"South Huron Council established a Special Purpose Committee to review the South Huron Community Grants process. The Committee presented a report to Council at the May 1, 2019 Regular Council meeting and Council invited a delegation from the South Huron Community Fund to the June 10, 2019 Committee of the Whole meeting to outline the South Huron Community Fund process and possible grant options and future opportunities. South Huron Council at the June 17, 2019 Council meeting presented the Special Purpose Committee with the mandate that the Special Purpose Committee be designated to establish a framework for Council consideration.”
Special Purpose Committee Meeting Notes
July 2, 2019
As adopted by Council on June 15, 2015, South Huron has a Community Grant Program to provide financial support to eligible community groups and organizations within the Municipality. The program is designed to assist with special events and activities. This program is for the recognition of value these community groups have to the well-being and growth of the community and in helping the Municipality retain a strong community focus.
Each year during the preparation of the annual budget Council will determine the financial commitment to the Community Grant Program. If your community group would like to apply, please complete a Community Grant Application Form. The application form is due by September 21, 2018 to be considered for the 2019 budget year. See below for the details of the Community Grant Policy that was adopted by council June 15, 2015.
Categories for Funding
1. Supporting Youth/Senior Events
2. Community Beautification
3. Arts, Culture and Heritage projects and/or events
4. Tourism Development
5. Community Special Events
Grant Types
Requests may be made for monetary and/or in-kind contributions. While cash funds are not provided in relation to in-kind contributions it is recognized that such grants will involve either an expense or foregone revenue for the municipality. Each application for in-kind grants will be required to include an estimated monetary value of the request under consideration.
Application Guidelines
1. All grant applications shall be submitted on the Community Grant Application Form and directed to the Financial Services Manager/Treasurer, on or before September 21 of each year.
2. Forms that are incomplete will not be considered.
3. The application for financial assistance, in any given year, will not will not automatically be considered in future years. Applicant must re-submit grant application.
4. Grant Application forms shall include financial information including a budget for the event/project/program and the financial statement from the previous year from either the event or the organization
a. If the report shows a surplus, a statement of intended use of the surplus shall be included
b. If the report shows a deficit, a statement as to how the deficit will be eradicated
5. Requests related to the waiver or reduction of fees for parks and/or facilities, the applicant will be required to complete and comply with the terms of the rental agreement.
6. Submission of a grant application does not guarantee an organization will receive full or partial funding.
7. Requests related to in-kind contributions are subject to the availability of the resource(s) being requested.
8. Requests related to a capital project to be constructed on municipal land, requires Council sanction before proceeding. The request must detail the project design with a budget including future maintenance costs and it is recommended that the proposal is in accordance with the Municipality's Community Services Master Plan and where applicable be compliant with other municipal policies.
9. The Municipality of South Huron will not contribute to outstanding deficits. In the event that a recommendation is made to provide funding for a program from which the Municipality is owed funds, the Municipality has the right to reduce the recommended grant amount by the amount of monies outstanding.
Eligibility Criteria
An applicant organization must meet the following general criteria in order to be considered for a community grant;
1. Operate as a non-profit organization with the ability to confirm such status to a level deemed satisfactory by the municipality. Any specific service, program or activity for which fund is requested must also be not-for-profit in nature.
2. Applications must meet one of the funding categories specified in this policy.
3. Complete the Community Grant Application Form in full including the submission of previous year’s financial information.
4. Must have submitted a status report for any community grant received in the previous year within the required timelines.
5. One-time special requests for assistance will be considered on an individual basis. Examples of these types of requests would be disaster relief requests either locally or on a broader scope.
6. Demonstrate that the applicant organization has explored and/or are receiving other sources of financial support. Grants are intended to be supplementary to main sources of funding for organizations. The grant shall not be considered as the primary source of funding for the organization and/or the event.
7. There will be consideration given to providing donations to local elementary and secondary schools for special projects or events.
Exclusions
1. Grants will not be available to groups that have failed to comply with reporting requirements from previous grants.
2. Organizations and/or charities whose primary focus is not within the Municipality shall not be considered for a municipal donation or grant.
3. Individuals and businesses are not eligible to apply for the Community Grant Program.
4. Unless special circumstances warrant, consideration will not be given to requests for grants from recreational sport groups (with the exception of minor sports organizations); nor will funds be used to sponsor an individual athlete or team for a competition or to subsidize participation in a sports event.
5. Grants will not be provided to fund projects on property held by private landowners.
Procedure
1. All requests for financial donations and grants will be considered having regard for the Municipality's current budget. Only one request per organization is to be considered per year.
2. The Financial Services Manager/Treasurer will review applications for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with this policy. Applicants may be required to provide additional information before the request is presented to Council. Applicants may present their funding request as a delegation to council.
3. Applications for in-kind non-financial assistance will be forwarded to the respective department for review. The department manager will review and provide in a report the financial impact of the request and the availability of the resource being requested.
4. Council will review and assess all grants/awards in terms of the need for the project, cost effectiveness, financial viability, and contribution to the quality of life in the community and community involvement/response.
5. Council will make the final decision on all grants/awards.
6. Requests will be considered during the annual budget deliberations. The Treasury department will notify all applicants of Council’s decision once the municipal budget has been approved.
7. Revenues related to in-kind services will be recorded in the respective department and the expense will form part of the municipal grant expense budget line.
8. Grant funds will typically be awarded in one lump sum payment. At the discretion of council organizations may be awarded funds by installments, with a reporting requirement prior to release of the next installment.
Accountability
1. Applicants awarded a grant will be held accountable for the expenditure of the funds in accordance with the stated objectives/plans. Grants in future years will be reviewed based on past demonstrated fiscal responsibility of the applicants.
2. Funds granted under this program are not transferable between projects or groups without prior Council approval, and must be used for the specific purposes outlined.
3. In the event that the project does not go forward, the grant recipient shall return those funds granted for the proposed project.
4. Grant recipients must complete a status report and submit to South Huron Council within 60 days of the event/project completion. Failure to comply may affect the eligibility of future grant approvals. The status report shall include – a description of the completed event/project, financial report, listing all expenditures and revenues pertaining to the event/project, the use of the funds, and the signature of the event chair/coordinator.
Municipal Recognition
Organizations receiving financial support shall acknowledge the Municipality of South Huron’s contribution through all printed material and other promotional means. The Municipality’s logo is available by contacting the Clerk’s Office.
Contact(s)