Evanston panel hears nonprofit presentations as staff outlines FY26 budget process and Oct. 27 scoring deadline

Evanston— At a hearing of the City of Evanston Social Services Commission, staff reviewed the city's process for evaluating FY26 human-services grant applications, heard presentations from a slate of nonprofit applicants and set an Oct. 27 deadline for commissioners to return completed evaluation sheets.

The session featured presentations from Turning Point, Peer Services, Lydia Home, Impact Behavioral Health Partners, Infant Welfare Society of Evanston, Family Promise Chicago North Shore, Family Focus, Child Care Network of Evanston, Books and Breakfast, and others. Jessica (city staff) told commissioners that the city had released a draft FY26 budget and that the Human Services Fund "is primarily 93% funded through a tax levy," and that the city is proposing a $2,500,000 increase to that levy in the draft budget.

The staff briefing focused on the scoring rubric commissioners will use to evaluate applications, the timetable for allocation discussions and how the commission will handle application adjustments. "When you guys submit the score rubrics to me, I tally them and come up with an average score for each application. This average score then becomes the basis of the allocation discussion we will have in November," Jessica said, urging commissioners to return completed evaluation sheets by Monday, Oct. 27.

Most presenters described ongoing…