Morrow County formalizes discretionary grant program, excludes municipalities

Morrow County commissioners approved a resolution to establish a formal Community Action Grant Program to make discretionary county grants more transparent, predictable and measurable.

Staff presented a package that includes an application form, budget worksheet and committee scoring sheet. The program is intended to replace an informal request‑by‑letter system and to centralize awarding of discretionary funds the budget sets aside each year.

County staff explained the program will be funded through amounts determined during the annual budget process and emphasized that recurring grants would be prioritized for organizations that depend on operating support. Commissioners discussed the program scope and amended eligibility language to remove municipalities from the applicant pool so awards focus on nonprofits and community organizations.

The board approved the resolution and asked staff to publish application materials and a timeline for the first award cycle. Staff said awards will be limited by available budget each year and that the budget committee and board will determine the program’s annual funding level during regular budget development.

Next steps: staff will post application materials, convene the grant review committee as specified, and return to the board with a list of recommended awards for ratification.