Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City grant review committee recommends distribution of $347,761 to local nonprofits
Summary
Staff summarized the grant and aid process: 76 applications were received, the review committee met twice and unanimously recommended allocations that spend the full $347,761 budget and maintain higher historical funding levels for some recipients; staff will incorporate recommendations into the budget.
City staff and the grant review committee presented the results of this year—s grant and aid process: 76 applications were received; the grant application review committee met on May 9 and May 16 and issued a unanimous recommendation to distribute the full $347,761 budget to approved organizations.
Staff emphasized the commission had previously directed that historically higher‑funded organizations (for example, Boys & Girls Club, Girls Inc., the Learning Resource Center/PEP, Meals on Wheels, Neighborhood Service Center and the Haley Center) not receive reductions to their prior funding levels when program guidelines changed. Staff said the committee accommodated that guidance when formulating awards.
The staff presentation explained the committee considered whether applicants provide meaningful services to Winter Haven; organizations that could not demonstrate significant services to the Winter Haven community were not recommended for funding. Staff said 16 applicants were not recommended and that the committee used the full budget allocation this year rather than returning unused funds.
Staff said the grant review committee plans to meet again in late summer or early fall to consider improvements to the process and to tighten guidance for future applicants. The transcript records the presentation and staff recommendation to accept the committee—s recommendations; no formal commission vote was recorded in the transcript.
Why this matters: The distribution routes a meaningful amount of city‑directed grant money to local nonprofits supporting health, education and human services; the committee applied a city‑service test and preserved historical funding for several longtime recipients.
