This year, the city’s community grants will be evaluated on an expedited timeline, the Coronado City Council decided unanimously on Feb. 4.
Under the new framework, some longstanding grants will be recommended for automatic renewal, although the City Council will still have the ability to fine-tune allocations in a future meeting.
The framework will also introduce mini-grants, in which standalone grants and new applicants can apply for amounts up to $15,000. That amount, too, can be tweaked when the council makes its final allocations in June.
Coronado allocates about $1 million in grants to local nonprofits that benefit the community each year, and it is a laborious process that carries an estimated cost of 250 hours of staff time.
The new timeline was proposed by city staff for two reasons: First, there are currently vacancies in the city manager’s office, and the framework would save an estimated 140 hours of staff time.
But it also will serve as a pilot to potentially refine the grant allocation process in future years.
“I’m always striving for continuous improvement in the organization,” said City Manager Tina Friend. “I always want to elevate.”
Last year, the city allocated $1,075,000 in grants to 33 programs across 23 organizations in the community. Each year’s total grant allocation equates to 1.4% of the city’s general fund revenue, which is expected to be several thousand dollars higher this year.
Friend said she was happy with last year’s process, but wanted to explore a multi-year grant cycle for some of the organizations that receive funding year after year: The Coronado Fourth of July, the Coronado Chamber of Commerce, and the Coronado Historical Association are among those who receive annual allocations, but there are many others that frequent the list.
Usually, these organizations apply annually for grants, which are scored by three independent grant readers, who assess applications against a council-approved rubric. The overall score from these readers is used to determine the recommendations from city staff of funding amounts, which the City Council then reviews, refines, and ultimately allocates at a June council meeting.
It’s redundant – and expensive – for both the city and applying organizations to continue to apply and review each year. Friend said she would like the council to consider multi-year allocations to save on staff time and allow for organizations to better financially plan.
It is important to note that the council can still adjust these amounts in June, but under the expedited plan, major special events would be recommended for for renewal at 100% of its 2024 allocation. The Coronado Flower Show, Coronado Island Film Festival, Coronado Art and Wine Festival, Coronado Fourth of July, and holiday parade and tree lighting all fall into this category.
Recurring grants, which have been awarded for the same program for at least the three prior consecutive years, would be renewed at 90% of the prior allocation. The Coronado Community Theater, the Coronado Community Band, and Safe Harbor Coronado all fall into this category.
Emerging grants, which have been awarded to the same program for two consecutive years, would be recommended for automatic renewal at 80% of the prior allocation. Emerald Keepers and Musica Vitale both received emerging grants last year, though they also received recurring grants for other programs.
Standalone grants, which are for one-time events or programs, and new grants would be eligible to apply for $15,000 mini-grants. The Coronado School of the Arts Foundation and the Pacific Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) received standalone grants last year. New grants were allocated to the Coronado Junior Arts League and the KMAC Foundation last year.
Of last year’s grants, five were for major events, 22 for recurring events, 2 each for emerging and standalone grants, and two for new grants.
The City Council often considers the allocation of its staff hours. During the same meeting, when the council decided to move forward with a resolution to declare the ongoing Tijuana sewage crisis an emergency, Mayor John Duncan asked Friend how much staff time doing so would cost on an ongoing basis. It’s a common topic in council meetings.
The council agreed that, given the current constraint on city resources, an expedited framework would be appropriate this year. However, there were some concerns.
First, during last year’s grant allocations, some council members worried if repeated allocations caused some organizations to grow dependent on city support, rather than trying to generate funding on their own. An automatic recommendation of renewal could exacerbate the problem, and decrease transparency from organizations about how their money is spent.
“If you just keep getting everything you got the year before, it doesn’t encourage people to go out and look for other funding,” said Council Member Carrie Downey, “and it doesn’t allow (the city) to give funding to new people that are coming up with things that we may want.”
And last year, Coronado MainStreet was allocated $20,000 of its requested $99,925, but the council at the time questioned what the organization’s mission was, and agreed to give it another year. Now, it will be recommended for renewal at 90% of its past allocation. There was some concern that the automatic recommendations wouldn’t reflect true community need.
However, a new council is now sitting, and its members can still adjust the allocation in June. The approved framework will expedite the allocation recommendations, but it is not a final decision.
Instead, the city will release grant documents on Feb. 15. Organizations eligible for automatic renewal must submit a letter of intent by April 15, and the final allocations will come before the council in June.
“This framework, as presented, is fully ready to be implemented, but has no implications on funding,” said Kelli Maples, the city’s senior management analyst. “Things like automatic renewal percentages or the mini grant allocations can certainly be tweaked.”
