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Committee weighs cuts and changes to community grants NDA; legacy grants annualized from 14 to 12 months
Summary
The committee reviewed the Office of Grants Management's FY26 community grants NDA, including recommended reductions to small grants and nonprofit technical-assistance funding, and accepted the county executive's proposal while seeking clearer timelines and public notice for NOFOs; OGM explained a $505,477 decrease reflects annualizing prior 14-month legacy renewals to a standard 12-month FY cycle.
Committee staff presented the Office of Grants Management's FY26 community grants NDA, a recommended $13.3 million package that includes $6.2 million for multiyear awards and $4.7 million for legacy renewals. Clemens Johnson explained staffing and program details and highlighted a $100,000 request for an incoming grant tracking and approval system.
Council members pressed OGM on performance monitoring and equitable distribution. Director Murphy said OGM uses a mix of approaches: for targeted, department-run grants the department sets explicit metrics; for community grants OGM administers half of programs and monitors performance, escalating issues to departments when needed. He added the office is working to integrate a stronger racial equity lens into grant design and reporting.
The executive recommended reductions in three areas: elimination of the Community Projects Fund small grants (a $1.2 million cut), and a reduction of the nonprofit technical assistance and management-support program from $2 million to $1 million. Murphy told the committee these adjustments respond to tight budgets and the growth of department-level grant programs, and that other funding streams (for example, marijuana-tax commission pools) may cover similar project types.
Council members repeatedly requested clearer timing and a single clearinghouse for all county grant opportunities so nonprofits can plan. Friedson urged a public timeline for NOFOs and earlier departmental notice so organizations with limited staff can prepare applications. Murphy said the OGM publishes a grant program forecast and newsletter and that all grants must flow through OGM, but acknowledged remaining informational gaps.
On legacy awards a $505,477 reduction prompted questions. OGM explained the decrease reflects an accounting annualization (prior year awards had been extended to 14 months) and moving to a standard 12-month FY renewal; it was not a performance-based cut. The committee accepted the executive's recommendations and asked staff to clarify these timeline and budgeting mechanics for the full council.
Next steps: OGM to release NOFOs for incubator and technical assistance grants, provide updated public timelines and the grant program forecast, and provide reconciled packet language clarifying the legacy-award annualization.
