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Surprise council reviews FY25 community outreach grants; $160,000 funded local nonprofits and neighborhood projects
Summary
At a Jan. 20 work session, city staff summarized the FY25 Surprise Community Outreach Grant Program and neighborhood grants: roughly $160,000 was invested across nonprofits and neighborhood projects, funding programs that serve youth, seniors and neurodiverse residents.
At a Jan. 20, 2026, City of Surprise work session, staff summarized the fiscal year 2025 Surprise Community Outreach Grant Program (SCOP) and neighborhood grant awards, saying roughly $160,000 in city funds was distributed to local nonprofits and neighborhood projects.
Seth, the staff presenter, told the council SCOP will open for applications in the spring and said the program currently includes $150,000 for 501(c)(3) nonprofits, with maximum awards of $10,000 and council‑approved reporting requirements. “It’s got a $150,000 of city funding to go towards nonprofit organizations that serve the community of Surprise and our residents,” Seth said.
The presentation listed more than 20 recipients and amounts. Among the larger grants, Seth said the Arizona Burn Foundation received $10,000 to purchase and install smoke alarms for deaf and hard‑of‑hearing residents; in partnership with the Surprise Fire Medical Department, the group mobilized 68 volunteers to install 34 alarms. Best Buddies Arizona was awarded $10,000 to support high‑school clubs serving more than 160 young adults; Spencer’s Place (Employed and Overjoyed) received $10,000 for a workforce internship program that supported 41 interns and helped seven secure unsubsidized jobs. Other recipients included Heart Pantry ($8,000) for food‑insecure youth, Sounds of Autism ($9,000) for responder training, Hope Community Services ($5,000) for youth behavioral‑health equine programming, and multiple education and neighborhood projects.
Seth summarized program totals and reach: about $160,000 invested across nonprofit and neighborhood grants, 23 local groups funded, and more than 35,000 service interactions or touchpoints reported across events and programs. He also described the Neighborhood Grant, which allows non‑nonprofit neighborhood groups to apply for up to $10,000; last year three applications were received and two were funded (Homestead at Marley Park and Royal Ranch each received $5,000 for neighborhood events).
Councilmembers praised the approach and the leverage provided by nonprofit partners. Councilmember Judd said the council had done “a really good job” of spreading support across services and events. Councilmember Haney recounted a local fire that killed a hearing‑impaired resident and noted the installation of deaf and hard‑of‑hearing smoke alarms as an example of turning tragedy into prevention. “We lost a resident who was hearing impaired to a fire, and turning a tragedy into something that can hopefully save a life in the future is incredible,” Haney said.
No formal funding changes or additional votes were taken at the meeting; the council adjourned after the presentation. The work session did not record any follow‑up assignments beyond the presentation and routine thanks to staff.
What’s next: SCOP applications are expected to open in spring 2026; councilmembers asked staff to continue outreach and to bring information about application dates and eligibility to district meetings.
