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HomeMy WebLinkAboutVII (D & D1) Approval of New Community Merit Awards Program; 1. Appointment of a Five Member Review Board Venda 01-15-2002 temVIID & Dl "CENTER OF GOOD LIVING-PRIDE OF WEST ORANGE" .MAYOR•COMM[SS(ONIR Ocoee S.SCOTT VANDERGRIFT °� wy, A CITY OF OCOEE �GM�IISS,GRGR, till, 0 - DANNY HOWEI.L fff... O. 150 N. LAKFSIIORE DRIVE. OCOFF, FI ORIDA 34761-2258 SCUIT ANDERSON f. RUSTY JOHNSON r (407) 905-3100 NANCY 1. PARKER Fq Of GoaN` 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. POWit 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 POW!' 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. POWWWWWWWt City of Ocoee Community Merit Awards Program Page 2 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. POW! 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?: POWWWWWWWTI Page 2 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?: POW-r Page 3 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. POWt