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Board OKs $1.2 million to Community Foundation to speed grants for local nonprofits
Summary
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors approved allocating $1.2 million to the San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation to administer matching community‑resilience grants, and directed staff to report back on applicants and awardees.
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted Sept. 23 to move $1.2 million to the San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation so the foundation can match and administer a fund intended to support local nonprofits delivering essential services.
Supervisor Paulding said the size of the allocation and the matching opportunity make the effort significant and asked staff for a later report identifying who applied and which organizations received awards. Lisa Howe, from the County Administrative Office, told the board the contract will direct the Community Foundation to evaluate applicants against county criteria and that either two staff members or two ad hoc board members would sit on the review committee.
Howe said the Community Foundation will use its own application process and mailing lists to reach nonprofits, but the county retains the option of amending the contract if the board wants final approval authority. "If your board wants to make final approval, we would have to amend the contract as it currently states," Howe said.
Supervisor Gibson voiced concern about delegating final authority and argued the board should retain accountability for county funds. "These $1,200,000 were allocated by this board toward initiatives and programs that this board has funded," Gibson said, urging that the board have a say in final determinations. Supervisor Moreno and Chairperson Ortiz emphasized that the ad hoc committee had worked with staff and the Community Foundation to set criteria intended to preserve transparency and the county’s priorities.
The board approved the consent agenda with item 1 (pulled earlier) and item 2 (the community resilience grant allocation) handled separately; the motion to approve item 2 included a requirement that staff report back to the board with a list of applicants and recipients, which passed with Supervisor Gibson recorded as opposed.
Next steps: staff will finalize the contract language with the Community Foundation and implement outreach to nonprofits; the board will receive a follow‑up report on awards and recipients.
