City of Gainesville - File #: 120201.

• File #: 120201.
• Version: 3
• Name: Community Grant Program Requirements (NB)
• Type: Discussion Item
• Status: Filed
• File created: 7/17/2012
• In control: Audit, Finance and Legislative Committee
• On agenda: 2/21/2013
• Final action: 2/21/2013
• Title: Community Grant Program Requirements (B)

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
2/21/2013	3	City Commission	Approved as Recommended	Pass
1/29/2013	2	Audit, Finance and Legislative Committee	Approved as Recommended, as Modified
1/29/2013	3	Audit, Finance and Legislative Committee	Discussed
11/26/2012	1	Audit, Finance and Legislative Committee	Retained in Committee
7/17/2012	0	City Commission	Referred	Pass

Title
Community Grant Program Requirements (B)

Explanation
The City Commission developed the Community Grant Program (CGP) and implemented it for the first time in Fiscal Year 2010-2011. The purpose of the CGP is to provide small amounts of funding to non-profit organizations performing community services that advance City goals to support activities that serve a public purpose and improve the quality of life for Gainesville residents. The maximum grant award is $2,500 per eligible non-profit organization. The City Commission has developed and adopted guidelines describing eligible organizations, reimbursable activities, and program requirements and procedures. The Commission desired to keep the Community Grant Program application process simple for both the applicants and staff. The Commission also indicated a desire to fund as many eligible programs as possible within the approved program budget.

On July 17, 2012, the City Commission held a Special Budget Meeting to discuss several aspects of the FY 2012-13 Budget including the CGP. At that meeting the City Commission approved specific funding recommendations for specific organizations, through the CGP. The City Commission approved the funding requests for 43 of 44 organizations. There was much discussion related to the organization that was not funded. As a result, the City Commission asked the Audit, Finance and Legislation Committee (AFLC) to review and comment regarding the CGP’s guidelines and procedures, particularly related to how organizations are, or are not, evaluated in terms of legitimacy, transparency and veracity.

At their November 26, 2012 and January 29, 2013 Meetings, the AFLC discussed proposed changes to the CGP guidelines. The AFLC agreed that keeping the current CGP application process simple for applicants and staff was important. Further, the AFLC felt that some minor adjustments were needed to more clearly define some of the CGP guidelines. The AFLC felt that this could b...