Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Small Agency Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee approves $711,336 in small agency grants; members press for wider outreach next year
Summary
DuPage County’s Human Services Committee approved $711,336 in round-two small agency grants and discussed outreach shortfalls, district-level disparities in applications and plans for a recognition reception on June 24.
May 20, 2025 — The DuPage County Human Services Committee voted to approve $711,336 in funding under the small agency grant program (round two) and spent most of its discussion time reviewing outreach and application issues after the vote.
The committee approved the recommendation for funding as presented; the motion was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote. Chair Shrozzi thanked committee members and staff, and noted the award amounts were within the committee’s delegated authority and would not require full county board approval. Chair Shrozzi said, "staff did everything that me and vice chair Garcia directed them to." The committee plans a recognition reception for grant recipients tentatively scheduled for June 24, 2025, between the finance and county board meetings.
Members raised concerns about uneven application rates across districts. Member LaPlante, who had the largest number of applicants in her district, said she "noticed a really big improvement" from the program’s first round after offering feedback, and urged that committee members share suggestions to smooth future rounds. Member Galassi said he "felt a little handcuffed" when trying to reach small nonprofits in his district and recommended that the county provide district-specific nonprofit lists and consider staged deadlines so applicants can correct paperwork before final submission.
Committee members discussed reasons for lower application counts in some districts, including a parallel member-initiative program that distributed funds to some organizations and the possibility that outreach emails landed in recipients' junk folders. Chair Shrozzi said funds left unawarded in the first two rounds remain earmarked for human services and will be used for county purposes.
Committee staff and members agreed to gather written suggestions on outreach and procedural fixes, including the idea of two deadlines (initial submission and short follow-up window to fix issues). The transcript records no formal motion to change application deadlines; members asked that staff and leadership review ideas and return with proposals before the next grant cycle.
No individual awardees or detailed award amounts by organization were read into the public transcript during this discussion.
