City of HMB Awards the 2019 Community Services Grant

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ARTICLE. ALAS, Coastside Hope and Abundant Grace top 3 winners.

FISCAL IMPACT: The City Council has allocated $150,000 from the General Fund for the CSFA Program for FY 2019-20

RECOMMENDATION: Receive applicant funding recommendations from the Community Services Financial Assistance (CSFA) grant program subcommittee and determine final funding allocations for FY 2019-20.

STRATEGIC ELEMENT: This action supports the Healthy Communities and Public Safety and Inclusive Governance elements of the Strategic Plan.

BACKGROUND: In FY 2018-19, the City implemented the Community Services Financial Assistance (CSFA) grant program and City distributed $129,750 to 15 local non-profits serving Half Moon Bay. At the February 19, 2019 City Council meeting, staff recommended the continuation of the CSFA program in Fiscal Year 2019-20. At that meeting, the Council determined that a subcommittee should be created to assist in the development of applicant selection criteria as well as work with staff to review applications and develop recommendations for full Council consideration. At its March 5, 2019 meeting, the Council appointed the subcommittee, consisting of Mayor Harvey Rarback and Councilmember Debbie Ruddock, and allocated $150,000 from the General Fund for the FY 2019-20 cycle of the CSFA program. The application period opened on April 15, 2019 and closed on May 31, 2019. The City received a total of 34 applications. Staff conducted an initial review to determine whether applicants met minimum qualifications, and subcommittee members reviewed applications individually before meeting to review, discuss, and form a recommendation to the City Council.

To assist in the review process, the subcommittee developed a set of standard criteria upon which each application was reviewed. The most heavily weighted criteria were whether the “project is vital for serving low, very low, and extremely low-income Half Moon Bay residents, or extremely vulnerable or under-served populations” and whether the “program serves a significant number of Half Moon Bay residents.” Other considerations included goals, collaboration, program impact and effectiveness, and alignment with Council priorities and strategic elements.