Public Hearing: YES ☐ NO ☒ Department: Human Services
SUBJECT:
Title
Commission District(s): All
Awarding of the 2020 Human Services Grants to Local Non-Profits-At a Cost of $617,808 to the County
Body
Information Contact: Damon Scott, Human Services Department Director
Phone Number: (404) 270-1178
PURPOSE:
To approve the award of fifty-five (55) Human Services Grants for 2020 in an amount not to exceed $617,808. The grant period for all awards will be one year from the date of BOC approval.
NEED/IMPACT:
In the County’s 2020 Adopted Budget, $617,808 was approved for human services grants to support the work of local non-profits. This year marks the 16th consecutive year that the Human Services Grants Program has presented recommendations for grant awards. The service areas designated for the awards include youth, family/human services, food insecurity, public health, elderly, disability, homelessness, and advocacy/planning and education. This year was the first year that the entire grant application process was electronic.
There were 153 people in attendance at the Grant Program Orientation virtual meeting on June 15, 2020. All attendees received an electronic copy of the grant application instructions and program guidelines. Applications were due on July 15, 2020. The Department received one hundred twenty-four (124) grant applications during the 2020 grant application intake period, which ended on July 15, 2020. Fifty-four (54) applications were incomplete (electronic folder created but no information within the folder) and therefore were not evaluated. A minimum threshold review was conducted and one (1) grant application did not meet the minimum threshold requirements. A notification letter was sent to this organization on July 21, 2020.
The Human Services Coordinating Committee (HSCC) reviewed the remaining sixty-nine (69) applications between August 10, 2020 and September 3, 2020.The Human Services Grant Program evaluation policy states that “grant applications must have a composite score of 80 to be recommended for funding”. Each application is read and scored independently by 3 different members of the committee and the composite score is obtained by averaging these scores. At the conclusion of the evaluation period, which was approximately six weeks, the HSCC recommended 55 non-profits whose applications received a composite score of 80 or more. These Human Services Grant Awards, once approved, will assist individuals and families living in DeKalb with needed services and supports.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Transfer funds from the General Fund to the Human Services Grant Fund-250 Cost Center 67510 to avoid the delay of payments. There is no fiscal impact, as this action only transfers already appropriated funds.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
Award the Human Services Grants for 2020 in an amount not to exceed $617,808. Authorize disbursements under the terms of the grant agreement and authorize the Chief Executive Officer to execute all necessary documents.