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Daly City updates Build A Dream scholarship to broaden eligibility, change application process
Summary
Daly City staff unveiled revisions to the Build A Dream scholarship that will let residents from newborn to 17 and residents 50+ apply once a year for a fixed award amount; staff also described recent donations and fundraising plans including a holiday tree lot expected to raise roughly $20,000.
Administrative Assistant Edgardo Balanos told the Daly City Commission on Nov. 26 that the city will revise its Build A Dream scholarship program to widen the programs covered and simplify how residents apply and receive awards.
The change, Balanos said, will allow eligible Daly City residents from newborn to 17 years old and residents 50 and older to apply once per calendar year for a fixed award amount based on available funds, rather than submitting multiple applications and receiving a partial discount per registration.
"The program is a way for us as a city through donations to provide financial assistance to the youth of Daly City," Balanos said, describing the revised policy as aimed at increasing access to recreation, arts and fitness programs. Under the revised approach, adults ages 18–49 will not qualify for the scholarship.
City staff said the new model broadens what programs are eligible; historically some activities were excluded because of contractor-fee obligations. Balanos noted awards will be issued early in the year and that any unused funds at year-end will be recaptured into the scholarship fund to preserve the program for future applicants.
On funding, Balanos said the scholarship fund was depleted to under $1,000 after the pandemic but has since recovered: "we've gotten over $35,000 in scholarships and donations" this year. He also said staff had "been able to give out 2,000 to participants," a phrase he did not further clarify at the meeting.
To sustain and grow the fund, staff outlined fundraising activities. Balanos described a holiday tree lot that will offer 200 live noble firs, priced at $100 for 5–6 foot trees and $120 for 6–7 foot trees, with an optional $10 add-on for staff to place a stand and bow. "All the money that goes in is actually gonna go straight into the fund," he said, and estimated the lot could generate about $20,000. Staff also plans a January spaghetti fundraiser and online donation options via the recreation website.
Commissioners asked how the scholarship would interact with Extended Learning Opportunity Program (ELOP) funding and how the city would verify eligibility. Balanos said ELOP supports after-school programs at six schools and serves "about 500" students; he warned that if all those students sought scholarships the fund would be quickly strained. For verification, staff will rely on county program documents such as CalWORKs, Medi‑Cal, general assistance letters, or WIC certification to assess economic need, and staff said they can consider exceptions in special circumstances.
Balanos said the department previously received a $50,000 San Mateo County grant to fund summer scholarships that helped roughly 100 families. He told commissioners the revised policy is intended to be sustainable and that staff will monitor application volumes and adjust award sizing as funds permit. Balanos said the city hopes to enact the updated policy in 2025.
The commission did not take formal action on the policy during the meeting; staff closed the presentation and moved on to the next agenda item.
