The Council Discretionary Grant Program Purpose, Eligibility Criteria, and Public Benefit
The City recognizes that various entities, such as school districts and nonprofit organizations, play an important role in providing services and programs that benefit and enhance the well-being of the Carmel-by-the-Sea community. Recognizing their valuable contributions, the City has a history of allocating funds to support a range of organizations that provide social and environmental services that enhance the well-being of its citizens.
In 2017, Council adopted a City Council Discretionary Funds Grant Program Policy (“Grant Policy”, Attachment 1), which is intended to provide a clear and consistent framework for the organizations seeking support from the City, as well as assist the Council in making funding decisions that prioritize the public benefit derived from the use of grant funds.
Under the Council-adopted policy, an organization must meet the following criteria to be eligible to receive grant funding: (1) located within the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea or provide community, environmental, or social services to the community of Carmel-by-the-Sea; (2) constituted as a nonprofit community-based 501(c) organization or be a Carmel school; (3) directly provide the community service(s) for which City funds are sought; (4) not have outstanding debt due to the City; and (5) not be financially dependent upon receiving City support to meet the organization’s annual budget and operational requirements.
The policy specifically excludes the use of City grants to support political activities; to pay for high school or college scholarships; to pay debt; to purchase alcoholic beverages; to pay for travel, meals, lodging, or entertainment expenses; to support services that are primarily commercial, religious, or political; to pay for permanent improvements to any non-City owned structure or property so that it becomes an integral part of the real property; and to pay for general operating expenses or expenses to support the ongoing operation of the applicant, including, but not limited to, salaries, utilities, and rent expenses.
Executive Summary
The Council Discretionary Grant Program operates on an annual cycle, with the Council determining the overall budget each year and the disbursement of funds to applicants is determined by Council direction. The Grant Policy states that although not all grant applications will be funded, they undergo thorough review for completeness and its potential positive impact and reach within the Carmel-by-the-Sea community.
The FY 2024-2025 Grant application period ran from February 29th through April 5th. The Discretionary Grant Program was advertised on the City’s website homepage, in the Friday Letter over multiple weeks, and noticed in the Pine Cone. Additionally, email notifications were sent to all who subscribed to receive Grant Information updates.
For the fiscal year 2024-2025, a preliminary allocation of $30,000 is proposed for Council Discretionary Grant applicants. However, this amount is subject to change at the discretion of Council.
Review Process
A thoughtful review process led by the City Clerk and two admin staff evaluated each grant application received by the April 5th deadline. The evaluation focused on ensuring that each applicant met the eligibility criteria outlined in the policy, as well as assessing the potential benefit to the Carmel-by-the-Sea community.
This year, we received applications from 16 non-profit organizations, which is higher than our usual number. Among these, 11 applications met all of the eligibility requirements, requesting a total of $33,000 in funds. While 5 applications fell short of meeting all criteria and are not being recommended for grant funding at this time, we value the services provided by all the organizations who applied.
Grant Application Summary
The Table of Summary Grant Applications (Attachment 2), indicates the name of the organization that applied, the amount of the request, a brief description of how the grant funding will be used, staff’s determination as to whether the applicant met the eligibility requirements of the policy, and staff’s recommended funding amount. All applications have been attached for Council consideration.
In consideration of the preliminary budget which has $30,000 earmarked for the FY 24-25 Council Discretionary Grant Program, staff recommends the following breakdown of funding allocations for the 11 eligible applicants:
|
Applicant Organization
|
Recommended Funding Amount
|
|
1
|
CERT
|
$2,700
|
|
2
|
Carmel Residents Assoc.
|
$2,700
|
|
3
|
Carmel Woman’s Club
|
$2,700
|
|
4
|
Carmel Youth Center
|
$2,700
|
|
5
|
Carmel Dance Festival
|
$2,700
|
|
6
|
Monterey Symphony
|
$2,700
|
|
7
|
Pacific Repertory Theatre
|
$2,700
|
|
8
|
Leadership Carmel (Carmel Chamber)
|
$2,700
|
|
9
|
Carmel Youth Baseball
|
$2,700
|
|
10
|
Monterey Peninsula Ballet Theatre
|
$2,700
|
|
11
|
Community Human Services
|
$3,000
|
|
Total Funding Allocated to 11 Applicants
|
$30,000
|
Recommendation
Council has the discretion to determine the overall funding amount to allocate for the grant program, as well as which applicants to award funding to. Therefore, staff requests that Council provide the following direction to staff:
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The total amount of funding to allocate for FY 2024-2025 Council Discretionary Grants.
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The grant award amount to allocate among each of the eligible applicants.