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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 4d. 2025-26 DEI HIGH IMPACT GRANT FUNDING PRIORITIES REVIEW Item 4d Human Relations Commission Agenda Report For Agenda of: 6/4/2025 Item Number: 4d FROM: Samantha Vethavanam, DEI Administrative Specialist Phone Number: (805) 781-7064 E-mail: svethava@slocity.org SUBJECT: FISCAL YEAR 2025-26 DEI HIGH IMPACT GRANT FUNDING INFORMATION AND PRIORITIES REVIEW RECOMMENDATION Review, provide feedback, and approve the revised DEI High Impact Grant funding information and priorities for Fiscal Year 2025-26 to be sent to City Council for final approval. BACKGROUND The DEI High Impact Grant is currently provided on an annual basis through the City of San Luis Obispo’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The program provides financial support to nonprofit organizations to enhance the sense of belonging for all people in the San Luis Obispo community. The funding allocation is an effort to uplift and support local projects, programs, and initiatives that contribute to creating a San Luis Obispo that is welcoming, inclusive, equitable, and safe. The scope of equity and inclusion work is inherently broad and complex, and the funding seeks to support initiatives that show an understanding of systemic and structural issues and how to address their “root causes” in a demonstrable way. The Human Relations Commission (HRC) has historically reviewed and set the funding priorities for the grant. This year, HRC will first review the current funding priorities, as revised by the Office of DEI, along with any public input, and make a recommendation to City Council, who will provide final approval. This will continue to occur on a two-year basis in alignment with the City’s Financial Plan process. The revised DEI High Impact Grant information for Fiscal Year 2025-26 presented for review includes the funding priorities, illustrative examples of systemic and structural issues, funding examples, funding requirements, funding criteria, additional information, prohibitions, and the decision process. NEXT STEPS HRC will review and revise, as needed, the DEI High Impact Grant funding information and priorities and make a recommendation to send the finalized information to City Item 4d Council for approval or make a recommendation to staff to further revise the information and bring it back to the next HRC meeting. ATTACHMENTS A - Revised 2025-26 DEI High Impact Grant Funding Information and Priorities. DEI High Impact Grant Revised Funding Priorities DRAFT – 5/23/2025 Statement: The DEI High Impact Grant provides financial support to non-profit organizations to enhance the sense of belonging for all people in the community of San Luis Obispo. This funding allocation is an effort to uplift and support local projects, programs, and initiatives that contribute to creating a San Luis Obispo that is welcoming, inclusive, equitable, and safe. The scope of equity and inclusion work is inherently broad and complex, and the funding seeks to support initiatives that show understanding of root cause issues and intractable problems, can demonstrate measurable success, and will contribute to some aspect of systemic change. Funding Priorities: Funding should primarily focus on advancing and implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion through innovative practices that seek to narrow equity gaps and address intractable, systemic, and structural issues. Eligible projects may provide a one-time service with long-lasting impacts. Illustrative examples of systemic/structural issues include: 1. Lack of affordable housing development and access to housing. 2. Lack of access to culturally and linguistically appropriate behavioral health services. 3. Impact of poverty and unemployment. 4. Lack of diversity in government and governing institutions. 5. Racial and socio-economic disparities in the criminal justice system. 6. Lack of environmental justice and equitable access to sustainable resources. 7. Lack of equity in access and representation in decision-making processes and leadership roles. 8. Lack of diverse individual civic engagement related to voting representation and election education. 9. Lack of diverse employers and work programs. Funding Examples DEI High Impact Grant funds can be used for innovative, new or existing projects, initiatives, and ongoing programs to reduce equity gaps and improve social justice initiatives for underserved and underrepresented communities in the City of San Luis Obispo. Proposal may focus on specific underserved and underrepresented communities, but all projects, applications, and concepts must provide access to the entire City of San Luis Obispo community-at-large and contribute to a positive systemic/structural change. Examples of previously funded activities include: (examples are illustrative and not ranked) • Enhancing language access for Spanish-speaking community members in public historical exhibits. • Expanding access to education and knowledge on social services programs by developing public how-to videos in English, Spanish, and Mixteco. • Creating cultural spaces for learning purposes to expand community building and belonging for all. • Enhancing board leadership programs to include a diversity lens to create more inclusive governing bodies and government organizations. • Providing and enhancing ally or advocacy training programs designed to build community momentum and social justice. • Public community art projects designed to uplift and bring social awareness of social cause issues impacting equity, communication, and stories of underserved and underrepresented communities. • City-wide trainings and panel discussion events on sensitive topics that create awareness, equity, belonging, and challenges exclusive narratives. Funding Requirements 1 Complete and submit a grant application (must include) 1.1 One-page DEI Statement that includes: 1.1.1 Applicant’s understanding and application of DEI concepts/values 1.1.2 Affirming language that creates access and a sense of belonging to all community members. 1.1.3 Explain how the proposal will advance DEI in the City of SLO. 1.2 One-page detailed budget for the proposal including how the total amount requested will be allocated. 1.3 Organizational chart (if joint application, all organizations must provide chart) 1.4 Document certifying Federal Tax-Exempt Status 2 Applicants must demonstrate core values of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in their purpose/mission statement and daily operations and have been providing DEI-related initiatives or programs within SLO County for at least two (2) years prior to application. (The proposal can be for something new, but the recipient organization must have been operating locally for at least two [2] years.) 3 Grant recipients must enter into a contract with the City prior to receipt of DEI funds, the form of which can be found here: Download sample contract. 4 Grant recipients must complete periodic impact reports and provide them timely. 5 Grant recipients must submit a final impact report at the end of project or at 12 months from start, whichever comes first. Grant recipients will be expected to return unused funds. Download sample report. Funding Criteria 1 Applicants must be a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, government or education entity, or faith-based organization 2 80% of the funded activities must occur in the City of San Luis Obispo. 3 Funded activities must serve at least 80% City residents. Applicants that provide services to neighboring communities, but also serve a significant number of City residents, will be considered. 4 Requests must be for programs or services with the ability to show measurable impact and success. New creative approaches that are rooted in best practices or evidence-based, as well as proven approaches, are highly encouraged. 5 Collaborations between one or more organizations or groups are welcome and encouraged. At least one organization in the partnership needs to be an eligible entity noted above. Additional Funding Information 1 Single applicants’ minimum request of $5,000 and a maximum request of $20,000 2 For partner applications (two or more applicants) there is no minimum dollar amount request, but the maximum request is $40,000. A lead organization must be identified in the application. 3 A maximum of one (1) grant award is allowed per organization (or per partnership if a collaborative project) 4 Funding may be used for new (innovative) or existing projects, programs, concepts, or initiatives that have proven success and/or utilize best practices or innovative approaches. 5 Innovative projects, programs, concepts, and initiatives are highly encouraged. 6 Projects, programs, concepts, and initiatives that leverage existing or other funding sources to supplement proposal is highly encouraged. Prohibited Use of Funds 1 Funds CANNOT be used for advancing, advocating, promoting, or highlighting political causes, entities, ballot measures, or candidates. 2 Funds CANNOT be used for advancing, advocating, promoting, or highlighting religious causes, entities, individuals, or activities. Funding CANNOT be used for the purpose of disseminating religious information. 3 Funds CANNOT be used for profit or personal gain. Funding Decisions The Human Relations Commission (HRC) will exercise discretion when developing funding recommendations. The HRC will review, with support from the Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, all applications (that are completed, timely submitted, and meet the funding criteria) and develop funding recommendations based on the answers and attestations provided in each application. Recommendations will be presented to the City Council for approval. Proposals will be evaluated for meeting an identified and defined intractable/systemic/structural problem or need, potential to succeed, ability to make a high impact, or advance systemic change, and for centering efforts to address inequities for underserved and underrepresented communities while serving all community members.