Des Plaines awards $275,000 to 40 local social-service programs

The Des Plaines City Council on April 20 approved staff recommendations to distribute $275,000 in social service program funding to 40 local nonprofit recipients.

Angelica Danek of the Police Department’s Human Services Division presented the recommendations. She said the application period ran from Jan. 30 to Feb. 27 and staff received 40 eligible applications totaling roughly $365,000. To allocate the available $275,000, staff used a point-based formula: total awarded points (3,702) yielded a per-point value of $74.28, and each agency’s points were multiplied by that value (not exceeding their request) to set recommended awards.

Danek said the funding priorities were guided by service trends — food assistance, housing stability, homelessness prevention, intensive case management, senior services and youth/family services — and that funding will help agencies leverage state, federal and private funding. “To ensure transparency and objectivity in the review process, staff from multiple city departments participated in reviewing and scoring applications,” Danek said.

Chairman Smith moved approval of the resolution to award grants; the council approved the allocation by roll call. All 40 agencies that submitted eligible applications received some level of funding as shown in the council packet.

Next steps: award notifications and disbursements per the city’s grant administration procedures; staff will continue to report on service needs and funding outcomes.