survey.
• Developing an organization database.
• Participating in workshops or training programs to help the organization’s leadership develop community organizing and outreach skills and strategies. • Hiring a student intern to coordinate mailings.
• Purchasing a computer for use in preparing written materials or maintaining a website so long as computer is used consistent with the terms of the grant, including the restrictions on the use of funds.
• Installing/maintaining a phone/fax/Internet connection dedicated to organization business.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR USE OF RESIDENTIAL ADDRESSES FURNISHED BY CITY TO
GRANTEE INSTRUCTIONS & REQUIREMENTS
* By accepting City grant funds, Grantee agrees that should the City elect to share home addresses of City residents with Grantee (“City Data”), Grantee shall only use City Data for distributing newsletters or meeting announcements pertaining to activities funded by the City grant. Grantee agrees that City Data shall not be used for any other purpose. Grantee further agrees that City Data shall not be distributed to any third parties without the City’s prior express written consent. Grantee agrees that Grantee shall not sell or otherwise commercialize City Data. Newsletters or meeting announcements that are mailed to City residents using City Data shall include clear information for allowing residents to opt out of future Grantee mailings. The required opt out mechanism shall not require, as a condition to opting out, that residents disclose to Grantee personal identifying information, such as their names, dates of birth, and social security numbers, to process opt out requests.
Grantee shall maintain records containing a representative copy of each mailing sent and the date of each such mailing. Grantee shall maintain records of all residents who notify Grantee of their election to opt out of future mailings and will provide these records to the City on an annual basis as part of regular grant reporting. The City will have the right to audit and inspect these records to verify compliance with the terms and conditions for Grantee’s use of City Data upon 14 days advance notice. Grantee agrees that City, upon its sole and complete discretion, may cease sharing City Data with Grantee or may request that Grantee cease its use of City Data at any time.
RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF FUNDS
The intent of this program is to allow neighborhood organizations flexibility in using the funds for communication and membership building purposes, without heavy city oversight or intrusion into organization affairs. As long as an organization uses the funds for the purpose(s) stated in the application, only the following restrictions shall apply:
• No City funds shall be used by the participating neighborhood organizations for projects or activities involving political campaigns, candidate endorsements, or ballot measures.
As a condition of receipt of funds, Grantees shall place a disclaimer on their website stating no public funds are used for campaign purposes and the views of the organization do not necessarily reflect the views of the City of Santa Monica or its officials.
• No City funds shall be paid to individual organization members, their relatives or business associates, except as a reimbursement for a product or service purchased with personal funds.
• Example of eligible grant expense: The secretary of the organization uses a personal credit card to pay for copies and is reimbursed from the organization. • Example of ineligible grant expense: The secretary of the organization is a graphic designer and is paid for design services provided to the organization. • No City funds shall be spent on alcoholic beverages.
• City funds may only be used for expenses incurred between July 1, 2023 and June 15, 2024.
• Grant funds used for ineligible expenses or failure to abide by the instructions and requirements set forth herein may result in the revocation or repayment of the full grant amount.
INSTRUCTIONS & REQUIREMENTS
Review and Approval Process
Proposals received will be reviewed to determine whether they meet the Minimum Eligibility Requirements section of this RFP.
Those applications that meet all the Minimum Eligibility Requirements will proceed to the evaluation phase of the review process.
To be complete, a proposal must include all of the required documents described in the Submission Requirements section of this RFP (pg. 10)
Should applications be considered incomplete, organizations will be given an opportunity to provide the missing information.
Should the City Manager’s Office have concerns about the eligibility of a proposed project, the concerns will be discussed with the applicant organization to determine jointly how the project or activity might be modified to meet the mission of the program.
SELECTION
If an organization meets the Minimum Eligibility Requirements, commits to a specified plan to use the City funds for communication, community engagement and membership-building purposes, and provides a complete application with all of the required documentation, the application may be approved administratively by the City Manager’s Office. The neighborhood organization will be notified by email of approval, or contacted by phone or e-mail if further information is necessary.
Once funding is approved, the City will prepare an agreement which must be executed by both the organization and the City. Following execution of the agreement, the organization must submit an invoice to the City for the grant amount, and a check for the funds will be requested by the City Manager’s Office, made payable to the neighborhood organization. The City’s Finance Department will mail the check to the neighborhood organization’s address stated on the invoice.
City grant funds must be kept in the neighborhood organization’s bank account and tracked in order to assure its use is only for purposes specified, and for
Applicant Information
Neighborhood Organization
Name
Non-Profit #
Mailing Address
City
State
Zip Code
Telephone
Website
E-mail Address
Board President
PROPOSED USE OF FUNDS
Application Budget Template
Expenditure Description Grant
Request
Budget
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
TOTAL $
Proposal Authorization
Name and Title of Official Signing for Applicant Organization (must be authorized by the Board of Directors of the organization):
Name:
Title:
I certify the following:
• The information presented in this application is true and complete to the best of my knowledge.
• The organization complies with all minimum eligibility requirements specified in this RFP, and agrees to abide by all Program instructions and requirements. • All grant funds dispersed to the organization will be utilized for grant approved purposes.
• I have read the Final Closeout Reporting sections and will maintain the required documentation for all expenses.
• Any grants funds utilized for purposes that the City deems to be an ineligible use, will be promptly returned to the City.
• Any unused grant funds will be returned to the City no later than June 30, 2024.
Signature of Person Named Above:
Date:
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Applications must be complete and adhere to the format and instructions provided in this packet. Applications should be typed or printed. Submit one original and two copies of the application form and attachments to the City Manager's Office:
City of Santa Monica
Attention: Neighborhood Organization Liaison
1685 Main Street, Room 210
Santa Monica, CA 90401
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
Applications for FY 2023-2024 may be submitted between September 1, 2023 and 5:30pm, March 30, 2024. Late applications will not be accepted.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
• Applicant Information and Proposed Use of Funds clearly describing how funds will be used
• Completed Application Budget that correlates to the description of how funds will be used
• Signed Proposal Authorization
• Documentation that the Board of Directors of the organization authorized submission of the grant application and designated the individual signing the application as the authorized signatory • Meeting Minutes (most recent general body meeting)
• Roster of Current Board Members or Officers, including titles, terms, and contact information (address, phone number and email address) • W9 form • The following documents are required if not on file with the City:
• Articles of Incorporation
• Current Bylaws
REPORTING & FINAL CLOSEOUT
Required Closeout Reporting Documentation:
• Bank statement reflecting the initial deposit of the City grant funds in the organization bank account.
• Grant Spend Summary Chart (see page 13) reflecting initial balance and withdrawals by project.
For each of the expenses funded by the grant and cash expenses:
• Project Report with copies of:
o Invoices or receipts
o Printed materials paid for with grant funds (examples - For printing of an organization newsletter or flyer, provide a copy of the newsletter or flyer with corresponding receipts.
This report and all required documentation must be submitted no later than June 22, 2024 to:
City of Santa Monica
Attention: Neighborhood Organization Liaison
1685 Main Street, Room 209
Santa Monica, CA 90401
In addition to completing and signing the Final Closeout Report, back-up documentation for each line item expense must be provided. All documentation should be complete, legible, and self-explanatory. Be sure to include all receipts, printed materials, cancelled checks and other documentation as described on in the “Final Closeout Report” instructions in this packet.
Official signing for Neighborhood Organization must be authorized by the Board of Directors of the organization.
FINAL CLOSEOUT & REPORTING
Grant Spend Summary Char t
Purpose
Grant
Expense
Amount
TOTAL
PROJECT REPORT TEMPLATE
Neighborhood Group
Street Address, City, ST ZIP Code
Phone
Email
Project Report
Project Date I
Project Description: Include a brief overview of your event, activity, or project, including the goal of the effort, any partner organizations involved, etc.
Group Member
Participation
Community
Members Engaged
(estimate)
Project Budget
Grant funds used for ineligible expenses may result in the revocation of the full grant amount. Please review funding restrictions on page 4 before proceeding.
Vendor/Service
Provider Item/Service
I certify that this report is true, complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and that all disbursements have been made in compliance with the conditions of the Grantee Agreement and for the purposes indicated.
Organization Name
Name:
Title:
Signature:
Date: