Norfolk council has approved changes to its community grant program designed to align with the county’s strategic plan and make the guidelines clearer for applicants.
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The county provides community grants to eligible, not-for-profit organizations to help fund events and other activities.
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In July, council directed county staff to develop a revised grant policy and program that would update the timelines, budget, application process, eligibility and evaluation criteria.
Mayor Amy Martin said the changes “clean up” the grant process. Coun. Kim Huffman agreed.
“This has been an ongoing issue from the previous term of council,” said Huffman, who called the changes “very transparent and equitable.”
“There has been a mishmash of ways we’ve done it (in the past).”
County staff are recommending an allocation of $68,000 for the grant program for 2024. That amount would increase as the county grows.
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Among the goals of the new policy are:
- To work with the community to deliver on the county’s strategic plan priorities.
- Consistency, fairness and demonstrating due diligence with respect to proper use of public funds when grants are involved.
- Ensure all grant-related projects are administered and operated in a fiscally responsible manner.
- To build and advance the self-sustainability of the not-for-profit sector.
Staff are recommending the grant applications be reviewed by a committee made up of members of six advisory committees and five county staff members.
Applications would be submitted in January and, based on the selection committee’s recommendations, council would make final decisions on applications in late April.
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At council’s request, staff also estimated the value of in-kind services provided by Norfolk County to community groups at $202,000 in 2022. Examples of these services are staff time for special events, waived or subsidized fees, waived rental rates and free use of county equipment.
Martin said she’d like the value of the in-kind services factored into the grants.
“I want there to be more money to go around to other people in the future,” said Martin. “The only reason any council sets money aside for these initiatives is to set groups up for success. I get calls and emails from people who are very much expecting that funding to be there and they are very much relying on that funding to make their event successful. I don’t think that’s the intent of the program.”
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The $68,000 budget for grants, which is conditional approval in the county’s 2024 operating budget, represents an increase of $39,000.
Coun. Chris Van Paassen, noting the grant budget was cut in half a few years ago due to financial pressures, questioned the logic of increasing it.
Treasurer Amy Fanning said the county’s “financial pressures are mounting” but the relatively small addition to the operating budget would allow the municipality to “do some good for our community.”
Martin said the grant program has been the subject of “years of discussion.”
“This is a couple of thousand dollars here and there for community initiatives, parades, events, festivals. There may be room for improvement as we go over the years. This is a great jumping off point.”
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