Richland County committee sets FY2027 grant cycle, votes to add workforce training and revise impact areas

On Sept. 16, 2025, the Richland County Community Impact Grants Committee set key dates and parameters for the fiscal year 2027 community impact grant round and voted to revise the list of key impact areas, replacing a homeownership priority with workforce/job‑training and narrowing the youth‑activities description.

The committee confirmed that the FY2027 grant cycle will open Dec. 1, 2025, and that applications must be submitted through the county’s ZoomGrants portal by Feb. 1, 2026. The packet noted the program budget is based on “up to 1 mill,” with a proposed split of up to 60% for community partners and up to 40% for competitive grants.

The vote followed staff and council discussion of last year’s awards and program compliance. “There were 29 awardees this year. We had 28 that are fully compliant, and have completed all of their requirements as of August 31,” ACA Thomas said, summarizing the FY2025 review. Committee members expressed concern about enforcement of reporting requirements on the community partners list and about duplicative funding across multiple impact areas.

Committee discussion and motion

Councilwoman Barron moved to omit the existing first bullet (homeownership through education and financial planning), replace it with a workforce/job‑training category, and to remove the phrase “and develop workforce skills” from the youth‑activities bullet so that youth activities are not limited to workforce training. The motion was seconded (speaker not specified in the record) and approved by roll call with Pugh, Livingston, Barron, Mackie and English voting yes; the motion was recorded as approved.

Councilman Livingston said he supported focusing the new workforce priority on “soft skills” such as time management and attendance that some employers identify as barriers to hiring and retention. Councilwoman Barron and others said they wanted to ensure organizations that fail to meet reporting requirements do not remain on the community partners list.

Several council members urged clearer criteria for the nine organizations currently listed as community partners. “Longevity does not always equate to quality and excellence,” Councilwoman Barron said, urging the committee to propose objective criteria. Councilman Newman and Councilwoman Newton recommended aligning community partners with the county’s strategic priorities or piloting a concentrated focus area for one grant cycle.

Application details, compliance and next steps

The packet reminds applicants that awarded organizations may request funds on a quarterly basis and must meet the county’s reporting requirements. Staff said the value of the mill is set annually by the auditor and that the dollar amount available may change year‑to‑year. The committee asked staff to “wordsmith” the new workforce category language and to provide examples of what job‑readiness or workforce training would include.

The committee asked members and other council colleagues to submit written suggestions for community‑partner criteria and other application changes by close of business Sept. 26; staff asked that input be provided to the chair or ACA Thomas. The committee’s next meeting on the Community Impact Grants program was set for Oct. 7.

Ending

The committee left the overall application structure and evaluation rubric largely intact but approved the substantive change to the key impact areas. Staff will draft revised application language and the committee will review proposed criteria for community partners and any recommended application edits at the next meeting.