BARRHEAD-Not-for-profit groups in the County of Barrhead potentially have access to another revenue source.
Councillors in two separate motions approved Policy AD-002 (Community Grants) which outlines the process in which eligible community organizations can apply for up to $2,500. The funds will come from the recreation organizational reserve and capped at $15,000 annually.
If for any reason the funds are not used at the end of the budget year councillors have the option of either rolling the unused portion to the following year or returning the funds to reserves. The reserve currently sits at $142,858.
It should be also be noted that the community grant policy is a matching grant program in that successful groups are required to contribute equally, either monetarily or through work-in-kind. Distribution of the funds is also on a first-come basis.
The policy committee has been working on the policy for more than a year.
The purpose of the policy is to provide a transparent and fiscally responsible framework for the evaluation of funding requests and the allocation of community grants. Before enacting the policy, community groups wanting funding had to make the request directly to the council.
County manager Debbie Oyarzun said as part of the process, the committee researched how many municipalities had similar policies.
"There is a very diverse approach to community grants, from the process to the way funds are allocated," she said, adding the size of individual grants ranged from very small to large. "It depends on the complexity of the municipality and the size of their budget."
For the most part, Oyarzun found that the majority of urban municipalities had a form of community granting but not so much in rural communities.
"Not unless it is for capital requests," she said.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a community grant, groups must be a registered non-profit society, charitable organization or volunteer group or service club that provides services within or that are readily accessible to county residents. Groups must also be in good standing with the municipality and can demonstrate the grant will be used for a project, service, structure or an event.
Ineligible groups include political parties or other politically affiliated organizations, government agencies or initiatives funded by other levels of government, for-profits, organizations with a closed membership and organized sports teams.
Applications will be evaluated on the benefit to the community, resident engagement, events that create economic and tourism opportunities or celebrate the community, as well as those that align with the municipality's Strategic Plan.
Oyarzun noted that where applicable, organizations will have to provide proof of having adequate insurance and adding the municipality to the policy.
A community grant will not be given to organizations planning events outside the Barrhead municipalities, where day-to-day operating expenses include wages or honorariums, or where it is used as flow-through funding where the intent is to redistribute monies to other organizations. Community grants are also not to be used for donations to charitable causes.
The initiative is not meant to replace organizations that already receive funding from the municipality as a recurring grant or a budget line item such as STARS Air Ambulance, Barrhead Community Victim Services or the Gateway Research Organization, among other organizations.
"We [administration] will do all the leg work, help the organizations fill out the application and then evaluate the groups according to the policy before making a recommendation to council to make the final decision," Oyarzun said, adding once an event is completed the applicant will then have 90 days to submit a final report so council can see the funds were used.
Coun. Walter Preugschas asked if churches were eligible, adding in recent months churches had approached the municipality for funding.
It would depend on their specific application, but Oyarzun said she believed in most cases they would be eligible.
Using the past two years as a guide, administration estimated if all the groups that would have bee eligible under the policy applied for the $2,500 maximum amount, they would to set aside between $8,000 and $10,000.
Reeve Doug Drozd said the policy committee suggested they set aside $20,000 for the fund.
Coun. Dennis Nanninga suggested $8,000 to $10,000 was the right starting point.
"Once organizations learn that we are setting aside some money ... it wouldn't surprise me that we see more applicants come out of the woodwork," he said. "I don't see why we should double the amount we have historically been giving out in our first year. Once you increase the amount it will be hard to go back."
Coun. Darrell Troock agreed, adding during their budget deliberations councillors purposely held the line knowing it was going to be a difficult year.
He also said due to the pandemic he did not expect a rush of organizations attempting to get the funding.
Nanninga then moved to set aside $10,000 for the initial year of the program. The motion was defeated 4-3.
Coun. Bill Lane then moved that the fund be set at $15,000. The motion passed 5-2.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
