Community Funding Grant provides for Local Human Service Needs (California)

This annual grant opportunity provides financial support to local nonprofit agencies whose programs respond to the human service needs of Menlo Park residents.

Addressing Community Needs Funded programs must respond to a verified community need as defined by the City Council

• Disabled: Emphasizes support of programs that will allow the disabled to actively participate in their community and maintain independence from institutional support. Emergency assistance and low income support:
  • Emphasizes support of programs that can meet emergency needs for people in crisis such as victims of homelessness, rape, and domestic violence and the basic needs such as food, etc., for low-income residents.
• Seniors: Emphasizes support of programs which serve predominantly low income, frail and minority seniors; and those programs which make it possible for seniors to continue to be independent and active community participants.
• Youth: Emphasizes support of delinquency prevention services including recreation; crisis and family counseling; substance abuse prevention; child care and acculturation of ethnic minorities.

Eligibility Criteria

• All applicants must be formally incorporated nonprofit entities and must be tax exempt (under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code, and Section 2370(d) of the California Revenue and Taxation Code).
• All applicants must be agencies based in Menlo Park or agencies that provide services throughout the County of San Mateo who can demonstrate a significant Menlo Park client base.
• All applications must provide a service that is not a duplication of an existing public sector program, OR if the service is duplicated, the applicant must show why it is not an unnecessary duplication of service.
• All applicants shall maintain accounting records that are in accordance with generally accepted accounting practices. The agency must have an independent audit performed at least once every two years.
• The agency must have bylaws that define the organization’s purposes and functions, its organization and the duties, authority and responsibilities of its governing body and officers.
• Governance of the agency should be vested in a responsible and active board that meets at least quarterly and establishes and enforces policies. The board should be large enough and so structured to be representative of the community it serves. It should have a specific written plan for rotation or other arrangements to provide for new members.
• The agency must provide for adequate administration of the program to insure delivery of the services. The agency must provide that it has a written job description for each staff position and an organizational chart approved by the board. One individual should be designated as the full time director of the agency.
• No less than 85 percent of City funds granted must be used for direct services as opposed to administrative costs.
• City grants can represent no more that 20 percent of an applicant’s total operating budget.
• All recipients agree to actively participate in City efforts to coordinate and to improve human services within the City.
• The program described must respond to a verified community need as defined by the City Council.

For more information, visit City of Menlo Park.