Pam Slater-Price, District 3 Supervisor, County of San Diego

COMMUNITY PROJECTS GRANT PROGRAM

The Community Projects program provides grants to non-profit community organizations for furtherance of public purposes at the regional and community levels throughout San Diego County.

Recommendations for grant awards are made throughout the year by individual Board members and are subject to public comment and approval by the entire Board of Supervisors.

The County of San Diego, through Supervisor Pam Slater-Price, has one-time grant funding available to non-profit organizations for one-time capital needs that will benefit the community and enhance the region’s quality of life.

Grant funding is intended to assist non-profit community organizations with one-time allocations of equipment, supplies, and capital improvements, or to assist with costs associated with holding events that demonstrate public good.

Requirements:

Must be a registered non-profit organization, or in some limited circumstances, a public agency.
Must demonstrate long-term economic stability.
If approved, must conform to all rules and regulations relating to grant agreements with the San Diego County Department of Finance.
Grant funding must be spent within 12 months of executing a grant agreement.
No ‘pass through’ agencies may be utilized to secure a Community Projects Grant.
Grants must be considered one-time expenditures and can not be used for personnel or other ongoing expenses.
Recommendations brought forward by Supervisor Slater-Price must be approved by the Board of Supervisors in an open meeting of the Board.
Submission of an application for funding does not guarantee that the organization will receive funding, either in part or in full.
If funding is approved, the organization will have one year from the issuance of funds to utilize funding and submit appropriate reports and receipts to the County Department of Finance.
Funding must be utilized for the specific purpose of the grant. Any unused funding or funding used for projects not specified in the grant authorization paperwork will be returned to the County Department of Finance.

Application Process:

To apply for a District Three Community Project grant, please submit a letter of request to Supervisor Slater-Price. The letter should be submitted on the requesting organizations official letterhead and include the following information:

Complete name and address of requesting organization and contact information for appropriate persons.
Name of individual responsible for expenditure of grant funds, if different from contact person.
Taxpayer ID number and proof of non-profit status.
Description of organization.
Copy of most recent Treasurer’s Report from organization.
Description of grant request.
Specific dollar amount requested.
Specific dollar amount raised by organization for requested project.
Verifiable costs estimates of project.
Description of how the project will positively impact the community, including how many people will be served.

All letters of request should be submitted to Supervisor Pam Slater-Price by US mail at:

Supervisor Pam Slater-Price
1600 Pacific Highway, Room 335
San Diego, CA 92101

Types of Grants Awarded:

A vast majority of grant awards have generally fallen into, but are not limited to, the following six categories:

Educational and recreational projects for children.
Local business and tourism promotion activities.
Arts and cultural programs.
Environmental awareness issues, including maintaining and increasing open space holdings.
Public Safety programs.
Health and Social Service initiatives.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Does my organization need to fill out an application form to apply for funding?

The official letter of request and all supporting documentation addressed above will be considered your application form.

How much money is available? How much can my organization request?

District Three Community Projects Grant Fund for Fiscal Year 2006/2007 is $2 million. Supervisor Slater-Price has awarded funding in the amount of $500 to as much as $300,000. Recommendations for funding are made on a case-by-case basis depending upon the needs of the organization, the merits of the specific project, an organization’s size and impact upon the community, other sources of support, the needs of the community, potential public benefits from the project, and history of the requesting organization. Additionally, the applying organization should transcend all social and economic demographics and appeal to the widest range of County residents and, if applicable, tourists. Supervisor Slater-Price reserves the right to partially fund requests.

Does my organization need to be non-profit? What if I’m in the process of applying for 501(c)3 status?

Yes, your organization must be a certified state or federal non-profit organization. If you are in the application process, you must wait until you have received verification from the state or federal government prior to applying for county grants.

What is the deadline to submit an application?

There is no deadline to apply for funding as the process continues throughout the fiscal year. However, it is important to keep in mind that this funding may not be available in future years. Supervisor Slater-Price typically reviews all submitted requests on a quarterly basis.

How long does the process take?

As stated above, Supervisor Slater-Price typically reviews all requests on a quarterly basis. The approximate time on a reply to your request is two months. If Supervisor Slater-Price has approved a grant request from your organization, it has been approved by the full Board of Supervisors, and your organization has returned the required documentation to the Office of Financial Planning, it generally takes 4 – 6 weeks to receive the check.

How do I know if my organization is in the Third Supervisorial District?

For a precise map of the five Supervisorial Districts please visit the Registrar of Voters web page at:
http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/voters/Eng/Eindex.html

If you have additional questions, or are inquiring about a previously submitted grant application, please contact my office at (619) 531-5533.