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City approves FY26 community grant recommendations; councilmembers use discretionary funds to top up projects
Summary
Encinitas City Council approved staff'recommended initial distributions for the fiscal-year 2026 community grant program and directed discretionary allocations from council members' pooled remainder; the program funds local nonprofits and events that serve residents.
The Encinitas City Council approved staff'recommended initial awards from the fiscal-year 2026 Community Grant Program and authorized councilmembers to allocate the remaining discretionary funds among qualified applicants.
Why it matters: The community grants provide operating or project support for small local nonprofits, volunteer groups and events. The FY26 program recommended allocating 80 percent of the budget initially and reserving 20 percent for council discretion; staff recommended distributing an equal initial amount to 46 qualified applicants.
Staff recommendation and council action
• Staff told the council the FY26 total budget for the Community Grant Program is $150,000, with an initial allocation of 80 percent ($120,000) and the remaining 20 percent ($30,000) held for councilmember discretionary allocation.
• The staff recommendation presented in the agenda listed 46 qualified applicants; the recommended initial allocation equaled $2,550 per qualified applicant (not to exceed project costs). The council approved the staff-recommended initial distribution and used councilmembers' discretionary pools to top off or add to projects.
• Councilmembers then used their individual discretionary allocations (the staff recommendation split the remaining balance and suggested $6,040 per councilmember) to add funds to select projects. The council voted to accept the distributions and finalize allocations; the motion carried unanimously.
Examples of funded projects (selected highlights)
• Encinitas Friends of the Arts — support for Dia de los Muertos programming and the Cardiff music salon event.
• Exposure Skate Fest — funding to support the world-renowned women's skateboarding event and related safety and logistics costs.
• Assistance League of Rancho San Dieguito — Operation School Bell clothing assistance for children.
• Village Encinitas and other seniors/aging-in-place groups — outreach and membership expansion support.
• Local school-music programs and marching band — support for expanding music education and community performances.
What council asked staff to do next
• Finalize award paperwork and vendor agreements; staff confirmed the council has final discretion on allocations.
• Document and publish the final award list and notify applicants through the city's standard grant processes.
Ending note: Councilmembers praised the range of community proposals and urged continued outreach to ensure groups with limited administrative capacity can access city funds.
