HomeMy WebLinkAboutVII (D & D1) Approval of New Community Merit Awards Program; 1. Appointment of a Five Member Review Board Venda 01-15-2002
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CITY MANAGER
JIM GLEASON
Staff Report
Date: December 20, 2002
To: The Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners
From: Janet Shira, Community Relations/Projects Director
Subject: New Community Merit Awards Program
Issue
Should the Mayor and City Commissioners approve a new program for issuing grants to
community organizations?
Background
There is currently a form in place for organizations to complete who are seeking a grant
from the City. There are also a few criteria placed on applicants. They must be part of
a non-profit organization and at least two Ocoee residents must benefit from the grant.
Although there is also a requirement that groups complete an application at least two
weeks prior to placing the item on a City Commission agenda, there have been times in
the past when groups have shown up without being on the agenda.
There is currently no set limit as to how much money can be requested and no limit on
the amount of times the same group can approach the Commission during the same
fiscal year. And there is no set amount within the Community Promotions account
under the Legislative budget that has been specifically directed to community grants
versus other items that also need to be paid from this account.
Discussion
A more formalized process would help the Commission and the applicants. Most grant
programs have a set schedule for accepting applications, a predetermined dollar
amount for the funding cycle, and a maximum dollar-amount that will be awarded per
applicant. They also generally have a board who reviews all the applications in detail
and then recommends to the funding agency which applications should be funded.
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Page 2 - Community Merit Awards
Staff Report - December 20, 2002
Recommendation
Staff respectfully recommends that the City Commission formally adopt the attached
funding cycles, application, and application process. As the process includes a review
board, staff also recommends that the City Commission appoint five (5) people to serve
on the board. It is recommended that those appointments be completed no later than
the March 5, 2002 City Commission meeting. If all this meets with City Commission
approval, staff will begin advertising the first funding cycle which will begin April 1, 2002.
It is also recommended that for this funding cycle (which will be the only cycle open for
the FY 2001/2002 budget), that there be a total of $5,000 available, with a maximum
grant award of$500.
cc: Jim Gleason, City Manager
Michael Miller
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City of Ocoee Community Merit Awards Program
The City of Ocoee Community Merit Awards program is one way for the City to
acknowledge the value and excellence of our local community non-profit organizations
and the individuals who make these groups successful.
Community Merit Awards are financial grants made to non-profit organizations whose
members include Ocoee residents and business people. The grants are made to
acknowledge excellence and to further the benefits these local organizations bring to
the Ocoee community.
Funding Cycles
Applications for City of Ocoee Community Merit Awards are accepted twice a year.
The first cycle opens November 1 of each year with applications due by November 30.
Applications are then forwarded to members of the Merit Awards Review Board who
individually review each application according to the criteria provided. The Merit
Awards Review Board meets in mid-January to discuss their individual ratings and then
make a recommendation to the City Commission on which applications to fund. Those
recommendations are then forwarded to the City Commission at their first meeting in
February where they make the final determination. Checks are then presented to the
grant recipients at the second Commission meeting in February.
The second cycle opens April 1 with applications due by April 30. Applications are then
forwarded to members of the Merit Awards Review Board who individually review each
application according to the criteria provided. The Merit Awards Review Board meets in
June to discuss their individual ratings and then make a recommendation to the City
Commission on which applications to fund. Those recommendations are then
forwarded to the City Commission at their first meeting in July where they make the final
determination. Checks are then presented to the grant recipients at the second
Commission meeting in July.
Application Process
The grant cycles will be published on the City's web site, OGTV, the News To You, and
the West Orange Times. Applications will be available on the web site or at the City
Hall reception desk. The Community Relations Department telephone numbers and e-
mails will be published on the application in case there are any questions.
Organizations may apply for both funding cycles each year, however, only one
application per organization per cycle will be accepted.
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City of Ocoee Community Merit Awards Program
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Applicants will not be allowed to discuss their application with any members of the Merit
Awards Review Board prior to the board's meeting to discuss the applications. No
formal presentations will be allowed by the applicants at the Merit Awards Review
Board meeting; however, applicants should attend to answer any questions that the
board may have.
The Merit Awards Review Board will individually review each application according to a
pre-determined set of criteria. That criteria includes:
1. Whether the application is complete.
2. Whether that applicant has recently received a Community Merit Award.
3. Whether the organization has formally supported the application through a vote
taken at one of their meetings.
4. How many members of the applicant organization live in Ocoee?
5. How many clients of the applicant organization live in Ocoee?
6. What other fundraising efforts has the organization used besides this grant process
to gain funding for this purpose?
7. Whether the organization volunteers in the community on a regular basis, or
whether they are willing to volunteer their time outside of the time dedicated to
benefit their own organization.
8. What accomplishments their organization has made over the past 24 months.
9. The merits of the specific purpose of the grant insofar as its importance to the
Ocoee community as a whole versus the benefits to the organization or individual
members or clients of the organization.
The Merit Awards Review Board will then meet to discuss their individual findings and
come up with an overall board recommendation.
The City Commission will receive all the grant applications in addition to the Merit
Awards Review Board meeting minutes and formal recommendation. The City
Commission will then discuss this at a public meeting and make a final determination.
Applicants will not be allowed to discuss their application with any members of the City
Commission prior to the Commission meeting to discuss the applications. No formal
presentations will be allowed by the applicants at the City Commission meeting;
however, applicants should attend to answer any questions that the board may have.
The Merit Awards Review Board members may also want to attend the Commission
meeting in case there are any questions relating to their deliberations and/or
recommendation.
The decision of the City Commission is final. All grants awarded must be made payable
to the applicant.
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City of Ocoee Community Merit Awards Program
Application
WHEN COMPLETING THIS APPLICATION, USE ONLY THE SPACE PROVIDED.
THE ONLY ATTACHMENTS SHOULD BE THE NON-PROFIT STATUS
DOCUMENTATION AND THE FORMAL ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT
DOCUMENTATION (MINUTES, LETTER, ETC.).
Applicants may apply for any amount up to $500.
Funding Cycle: Month: Year:
Name of Non-Profit Organization:
(All applicants must attach a copy of the documentation from the Internal
Revenue Service which attests to your organization's charitable or non-profit
status.)
Address of Organization:
Contact person for this application:
(The contact member must be a member of the organization.)
Daytime phone number for contact person:
E-mail address (if applicable) for contact person:
What is your organization's primary funding source?:
How much money does your organization receive from this source each year?:
What other sources of revenue does your organization have?:
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City of Ocoee Community Merit Awards Program Application
What is your annual budget for this year?:
What was your annual budget last year?:
What fundraisers does your organization hold?:
How many fundraisers a year does your organization have?:
How many members does your organization have?:
How many of your members live in Ocoee?:
If applicable, how many clients does your organization serve?:
If applicable, how many of those clients live in Ocoee?:
Has your organization applied for a grant from the City before?
If so, when and what did you apply for?
Were you successful and, if so, how much money did you receive?
Does your organization volunteer in the Ocoee community?:
If yes, what volunteer activities do you participate in?:
How many volunteer hours per year does your organization contribute to the Ocoee
community?:
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City of Ocoee Community Merit Awards Program Application
How are those hours tracked or documented?:
Please list the specific accomplishments your organization has achieved in the past 24
months:
Please include any other pertinent information about your organization or this specific
grant request that you feel would help the City in making its decision:
Please attach documentation (meeting minutes, letter, etc.) to verify that your
organization supports this application.
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