TO:City Council
FROM:Community Funding Review Committee
DATE:June 9, 2026
SUBJECT: FY 2026-27 Community Social Service Grant Recommendations RECOMMENDATION:
1. Approve Community Social Service Grants totaling $199,952.90.
2. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute Community Social Service Grant agreements with grantees.
3. Authorize expenditure in the amount of $199,952.90 from A/C #001-0970-646- 5920 (SS2027, General Fund - Community Endowment Grant Account) for Community Social Service Grants.
4. Find that this action is not a project as defined under the California Environmental Quality Act.
LEVINE ACT ITEM: No
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No Additional Funding Requested. Minimal administrative staff costs associated with executing contracts and compliance monitoring, and grant funding in the amount of $200,000 are included in the Adopted FY 2026-27 General Fund Budget.
BACKGROUND:
The City has been supporting local service providers through community grant programs for over 40 years. The Community Social Service Grants (CSSG) provide grants for programmatic support to local non-profit agencies offering essential public and social services primarily to eligible low-income persons. The adopted FY 2026-27 General Fund Budget includes $200,000 for CSSG. The CSSG provides grantees a maximum grant award of $10,000 and a minimum grant
FY 2026-27 Community Social Service Grants Recommendations June 9, 2026
award of $2,000.
CSSG grant applications for FY 2026-27 were accepted from March 16, 2026, through April 16, 2026. Public outreach for the grant program took place in March and April and included news postings on the City’s website and social media channels. An ad was placed in the March and April editions of the CityScene e- newsletter. The Community Grant Program workshop for FY 2026-27 was held on February 3, 2026, and was recorded and made available for viewing on the City website. In addition, emails were sent to previous Social Service Grant recipients and a press release was sent to local media outlets. Complete program information can be found on the dedicated City Grant Opportunities webpage (www.toaks.gov/grants) on the City website.
A five-year history of the CSSG, previously known as the Social Services Endowment Fund and renamed by City Council on September 14, 2021, is provided in Attachment #1.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
The City received 34 CSSG program applications, requesting a combined total of $314,335.79 in grant funding. Staff verified that all applications met the program’s minimum eligibility requirements.
Members of the City Council-appointed Community Funding Review Committee (CFRC) independently evaluated and scored each application based on grant- specific criteria, including the organization’s mission and background, program objectives, and benefit to City residents.
On May 20, 2026, the CFRC met to review the compiled scores and develop funding recommendations. Committee members with conflicts of interest recused themselves from discussion and scoring of the applicable applications in accordance with CFRC procedures adopted to ensure applications were evaluated objectively and fairly.
Allocation Scoring Method
Applications were initially ranked based on total scores, with a preliminary allocation framework tied to scoring tiers. Given that total funding requests exceeded the available $200,000 budget, the CFRC reviewed the rankings and finalized an equitable allocation methodology.
Under the FY 2026–27 CSSG allocation method, funding recommendations are as FY 2026-27 Community Social Service Grants Recommendations June 9, 2026
follows:
Applications scoring 85 to 100 points: 83 percent of requested funding (7 applicants)
Applications scoring 70 to 84 points: 60 percent of requested funding (23 applicants)
Applications scoring 55 to 69 points: 50 percent of requested funding (4 applicants)
The CFRC unanimously (7-0, with two members absent) recommends awarding grants in the amount of $199,952.90 to 34 applicants, as detailed in Attachment #2.
Next Steps
Upon City Council approval, CSSG grantees will enter into standard one-year community grant agreements with the City, effective July 1, 2026. The agreements stipulate that staff may request reimbursement of all or part of the grant funds if they are not used for the program as described in the contract. Grantees will receive funding upfront and will be required to submit a Final Performance Report demonstrating how the City's funds were expended to benefit the community.
COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goals:
C. Operate City government in a fiscally and managerially responsible and prudent manner to ensure that the City of Thousand Oaks remains one of California's most desirable places to live, work, visit, recreate, and raise a family.
G. Continue City's commitment to community and cultural programs and services (such as Performing Arts/Theatres, Libraries, TOTV, Visual Arts, Youth and Senior Programs).
PREPARED BY: Kyle Rohrbach, CFRC Chair
Sarah Mailes, Community Services Analyst
Attachments:
Attachment #1 – Award History for Community Social Service Grants Attachment #2 – FY 2026-27 Community Social Service Grants Award Recommendations
CCS: 483-10/sm/z:\common\community services\city council items\2026 staff reports\06092026 cfrc cssg staff report.docx