Community Service Funding Grant

The City of Temecula has allocated $100,000 in its Operating Budget for its annual Community Service Funding Grant program.

Purpose

The purpose of this Policy and Application is to establish processing and evaluation criteria for funding requests received from community-based organizations that provide community service programs to Temecula residents. Each fiscal year, the City of Temecula may allocate funds toward the Community Service Funding Grant Program (“Community Service Funding”) to serve as a funding resource to nonprofit organizations that provide programs or services which benefit Temecula residents..

General Policy

This policy provides a statement of guidelines and criteria for distributing Community Service Funding grants. Community Service Funding is intended to augment the efforts of nonprofit organizations to benefit residents, neighborhoods and communities in Temecula. It is the City's policy to have a program that can channel requests through an application review, thereby ensuring that all requests are evaluated consistently to enter into agreements for specific measurable services and to ensure that recipients are held accountable for providing the agreed upon services within the specified time frame.

Funding Philosophy

Requests for funding received from organizations will be considered during a specified period. Due to limited resources, not all requests can be funded. It is not the City’s intention to fund each request received but rather to evaluate each proposal and provide funding to those organizations which most effectively serve the needs and improves the well-being of the residents of Temecula.

Special consideration is given to proposals that replace or enhance services the City is responsible for providing. The City also puts a higher priority on Projects/Programs that have broad community appeal.

The City Council encourages a goal of self-sufficiency for all local organizations. The City Council supports providing grants to organizations that have demonstrated their effectiveness in raising funds and volunteer services for their programs within the community. The Council discourages an over-reliance on City financial assistance to maintain such programs on an ongoing basis. Therefore, all organizations requesting funds from the City should continue efforts to develop stable private funding sources.

Guidelines

By law, all Community Service Funding may only be spent for a public purpose for the City of Temecula and must comply with all applicable laws. The program or service recommended for funding must be a social welfare program which benefits the general community of Temecula residents, including promotion of the City. Funds can only be granted to tax exempt IRS 501(c)(3) corporations. Expenditures which will involve a mass mailing cannot violate the Political Reform Act regulations involving mass mailings. The City Council authorizes the City Manager to make administrative modifications to the Community Service Funding Grant Program and Application to assist with maintaining proper compliance with applicable laws.

There will be no roll-over of the budgeted funds for the Community Service Funding Grant Program (within the City’s operating budget) from one fiscal year to another. Any funds that were not allocated to a nonprofit organization by the end of the fiscal year will be returned to the City’s General Fund.

The Project/Program should benefit the general community of Temecula residents.

Community Service Funding grant shall not exceed $5,000 per organization per fiscal year.

Procedure

All eligible entities shall complete an application for Community Service Funding. Any nonprofit agency/organization located or providing services in the City of Temecula may apply for Community Service Funding. The Application must include a full explanation about the proposed use of the money and include a budget of the Project/Program. The Application shall be submitted to the City, who will review the Application for completeness. Applying for funds does not ensure that the request will be granted. Funding for the City’s Community Service Funding Grant Program is limited and some applications, while worthy, will not be funded due to the limited resources.

Community Service Funding is limited to organizations that have completed the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) process to become a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization. Formal nonprofit status must be up-to-date and submitted as requested on the Application. Applicants must be in good standing. Nonprofit organizations may apply for funding only if the Project/Program serves a public purpose and follows the laws governing use of public funds.

The contents of the Application shall (at a minimum) include the following:

• Name of organization;

• Organizational history;

• A description of Project/Program, including a physical address of project/program/event;

• Project/Program benefit;

• Organization objective;

• Project/Program budget;

• Areas served;

• Population served;

• Financial information on the requesting organization;

• Compliance documentation up-to-date for any previous Community Service Funding grants awarded to your organization; and

• A signed acknowledgement by the recipient.

Applicants who sign the Application enter into a written agreement with the City that specifies the responsibilities of the organization with respect to the use of the Community Service Funding grant; stipulating that the expenses will be documented and the organization must provide a full accounting of expenditures to substantiate that City funds were spent appropriately. Additional records may be requested by the City to ensure the funds were (or will be) used appropriately. Once approved, the Community Service Funding award will be processed by City staff.

Compliance

As follow-up to Community Service Funding, each awarded entity shall submit proper back up documentation to substantiate that funds were spent appropriately. This includes invoices/receipts, a narrative that explains each expenditure including how it specifically benefitted Temecula residents, and a schedule of the Project/Program’s revenues/expenditures.

If funds are not spent in accordance with the approved purpose, the organization will be required to refund the amount of funds. Failure to provide proper documentation may jeopardize any future funding. The City of Temecula reserves the right to conduct an audit and/or require additional back-up information to substantiate how funds received from the City were spent.

To the extent possible, it is strongly encouraged that all purchases made to support projects/programs that are funded by this grant be made at retail/businesses located within the City of Temecula to support our local businesses and economy.

Criteria

In making funding determinations, the City considers the following criteria:

Is the organization currently nonprofit?
Does the organization provide a service to the overall community of Temecula?
Will the organization use the City of Temecula Community Service Funding Grant for the benefit of the citizens of Temecula?
Is the size and make-up of the organization equipped to provide the Project/Program to the overall community?
What is the public reaction to the group?
Does the organization have a high quality level of fiscal management?
Is the group well organized to ensure longevity in the City of Temecula?
Is there evidence of satisfactory service provided to the City's citizens?
Is the organization free from discrimination based on race, color, creed, nationality, sex, marital status, disability, religion, or political affiliation?
Does the organization require attendance or participation in any political, religious or social activity?
Can the organization provide financial statements (prepared using an appropriate method of accounting) to demonstrate sound financial management?
Can the organization provide a budget demonstrating its cost-effectiveness?
Does the organization make its services available to all?
Does the organization possess ongoing program evaluation tools?

Community Service Funding Grant

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