At tonight’s Council meeting, the city council will discuss awarding grants to community organizations serving College Park.
The FY2016 adopted College Park operating budget provides $20,000 in funding for community services grants, limited to $2,500 per organization. Organizations receiving direct or beneficial grants or community event micro-grants from the City, volunteer fire companies receiving fire department capital equipment grants, or public schools receiving education grants were not eligible to apply.
Grant applications were e-mailed to previous recipient organizations on October 20 and were advertised on the City’s website (with links to the application form and criteria) and in the Municipal Scene.
The City received 7 grant applications by the November 5 deadline, requesting a total of $16,600. Councilmembers Mitchell, Day, Dennis and I volunteered to serve on the subcommittee to review submitted grant applications and make a recommendation to Mayor & Council for grant award.
On November 10, the subcommittee met to review the submitted applications and formulate its recommendation for grant award. Applications were rated based on the grant criteria.The committee recommends that the following applicants each receive $2,500:
- the National Museum of Language (for a language camp and other events)
- the Lakeland Community Heritage Project (for Lakeland Heritage events)
- American Legion Auxiliary Park Unit 217 (for college scholarships for Miss College Park pageant participants)
- Pregnancy Aid Centers, Inc. (for its food pantry program)
- the College Park Woods Swim Club (for a Senior summer day camp)
- Embry Center for Family Life (for the Lakeland All-Stars basketball program),
- College Park Church of the Nazarene (for the College Park Community Library).
The Council will review these grants in tomorrow’s worksession.
Council will also discuss grant reporting by recipients of direct grants. Recipients of direct grants include College Park Arts Exchange, College Park Boys & Girls Club, Meals on Wheels of College Park, College Park City-University Partnership and College Park Community Foundation. In prior fiscal years, CPCUP on behalf of College Park Academy would also be included in this list.