Forsyth County staff brief commissioners on community grants awards, reporting and policy questions

Bailey Arnold, the county’s grants administrator, told the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 25 that staff closed fiscal year 2025 and is rolling out a more rigorous reporting and monitoring process for the FY26 grants program. The update matters because commissioners must clarify how much the county will set aside for community grants, what counts as an allowable expense and whether recurring grantees should be carved out of the competitive pot. Arnold summarized FY25 results, saying that 27 organizations received a total of $1,849,750 in awards and the county disbursed $1,837,086.69; one grantee returned or did not need the full award, leaving $12,113.31 unspent. For FY26, staff received 77 applications, awarded 32 organizations $1,816,812, and after one organization withdrew a $15,000 award, staff is administering 31 active projects totaling just over $1.8 million in awards. Arnold said the FY25 grantee reports were compiled into single‑page summaries modeled on ARPA impact…