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Portsmouth proposes $1.13M for nonprofit support in FY2027; council seeks standard impact reports and a clearer application process
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Summary
City staff proposed $1,130,000 in FY2027 civic-organization funding across 14 nonprofits, split among housing and human services, youth and education, and health and wellness; council members asked for an application scoring template, impact statements and historical funding reconciliations before final allocations are approved.
City Manager Steven Carter and budgeting staff presented a proposed FY2027 allocation of $1,130,000 for 14 civic and nonprofit organizations, a roughly 6.5% increase from the prior year. Trey Burke said staff grouped awards into three informal categories: Housing & Human Services ($441,000), Youth & Education ($557,000), and Health & Community Wellness ($130,000).
Staff identified several large line items: the HEAR shelter (homelessness and domestic-violence programs) receives combined support across programs; ports of volunteer/homeless assistance lines were noted; Starbase is budgeted at $350,000 (a mix of operating and capital support); Police Athletic League at $65,000; Complete the Puzzle at $100,000; and a $64,000 increase for a program described as volunteers for the homeless. The Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia, United Way (new participant), CHKD (Child Advocacy Center) and EVMS appear in the health/wellness bucket at smaller amounts.
Several council members flagged specific omissions or application issues: Edmark (a pediatric palliative-care provider) did not appear on the list because staff had not received a funding application, and NextGen is handled through a separate workforce foundation rather than this civic-funding line. Multiple council members requested standardized impact statements from funded organizations (metrics such as number served, program outcomes and plans for expansion) and a consistent reporting template. Manager Carter proposed staff adopt a formal application window, scoring rubric, thresholds and a staff-produced report that could include council volunteers to participate in scoring.
Council members also discussed whether some one-time funds in the current fiscal year could be repurposed to support Port Events and whether the retiree bonus allocation (handled outside the civic budget) should be adjusted to better target need; the mayor emphasized the need to confirm legal constraints before changing distribution methods. Staff said they would return with templates, historical award data, and recommendations on program priorities and protections such as audit requirements for recipients.
