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Council sets $99,300 in sustaining grants, reserves $55,700 for competitive awards
Summary
The council approved a package of sustaining grants totaling $99,300 for local nonprofits (including Live Oak Nutrition, West Valley Community Services and funding for rental assistance) and made $55,700 available for one‑time competitive grants under revised eligibility rules.
The Los Gatos Town Council on Aug. 19 approved a set of sustaining community grants for FY 2025–26 and set rules for the remaining one‑time competitive awards.
In a motion approved by roll call, council allocated $23,000 to Live Oak Nutrition; $20,000 to West Valley Community Services; a $20,000 pool for rental assistance (to be coordinated by staff with St. Vincent de Paul and the Los Gatos Anti‑Racism Coalition); $10,000 each to CASSY and Next Door Community Solutions; $6,000 to St. Luke’s food pantry; $7,800 to Los Gatos United Methodist Church for the weekly shower program; and $2,500 to a laundry‑voucher program run in partnership with St. Vincent de Paul and a local laundromat.
The nut graf: Council left $55,700 unallocated for competitive one‑time grants and adopted procedural changes to reduce administrative burden: applicants will be required to demonstrate that 100% of the event or service funded by a competitive award takes place within the town’s municipal boundaries, and an organization may receive a competitive award only every other year (a step intended to reduce repeat applicants and staff review load). The competitive grant review panel will consist of five readers: two members of the Arts and Culture Commission, two members of the Community Health & Senior Services Commission and one member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission (DEI).
Several nonprofit representatives urged the council to make the laundromat voucher program a sustaining award, arguing that clean clothes support dignity and facilitate access to other services; the council approved a $2,500 sustaining grant for that program. Local community organizations that received grants in previous cycles were discussed; council members said they wanted to preserve a fair process while responding to nonprofit budget pressures.
What comes next: Town staff will administer the competitive grant cycle with the new eligibility rules and convene the five‑member review panel. Council asked staff to include the sustaining amounts in the draft FY 2025–26 budget so the awards are in the baseline and to bring back any emergent funding needs that might require reallocation.
Reporting note: allocations and policy changes are based on motions and roll‑call votes recorded at the Aug. 19, 2025 Town Council meeting.
