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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-014-07 Cl!l!ington REPORT COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE September 17, 2007 Resolution #:~Pfh~~8-D7 Date: Report #: CSD- 014 - 07 File #: By-law #: Subject: MUNICIPAL GRANT REVIEW Recommendations: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. That Report No. CSD-O 14-07 be received; and 2. That the revised Municipal Grant Application form and Policy Report CSD-014-07 be approved. Reviewed b( ) !v?-eJJ;! -:::::-<:<......)1c Franklin Wu Chief Administrative Officer JPC/SM/SC/jm CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L 1C 3A6 T (905)623-3379 F (905)623-5506 REPORT NO.: CSD-014-07 PAGE 2 1.0 BACKGROUND 1.1 During the 2007 Municipal Grant process, staff were requested to review the present grant program and report back to Council. 1.2 The present program was last reviewed in 2001, and the revised Municipal Grant Policy was initiated in 2002. 2.0 REPORT 2.1 The Municipal Grant Program has been successful over the years in providing Council with a vehicle to acknowledge and support the efforts of our local volunteer community and not-for-profit agencies that provide services, events or programs which benefit the community in general. 2.2 Funding for the program is based on a formula of $1.00 per capita annually and requires Council to assess the merits of each application, as requests for funding always exceed the available funds. As the community continues to grow there will be increased demands on the grant program. For this reason, applicants should be encouraged to work towards financial self sufficiency and to pursue other opportunities for financial support. 2.3 We must be careful that long term reliance on municipal funding does not erode the strength and independence of these groups and agencies. 2.4 Staff surveyed 20 municipalities in GT A of which 15 offered some form of a municipal grant program. These programs were reviewed to identify best practices and to aid in developing a 'made in Clarington' grant program that would best address the needs of our community. 2.5 This report should be considered as another stage in the evolution of the Municipal Grant program. Over the next several years there will be constant review and modifications to the program to ensure that it continues to provide Council with the means to support appropriate community initiatives which meet clearly defined criteria, in a fiscally responsible manner. 2.6 The report recommends the adoption of a revised Municipal Grant Application and Policy (attachment # 1) which defines the objectives and criteria of the program, while ensuring that the organizations applying are accountable for their applications and any subsequent grant funds allocated to them. This will ensure that Council is able to generate the maximum benefit to the local volunteer and not-for-profit communities through the Municipal Grant program. For the purposes of this report, the revisions to Attachment #1 have been identified with bold, italicized font. REPORT NO.: CSD-014-07 PAGE 3 3.0 MUNICIPAL GRANT POLICY 3.1 The objective of the Municipal Grant Program has been expanded to reflect and acknowledge the positive contributions of our community partners. 3.2 Criteria # 1 through # 7 are appropriate and relevant and no changes are recommended. 3.3 Criteria # 8 - Applicants will be encouraged to apply by the deadline so that Council will be able to access the merits of each application at one time and allocate funds appropriately. 3.4 Criteria #9 - This allows Council to direct municipal funds to services, events or projects that are the mandate of the Municipality. 3.5 Criteria # 10 - The previous criteria limited the ineligibility to Citizen Ratepayer Associations. The revised criteria expands the ineligibility to include all political mandated organizations. 3.6 Criteria # 11 - Organizations that have delinquent accounts with the Municipality will no longer be able to apply for a grant to settle their accounts. 3.7 Criteria # 12 - The Municipal Grant Program has limited funds available. This criteria will allow Council to direct these funds to services, events or programs that benefit or promote the Municipality directly. 3.8 Criteria #13 - Groups applying to the Municipal Grant program will be expected to perform their due diligence in completing their applications, to ensure that all of the required information is included. Applicants will be required to identify all of their financial assets, including bank accounts and investment income. The onus will be on the applicant to justify any increase over the previous year's request and to justify any surplus of revenue over expenses. It is important that Council has all of the required information to make informed decisions on the allocation of grant funds. 3.9 Criteria # 14 - All successful applicants will be required to submit a year ending accounting of all grant monies received to ensure that the funds were used for the intended purposes. 3.10 The application will include a Declaration and Acceptance of Conditions which must be signed by two members of the applicant's executive. REPORT NO.: CSD-014-07 PAGE 4 3.11 Funding Categories -The four Funding Categories will remain, however the phrase "which is not considered to be the responsibility of another level of government" will be added to the definition of the Social Category, to support Criteria # 9. In the past this category often created opportunities for organizations to apply for funding services that could be considered outside the mandate of the Municipality. 4.0 PUBLIC NOTICE 4.1 Staff will contact all community groups and agencies that have received funding through the Municipal Grant program over the last four years and inform them of the new policy. 4.2 Subsequent to the approval of this report, staff will host a community workshop in the fall to introduce the new Municipal Grant Policy and application form. 5.0 COMMENT 5.1 The Municipal Grant Program has proven to be an effective vehicle which allows Council to acknowledge and support the efforts of our local volunteer community and not-for-profit agencies that provide services, events or projects which benefit the community in general. 5.2 The revisions presented in this report and the acknowledgement that the policy must continue to evolve as our community grows and evolves will ensure that the Municipal Grant program will provide the maximum benefits and support to the community into the future, in a fiscally responsible manner. Attachments: Attachment #1 - Revised Municipal Grant Application and Policy Report# CSD-014-07, Attachment #1 APPLICATION FOR MUNICIPAL GRANT FILE # SUBMIT ORIGINAL TO: MUNICIPALITY OF CLARlNGTON COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT 40 TEMPERANCE STREET BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L 1C 3A6 PLEASE PRINTlTYPE SUBMISSION DEADLINE: PLEASE COMPLETE ALL AREAS 1. Name of Organization/Association: NAME TELEPHONE STREET ADDRESSIPOST OFFICE BOX 2. TOWN PROVINCE Executive List: (Attachment required) POSTAL CODE 3. Contact Person for this Application: HOME # WORK # NAMElPOSITION 4. What year was your Organization formed? 5. Is your Organization based within the Municipality of Clarington 0 or the Region of Dumam 0 6. Total program or association membership in you organization % Clarington Residents 7. Is your Organization Incorporated as non-profit? YES NO If yes, when? (ddlmm/yy) 8. Please include a copy of your Constitution or Mission Statement or a Statement of Purpose: (Attachment Required) 9. List the programs/services provided by your Organization that benefit Clarington residents. 1 10. Amount Requested $ 11. Describe how the programs/services provided by your Organization would be impacted if your application is not approved or is not approved in total. 12. Have you made a previous request for a Municipal Grant to the Municipality of Clarington? YES NO If YES, please comolete the followinq: YEAR REQUESTED AMOUNT REQUESTED AMOUNT RECEIVED 13. Have you received funding from any other agency or organization in the last three years? YES NO If YES, D/ease comD/ete the foJ/owina: YEAR REQUESTED AGENCY/ORGANIZTlON AMOUNT RECEIVED 14. CATEGORY: (Circle One) Recreational Civic Social Hall Board/Comm. Centre I 15. Budget Information: The foJ/owing budget information must be included in order to have the application considered for funding. Please summarize your budget information on the form provided. a. Year end financial statement 2006 including any investments b. Year to date financial statement for 2007 including any investments c. Budget for 2008 2 BUDGET INFORMATION REVENUE 2006 2007 2008 SOURCE GRANTS - FED/PROV MUNICIPAL GRANT MEMBERSHIPS REGISTRATIONS FUNDRAISING INVESTMENT INCOME OTHER (SPECIFY) LAST YEAR SURPLUS/DEFICIT TOTAL REVENUE EXPENDITURES 2006 2007 2008 SALARIES - FULL TIME SALARIES - PART TIME FACILITY RENTAL OFFICE SUPPLIES TELEPHONE ADVERTISING MAINTENANCE OTHER (SPECIFY) OTHER (SPECIFY) TOTAL EXPENSES SURPLUS (DEFICIT) 2006 2007 2008 3 The onus will be on the applicant to justify: - any increase over the previous year's request - any surplus of revenue over expenses Declaration and Acceptance of Conditions 1. In the event that the funds allocated are not used for the services, event or project as described in the application, or if there are misrepresentations in the application, the full amount of the financial assistance may be payable forthwith to the Municipality. 2. If there are any changes in the funding of the services, event or project from that contemplated in the application, the Municipality will be notified of such changes through the Community Services Department 3. The applicant will make or continue to make attempts to secure funding from other sources. 4. The applicant will keep proper books of accounts of all receipts and expenditures, relating to the services, event or project described in the application. 5. The applicant will retain and make available for inspection by the Municipality or its auditors all records and books of accounts of the Organization upon request from the Municipality, (which may be made within two years of the grant award). 6. If the services, event or program proposed in the applicant's application are not commenced, or are not completed and there remain municipal funds on hand, or if the services, event or project are completed without requiring the full use of the municipal funds, such funds will be returned to the Municipality. 7. The applicant agrees that the services, event or project shall not be represented as a Municipal service, event or program, and that the applicant does not have the authority to hold itself out as an agency of the Municipality in any way, the only relationship being that the Municipality has approved and granted financial assistance to the applicant. 8. The applicant agrees to provide to the Municipality a year end summary confirming the financial assistance provided by the Municipality was used for the services, event or project as described in their application. Failure to provide such documentation will rule them ineligible for further financial assistance under this program. We certify tha~ to the best of our knowledge, the information provided herein is accurate and complete and is endorsed by the Organization, which we represent. Name: Name: Title: Title: Signature: Signature: Date: Date: This application must be signed by two (2) Members of the Executive. 4 MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES MUNICIPAL GRANT POLICY Revised September 17,2007 OBJECTIVE: The Municipality of C/arington acknowledges the efforts of our local volunteer community and believes that many services, events or projects are best provided through the volunteer efforts of local community organizations. The Municipality wishes to support local community organizations without eroding their strength and independence and as such encourages them to work towards financial self sufficiency. Applicants are further encouraged to pursue other opportunities for financial support. The Municipal Grant program provides financial assistance to those qualified organizations which provide direct services, events or programs to the benefit of the residents of Clarington. CRITERIA: 1) Organizations requesting financial assistance must be based within the Municipality of Clarington or the Region of Durham. 2) Regionally based organizations must provide details demonstrating how their service directly benefits the residents of Clarington. 3) Organizations must be volunteer based, or operate as not for profit. 4) Funding applications will be considered for operational expenses. Capital requests may be considered as a one-time grant only (excluding Hall Boards/Community Centres). 5) Organizations that receive any form of other funding from the Municipality of Clarington are not eligible to apply. 6) Applications for funding through the Municipal Grant Process must not exceed $5,000.00. 7) Applications requesting in excess of $5,000.00 will be referred directly to the budget process to be dealt with on an individual basis external to the Grant Process. 8) Late applications or requests received subsequent to the current year's municipal budget approval will be referred to Council for consideration, pending the availability offunds. 9) Organizations that provide services or programs that are the responsibility of another level of government are not eligible to apply. 10) Organizations with a political mandate, such as citizen Ratepayers Associations, are not eligible to apply. 5 11) Organizations not in good financial standing with the Municipality of Clarington are not eligible to apply. 12) Fundraising organizations or organizations that make charitable donations to other organizations are not eligible to apply. 13) Applications must be leaible. completed in full, signed and include all required attachments. It is important that Council has all of the required information to make informed decisions on the allocation of grant funds 14) All successful applicants will be required to submit a year end accounting of all grant monies received to ensure that the funds were used for the intended purposes. FUNDING CATEGORIES a) Recreation/Leisure Services: This category is defined as those organizations offering athletic or leisure opportunities not offered by the Municipality. b) Civic: This category is defined as those organizations providing events, or services promoting the Municipality of Clarington (i.e. Santa Clause Parade, Horticultural Societies, Historical Society etc.) c) Social: This category is defined as those organizations offering specific service (other than recreational/leisure) to residents of the Municipality of Clarington, which is not considered to be the responsibility of another level of government. d) Hall BoardslCommunity Centres: This category is defined as a Hall Board or Community Centre that operates and maintains a Municipally-owned facility. (Please note grants will be considered for operational expenses only. Capital requests must be referred to the appropriate municipal representative for consideration during annual budget deliberations.) MUNICIPAL GRANT FUNDING FORMULA To consider all eligible grants, the Municipality of Clarington will provide a funding formula of $1.00 per capita annually. All unallocated funds will remain in the un allocated grant account for un-anticipated requests received during the current year. PUBLIC NOTICE The Municipality of Clarington will provide public notice of the Municipal Grant Program twice each year through local newspapers. 6