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CITY OF VANCOUVER ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT |
Date: |
November 17, 2003 | |
Author: |
Diane Elliott | |
Phone No.: |
604.871.6519 | |
RTS No.: |
03699 | |
CC File No.: |
2201 | |
Meeting Date: |
December 11, 2003 |
TO: |
Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets |
FROM: |
General Manager of Corporate Services/Director of Finance |
SUBJECT: |
2003 "Other" Grant Request - Wildlife Rescue Association of BC |
CONSIDERATION
That Council approve a grant of $4,500 to the Wildlife Rescue Association of BC; as the "Other" grants budget has been reallocated, the sources of funds for this request would be:
· $3,500 - Other Grants - Miscellaneous Grants
· $1,000 - Contingency Reserve
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager Corporate Services submits the Wildlife Rescue Association's grant request for Council's CONSIDERATION.
COUNCIL POLICY
Applications for grants under the 'OTHER' Grants category are to be submitted to the City before March 31 of the current budget year, and the requests are generally submitted to Council in a single report.
Approval of grants requires eight affirmative votes of Council.
PURPOSE
This report presents a request for funding under the "Other" Grant category - Miscellaneous Grant
BACKGROUND
Council established the "Other" Grants budget to provide funding for grant requests that did not meet the criteria for Community Services, Cultural, Childcare or Environmental grants. On June 22, 1989, Council approved the restructuring of the "Other" Grant funding into three separate categories: Major Facilities, Annual Recurring and Miscellaneous. Funding is also provided for specific programs and one-time grant requests that come before Council throughout the year.
In October 2002, Council approved a permanent reallocation of $48,000 from the miscellaneous category to support the creation of a "Celebration" grants category for community-based festivals and celebrations to be implemented in 2003.
The unallocated balance of the miscellaneous categories of the "Other" grants budget is $3,500. If Council chooses to approve this grant request of $4,500 the source of the remaining $1,000 would be Contingency Reserve.
DISCUSSION
Requested $4,500 - 2002 funding $ 5,000
The Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. (WRA) is a charitable society located in Burnaby. Its mandate is to rehabilitate and release back to the wild injured, orphaned and pollution damaged wildlife. It raises the public's awareness of wildlife issues through education and operates a telephone line, dispensing ongoing advice about what to do with "found" and injured wildlife on private and public property. In 2002 the Association's activities included care of 3,431 animals, of which 943 (27.5%) came from the City of Vancouver via members of the public, the BCSPCA and WRA volunteers. The staff are assisted by a core group of about 70 volunteers. In addition, WRA makes presentations to Vancouver schools and community groups. The Association received grants from the City of Vancouver in the amount of $2,500 in 1992, $2,575 in 1993 and $3,000 in 1994.
The grant request of $4,500 (Appendix A) is for general support to offset increasing operating expenditures and to more adequately respond to local wildlife and community needs.
The WRA has achieved year-end surplus in both 2001 and 2002 of $153,081 and $114,518 respectively. The 2003 Budget received from WRA projects a year-end deficit of $98,509 on a total budget of $414,595. This is due to an anticipated reduction of approximately $193,000 in income from bequests and a twelve percent increase in wages, contracts and benefits. At the end of June, the operating deficit was $26,946.
At the end of 2002 the WRA had an endowment fund of $101,887 for ongoing support and for new and innovative programs. At the end of 2002 the WRA's Operating fund had a balance of $165,607 and their Capital fund had a balance of $6,786. In addition, a six-month emergency fund is being built up and at the end of 2002 had a balance of $177,531. The total balance for all funds at the end of 2002 was $451,811.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
As the budget for "Other" Grants has been reallocated, the source of the funds for the grant request under consideration would be:
· $3,500 - Other Grants - Miscellaneous Grants
· $1,000 - Contingency Reserve
CONCLUSION
The Director of Finance submits the Wildlife Rescue Association's grant request for Council's CONSIDERATION.
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