SUPPORTS
ITEM NO. 4
CS&B COMMITTEE AGENDA
MARCH 13, 1997
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: February 21, 1997
Dept. File No.
CC File No. 2152-1
TO: Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
FROM: Director of Community Services - Social Planning
SUBJECT: 1997 Community Services Grants Budget
RECOMMENDATION
THAT Council approve a 1997 Community Services Grants budget of
$2,854,000.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of
the foregoing.
COUNCIL POLICY
Council established the annual civic grants program in March 1978.
Budget ceilings for the Community Services Grants program, as well as
the Cultural, Childcare and Other grant programs, are established
annually, prior to the development of recommendations for specific grant
allocations.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to establish a budget ceiling for the 1997
Community Services Grants program. Applications for Community Services
Grants are currently under review, and the total value of recommended
grants will come within the budget limits established with this report.
BACKGROUND
Community Services Grants (CSG) are given by the City to support
non-profit organizations which are working with each other, the various
levels of government (including the City) and residents to address
social problems and to bring about positive social change. CSG's
represent an important and necessary tool which helps the City to
achieve its goal of ensuring that accessible, equitable and appropriate
social services are available to all residents.
On September 30, 1993, City Council adopted a set of new and amended
principles, criteria and priorities for Community Services Grants.
These changes resulted in significant differences in the number and
types of applications received and, ultimately, in the grants approved
in 1994. This degree of change did not occur in 1996, and we anticipate
no significant changes again in 1997.
The criteria and priorities established in 1993 will continue to be used
in 1997, with some minor amendments, adopted in 1994 and 1995, that were
intended to simplify and clarify the grants process.
Table 1, below, shows the number and types of applications received over
the past 4 years.
Table 1 - Community Services Grants Applications
1994 1995 1996 1997
Total applications: 140 116 100 113
Total organizations: 122 90 86 89
Types of applications:
-Previously funded 102 91 85 87
-Applied the previous year,
but not funded 5 7 3 3
-New applications 33 18 12 23
__________ __________ __________ __________
Total requested: $5,042,000 $3,992,600 $3,555,400 $3,879,700
DISCUSSION
As we continue with our review of grant applications, staff are noticing
continuing improvements in the services and the manner in which they are
provided. In particular, almost all of the applicants are responding
favourably to the City's direction that they work more closely together
and that they be more inclusive, both at the internal organizational
level and in terms of the people they are serving. This kind of
influence on the non-profit sector would not be possible without the
ability to fund the organizations where we want to see changes.
In a report to City Council on February 4, 1997, which looked at the
effects of funding changes from other levels of government to the
non-profit sector, we reported that there is no evidence of massive
funding cuts, at this time. The individual budgets submitted with the
grant applications reflect that, for the most part, no such cuts are
anticipated for 1997.
This relatively optimistic view of short-term stability does not carry
over to the long term. All levels of government are re-iterating the
need to cut back on expenses, and there is a sense that this will wind
up at the doorsteps of the non-profit sector, sooner or later. Also,
the reorganization of the health sector and the creation of the new
Ministry for Children and Families is causing considerable uncertainty
and concern - both at the funding and service provision levels.
We also reported that almost a quarter of the grant applicants have had
or anticipate a reduction in gaming revenues. These reductions have not
translated into requests for more City funding, but if the trend
continues, the groups will have to turn to all their other funders for
more support, or face the necessity in cutting services.
The Director of Finance advises that 1997 budget figures are to include
a 1% adjustment for inflation. The recommendations for specific grant
allocations are based on a number of factors, including financial need,
and may or may not include an inflation adjustment for each particular
situation. However, the inclusion of an inflation adjustment on the
overall budget provides us with the ability to maintain the current real
value of services base. Therefore, the recommended 1997 grants budget,
with the inclusion of an inflation adjustment is $2,854,000.
CONCLUSION
The on-going process of changing and updating the Community Services
Grants program, begun in 1993, makes it more responsive to community
need and more reflective of the City's and community's priorities. By
maintaining a constant overall budget (with an inflation adjustment) we
can continue to direct funding to emerging high priority programs and
strengthen existing ones.
* * * * * *