HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 5a. 2024-25 DEI High Impact Grant Preliminary Funding Recommendations Item 5a
Human Relations Commission
Agenda Report
For Agenda of: 10/2/2024
Item Number: 5a
FROM: Nestor Veloz-Passalacqua, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager
Phone Number: (805) 781-7073
E-mail: nveloz@slocity.org
SUBJECT: 2024-25 DEI HIGH IMPACT GRANT PRELIMINARY FUNDING
RECOMMENDATION
RECOMMENDATION
1. Receive the grant preliminary funding recommendation from the HRC Grant Review
Subcommittee; and
2. Make a final DEI Grant Funding Recommendation to the City Council following the
public hearing, full commission discussion, and feedback.
BACKGROUND
In 2021, City Council approved funding for the DEI High Impact program of $120,000.
The purpose of the funding was to enhance the sense of belonging for all people in our
community. This funding allocation is an effort to uplift and support local projects,
programs, or initiatives that contribute to creating a San Luis Obispo that is welcoming,
inclusive, equitable, and safe. For the first ever grant cycle, the DEI Task Force awarded
funds to eight non-profit local organizations. Following the initial grant program, the DEI
Task Force made a recommendation to Council to provide ongoing annual funding in the
amount of $150,000 for DEI High Impact grants. During the 2021 -2023 financial process,
Council approved ongoing funding of $150,000 a year for DEI High Impact grants within
the DEI Major City Goal (MCG).
For the 2024-25 DEI High Impact Grant program cycle, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion (DEI) received a total of 30 applications with a total funding request of $642,995.
The grant application opened from July 22, 2024, and closed August 30, 2024. On July
10, 2024, the Human Relations Commission (HRC) selected Chair Kasprzak,
Commissioner DeTurris, and Commissioner Carlotti to be part of the HRC Grant Review
Subcommittee. Each grant review subcommittee member reviewed each application
independently, and then met as a group on Wednesday, September 11 and Tuesday,
September 17, 2024, to determine and provide their initial funding recommendations
based on their careful review and each application alignment with the DEI High Impact
grant program funding area, funding criteria, overall commun ity impact, and need.
NEXT STEPS
Page 273 of 279
Item 5a
Upon completion of the Public Hearing and the HRC final review and their deliberation on
funding recommendations, the 2024-25 DEI High Impact Grant Program final funding
recommendations will be presented before City Counc il as a consent item on the
November 19, 2024, agenda for final approval.
ATTACHMENTS
A - 2024-25 DEI High Impact Grant Preliminary Funding Recommendation
Page 274 of 279
Organization Project or
Program Name Description of Project/Program Rqtd.
Amount
Rec.
Amount
Review
Subcommittee
Comments
1 AAPI of SLO AAPI: Our Voices,
Our Stories
Funds will be used to cover 10 performers, 5-
10 artists, and 10 small businesses at the
annual AAPI festival. Performers include the
SLO Buddhist Temple Taiko Drumming Group,
The Filipino Community Center in Grover
Beach, college students from various AAPI
clubs on the Cal Poly campus such as Huio
Hawaii, Cal Poly Lion Dance Team, the United
Movement, and high school student musicians.
Spoken word artists and poets will be invited to
contribute original work centered around ethnic
and cultural heritage, small restaurants and
retail owners will also be invited to participate.
Additional AAPI leaders, professionals, and
BIPOC leaders will be invited to speak
showcasing the diversity of the project. Before
the event, AAPI SLO will host storytelling
events throughout the year building up to the
AAPI event.
$15,000 $10,000
Partially funding.
Scope services
based on the
new dollar
amount.
2 Afrikan Black
Collective ABC Conference
Funds will be used to put together the Afrikan
Black Coalition (ABC) Conference, which is
designed to address structural and systemic
inequities that impact Afrikan/Black students.
The project's objectives include 1) addressing
systemic inequities to address academic policy
disparities, 2) develop leadership skills through
workshops and interactive sessions, 3) focus
on post-college success through career and
graduate education, 4) cultural affirmation
focused on heritage and resilience, and 5)
impact.
$20,000 $0
Not allocating
funding for this
grant cycle.
3 Big Brothers Big
Sisters
Pacheco Elementary
School Mentorship
Program
Funds will be used for their school-based
mentoring program at Pacheco Elementary
School. Activities include recruitment and
training of 25 high school student volunteers to
serve as mentors, weekly 2-hour mentoring
sessions, DEI-focused activities designed to
celebrate diversity and build cultural
awareness, and once a month field trips and
enrichment opportunities.
$20,000 $10,000
Partially fund
project.
Contractor to
scope project
appropriately
with the new
dollar amount.
4 CASA of SLO
County
Increasing Cultural
Competence &
Diversity at SLO
CASA
Funds will be used to support and build the
cultural competency and expertise of CASA
staff and volunteers assigned to foster youth
and expanding outreach and recruitment efforts
to diversify our volunteer pool. The funds will
cover a portion of the CASA Training
Manager's salary which will be dedicated to her
time spent coordinating and facilitating DEI
trainings for CASA volunteers and conducting
targeted volunteer recruitment. Funds will also
be used to produce bilingual and Spanish-
language flyers and brochures.
$20,000 $0
Potential funding.
Cut out on 2nd
round of
discussion due to
insufficient
funding.
5 City Farm SLO
Expanding Access
to Therapeutic
Horticulture
Programming for
Adults with
Disabilities
Funds will be used to expand City Farm's
Therapeutic Horticulture Programming to
include twice-weekly sessions for adults with
disabilities. Funds will cover 90 sessions across
45 weeks, serving 18 adults with disabilities
and 6 aides. Sessions will focus on job skill
development, fine motor enhancement,
cognitive stimulation, and confidence-building.
Funds will also cover three (3) technical
assistance trainings for a diverse group of
educators.
$19,490 $0
Potential funding.
Cut out on 2nd
round of
discussion due to
insufficient
funding.
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6 Community
Counseling Center
Delving Deep:
Mental Health
Screening
Assessment,
Observation, and
Psychotherapy for
Latinx Youth and
Families
Funds will be used to improve CCC's services
to Latinx youth and provide support and access
to counseling services for their families. The
funds will enhance exhisting on-campus
programs in San Luis Coastal Unified District
(SLCUSD) at the three (3) elementary schools
with the highest percentage of Latinx students:
C.L. Smith, Hawthorne, and Pacheco. Funds
will be distributed between the Program
Coordinator, Admin Specialist I, Admin
Specialist II, Therapists, Clinical Director,
Bilingual Licensed Clinical Supervisor, and
Behavioral Health Interpreter.
$10,000 $0
Potential funding.
Cut out on 2nd
round of
discussion due to
insufficient
funding.
7 Corazon Latino
Civic Education
Campaign to Close
Equity Gap
Funds will be used to provide a targeted civic
education campaign to SLO's underserved and
underrepresented Latino/Latinx/Hispanic
community and the entire community at large in
order to remove barriers to civic engagement,
increase civic participation, and access to
services. Funds will cover six how-to-videos
produced in English and Spanish (and Mixteco
when appropriate), providing civic education,
monthly educational classes/groups led by
Certified Community Health
Workers/Promotores, and a marketing outreach
campaign to share civic information, promote
videos, and classes.
$40,000 $11,445
Partially fund
project. Funds to
cover the
development of
the videos, and
prioritizing citizen
education,
civic/election
education, and
criminal justice
system.
8 Diversity Coalition BIPOC Board
Leadership Program
Funds will be used to support two (2) BIPOC
Board Leadership Training Program (BLTP)
cohorts. Funds will cover the Program Director
to lead program development and
implementation, as well as operation expenses.
The project also includes board member
placement, DEI Training for Boards, and
Leadership SLO Alumni Exchange.
$40,000 $10,000
Partially funding
project.
Contractor to
scope project
appropriately
with the new
dollar amount.
9 Downtown SLO
Increased Food
Access at Farmer's
Market
Funds will be used to expand and enhance
food access at the year-round nightly Farmers'
Market in downtown SLO on Thursday
evenings. The funds will cover the increase
demand and participation by BIPOC and
underserved and underrepresented community
members, for the CalFresh EBT token program,
which requires more staffing support.
$12,700 $0
Potential funding.
Cut out on 2nd
round of
discussion due to
insufficient
funding.
10 Economics of
Being a Woman
Economics of Being
a Woman's Financial
Education and
Disaster
Preparedness
eLearning Program
Funds will be used to develop and disseminate
the Economics of Being a Woman Financial
and Disaster Preparedness eLearning
Program. The program includes interactive
online learning exercises along with an online
fillable and/or printable 18-page companion
workbook of exercises that focus on actionable
preparedness steps outlined in the online
presentation. Services are accessible to all
community members.
$20,000 $0
Not elegible for
funding since
organization is a
for-profit entity.
11 GALA Pride &
Diversity Center
Complex LGBTQ+
Mental Health
Support
Funds will be used to provide a multi-tiered
system of mental health support. Funds will
cover two new monthly therapist-led support
groups, one for families of youth, and one for
young LGBTQ+ adults in the transitional-aged
group. Funds will also cover the Writing for
Queer Empowerment Workshop and the Art
Therapy Group Workshop on a quarterly basis.
Funds will cover bi-monthly social groups
designed to create mental health support
programming for older adults and youth and
build community. Lastly, funds will cover
another Summer Sports Day boosting youth
participation, confidence, and sense of
belonging.
$20,000 $20,000
Fully fund project
as presented.
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12 Hospice of SLO
County
Volunteer Training &
Community
Outreach
Funds will be used to host four (4) 18-hour In-
Home Volunteer Trainings AND outreach
initiative to spread awareness about free-of-
charge support services among marginalized,
minoritized, and under-served populations in
our area. The trainings include in-home respite
services, and include personal attitudes
towards death and dying, medical and non-
medical approaches, communication skills,
grief and bereavement, and all training are
saturated with themes of DEI with an emphasis
on empathic listening and human-to-human
connection.
$20,000 $7,750
Partially funding.
$7,750 for
outreach
initiatives to
spread
awareness about
free-of-charge
support services
among
underserved
communities.
13 Literacy for Life
Treasured Objects:
Personal Heritage
Stories
Funds will be used to cover expenses for an art
project designed to uplift and bring social
awareness of cause issues impacting equity,
communication, and stories of underserved and
underrepresented communities. Funds will
cover the collaborative initiative where a tutor
and learner will be invited to select an object
that holds personal significance and reflects
their heritage, culture, and family. A
professional photographer will capture stills of
object, learners, and tutors resulting in
composition, which will then be displayed as an
art exhibit.
$15,000 $0
Not allocating
funding this grant
cycle.
14 Lumina Alliance ReDefine Parenting
Program
Funds will be used to launch the ReDefine
Parenting Program at local underserved
elementary schools with higher percentages of
families that are low income and primarily
Spanish Speaking. The funds will cover 5-10
peer workshops at 2-4 elementary schools with
up to 20 participating parents/caregivers each.
Topics include emotional health, consent,
boundaries, and healthy relationships.
$20,000 $0
Potential funding.
Cut out on 2nd
round of
discussion due to
insufficient
funding.
15 Mission
Headstrong
Veterans' Fitness,
Autism Fitness
Phase 2, & Aging
Adult Fitness
Funds will be used to cover 1) their Veterans
Fitness program that include veterans
community classes, coaching, and health and
fitness education seminars, 2) Autism Fitness
Phase 2, which includes weekly group class,
and 1-1 specialized coaching, and 3) Older
Adult Fitness which includes weekly group
fitness classes.
$40,000 $15,000
Partially funding.
$15,500 for the
autism project.
16 Monarch Hills
Education
DEI Growth Program
for Monarch Hills
Funds will be used to 1) provide tuition
assistance to economically disadvantaged
households, 2) increase access to their
regenerative gardening and farming program,
and 3) increase accessibility for Spanish-
speaking community.
$20,000 $0
Not allocating
funding this grant
cycle.
17
National Alliance
on Mental Illness of
SLO County
Mental Health
Resource Outreach
Campaign
Funds will be used to 1) create a bilingual
mental health resource guide that addresses
systematic factors, 2) promotion of the guide
and education/support programs offered
through NAMI SLO County to organizations
who provide services to diverse communities,
3) community event tabling, and 4) in-person
support to individuals experiencing
homelessness.
$11,364 $11,364
Fully fund project
as presented.
18 Peace Academy
Mawtini: Arab
American Narratives
of Home and
Belonging
Funds will cover the development of an oral
history collection of Arab American narratives
focused on themes of home and belonging.
Funds will cover 1) recorded interviews with
individual community members, 2) welcoming
and learning spaces for all city residents to
learn oral histories, and 3) an interactive
cultural event showcasing narratives and
promoting community dialogue.
$39,441 $39,441
Fully fund project
as presented.
Page 277 of 279
19 People Self-Help
Housing Corp.
Enhancing
Affordable Housing
Access Through
Bilingual
Funds will be used to enhance access of
permanent affordable housing applications by
creating instructional videos in English and
Spanish and improving PSHH website
navigation. The video library will include types
of affordable housing, detailed application
processes, eligibility criteria and required
documentation, profiles of local housing
providers, guidance on navigating between
different programs, and information on
forecasting future rent in affordable housing.
Website enhancements include redesigned
user interface, bilingual interface, and access to
tools to determine program eligibility.
$15,000 $0
Not allocating
funding this grant
cycle.
20
Pregnancy &
Parenting Support
of SLO County
Baby Bank
Funds will be used to sponsor their Baby Bank
program, specifically their Diaper Bank, which
will support the purchasing of diapering
supplies for economically disadvantaged
perinatal families in the community.
$5,000 $0
Not allocating
funding this grant
cycle.
21 RACE Matters Shop Talk & Black
Girl Wellness
Funds will be used for two programs: 1) Shop
Talk and 2) Black Girl Wellness. Both programs
foster self-esteem, self-care, and wellbeing for
black adults and youth. Shop Talk include
discussion groups centered in Black wellness,
one (1) 6-week sessions 60-90 minutes
centered on Black wellness and healing, and
one (1) 6-week sessions at 90-minutes
centered on POC. All provided at sliding scale
($15-$25). Black Girl Wellness centers its
efforts in exploring the experiences of Black
identified female youth, ages 12-17, and other
people of color.
$20,000 $0
Potential funding.
Cut out on 2nd
round of
discussion due to
insufficient
funding.
22 Recovery Road
Runners, INC.
Run Strong, Grow
Strong
Funds will be used to implement a
comprehensive 12-week program that
combines physical fitness with social-
emotional-behavioral learning, with a strong
emphasis on substance use prevention. The
program integrates a structured running
regimen with weekly lessons on critical life
skills such as emotional regulation, goal setting,
decision-making, and resisting peer pressure.
$20,000 $0
Not allocating
funding this grant
cycle.
23
San Luis Coastal
Education
Foundation
Opportunity Initiative
Funds will be used to cover two key initiatives
1) Equity in Outdoor Learning and 2) NextGen
Scholars. The funds will cover socioeconomic
disadvantaged households. Equity in Outdoor
Learning will cover outdoor science camp
promoting access and equity in learning
experiences. Next Gen Scholar will support
first-generation college-bound students by
removing financial barriers to acceptance and
admissions.
$20,000 $0
Potential funding.
Cut out on 2nd
round of
discussion due to
insufficient
funding.
24 SLO Chamber of
Commerce
SLO County Family-
Friendly Workplaces
Program
(SLOFFWP)
Funds will cover their established Family
Friendly Work Program (FFWP) to a diverse
array of businesses, this includes education
and support to employers to help them attract
and sustain a strong, inclusive workforce
through the implementation of this program.
The program utilizes an assessment tool
marketed to employers to assist them in
measuring their status, while offering
opportunities to review policies and internal
practices.
$20,000 $0
Not allocating
funding this grant
cycle.
25 SLO County
UndocuSupport
SLO County
Immigrant Resource
Hub: A Pilot Pop-up
in Partnership with
Local Mobile
Services
Funds will be used for two (2) pilot mobile
resources coordination pop-up events called
Regional Services Clinics in the City of SLO.
The events' purpose is to remove barriers to
services, improve knowledge and access
resources, mobilize resources, maximize
provider capacity, streamline communication
and access to information, and enhance
community and sense of belonging. Both
events will be provided bilingually (English and
Spanish) and in Mixteco as well. Services and
events are open to the entire general public
and residents of the City of San Luis Obispo.
$40,000 $0
Potential funding.
Cut out on 2nd
round of
discussion due to
insufficient
funding.
Page 278 of 279
26 SLO Hillel
Shine a Light on
Jewish Heritage and
Multiculturalism/Pop-
up Music and
Speaker Nights and
temporary public art
installations
Funds will be used to host another set of series
to break down stereotypes and inspire SLO
audiences to "shine a light" in the pursuit of
DEI. This year, the program would incorporate
artists, musicians, and a Jew of Color speaker
to embrace the diversity of the Jewish identity
and collaboration with the Diversity Coalition of
SLO County, the art and events will provide
thought-provoking new insights into the
ongoing conversations of race, ethnicity, and
identity, with a particular focus on the
relationship between antisemitism and systemic
racism in today's world.
$20,000 $15,000
Partially funding
for the Jew of
Color Speaker
Series only.
27 SLO Noor
Foundation
Equitable
Healthcare Access
Program
Funds will be used to cover direct clinical
services for new patients from diverse
backgrounds, including translation services,
laboratory diagnostics, and radiology imaging
crucial to diagnosis and treatment. Funds will
cover a FTE bilingual medical assistants, vital
screenings, diagnostics orders, translation
services, laboratory and radiology imaging
services, and citywide community awareness
campaign.
$20,000 $0
Not allocating
funding this grant
cycle.
28 SLO Village
Aging Better
Together -
Partnering with SLO
to become an Age-
Friedly City
Funds will be used to create a 1) refreshed
marketing campaign designed to raise
awareness and remove barriers to participation,
2) outreach and engagement to formalize
partnerships with nonprofits, 3) expand
membership and volunteer program, and 4)
spearhead an age-friendly task force.
$20,000 $0
Not allocating
funding this grant
cycle.
29 SLOMA
2025 Exhibitions
with Esteban
Cabeza de Baca &
Siji Krishnan
Funds will be used to support two (2)
exhibitions by emerging artists Esteban Cabeza
de Baca and Siji Krishnan. The exhibit by
Cabeza de Baca explores the mix past,
present, and future and mirrors the myriad
histories and cultures of the land, with themes
of agriculture and diverse communities. The
exhibit by Krishnan explores sensory
impressions of rural Southern India and
examines the kinship between humans and the
natural world.
$20,000 $0
Not allocating
funding this grant
cycle.
30 United Way of SLO
County
Increased Support
Services for SLO:
211 and VOAD
Collaboration and
Community
Engagement
Funds will be used to expand their 211
Program and Voluntary Organizations Active in
Disaster (VOAD) Disaster Relief Services
through 1) increased outreach, 2) improved
marketing, and 3) by engaging additional
agencies in the City of SLO for culturally
appropriate outreach and information
dissemination.
$20,000 $0
Not allocating
funding this grant
cycle.
TOTAL $642,995 $150,000
Page 279 of 279