HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 5a. 2025-26 DEI HIGH IMPACT GRANT REPORT REVIEWER SELECTION Item 5a
Human Relations Commission
Agenda Report
For Agenda of: 4/1/2026
Item Number: 5a
FROM: Samantha Vethavanam, DEI Administrative Specialist
Phone Number: (805) 781-7064
E-mail: svethava@slocity.org
SUBJECT: 2025-26 DEI HIGH IMPACT GRANT REPORT REVIEWER SELECTION
RECOMMENDATION
Designate and approve Grant Report Reviewer assignment roles for each of the grant
recipients of the 2025-26 DEI High Impact Grant.
BACKGROUND
The Human Relations Commission (HRC) is tasked with reviewing grant applications for
the City’s DEI High Impact Grant and providing funding recommendations to City Council
for final approval. The DEI High Impact Grant program provides financial support to non-
profit organizations to enhance the sense of belonging for all people in the San Luis
Obispo community. This funding allocation is an effort to uplift and support local efforts
that advance access and belonging initiatives through innovative practices that seek to
narrow equity gaps and address intractable, systemic, and structural issues.
Once funding recommendations are approved by City Council and grant programs are
implemented, the HRC is then tasked with reviewing and providing feedback on the
grantees’ mid-year and year-end reports. This provides the Commissioners with the
opportunity to dive deeply into grant initiatives recommended by them, approved by City
Council, and funded by the City.
Previously, members of the Human Relations Commission were assigned as liaisons to
individual grant recipients, with the intent of maintaining connection and awareness of
funded programs throughout the grant period. Following internal discussions and a review
of the Commission’s bylaws and advisory body handbook, this role is being updated to a
Grant Report Reviewer model.
Under this updated approach, Commissioners will focus on reviewing grant reports and
program summaries to support informed discussion of program outc omes, community
needs, and emerging trends during HRC meetings. This shift better aligns the
Commission’s involvement with its advisory role while strengthening its ability to provide
meaningful input on community impact. This change does not preclude Commissioners
from engaging with the community. Commissioners may still choose to visit funded
organizations or observe programs to better understand how City funding is supporting
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Item 5a
services, however these interactions are voluntary and observational in nature, and do
not include representing the City or overseeing program operations.
For the 2025-26 DEI High Impact Grant, a total of nine (9) non-profit organizations
were awarded funding. The recipients include:
Organization Project/Program
Court Appointed Special Advocates
(CASA) of SLO County SLO CASA DEI Project
Diversity Coalition of SLO County SLO Equity Podcast
GALA Pride and Diversity Center Queer Leadership and Civic
Engagement Initiative
Literacy for Life Literacy Program
One Cool Earth
Salud y Conocimiento en el Jardín -
One Cool Earth School Garden
Program at Pacheco Elementary School
RACE Matters SLO County
Advancing Community Belonging and
Cultural Representation Through
Signature Events
SLO for Home & Church World
Services SLO for Home
SLO Noor Foundation Accessible Healthcare for All - City of
SLO Project
One Community Fund & Corazon
Latino, San Luis Coastal Unified
School District, Womenade SLO
Connected Resources: Schools and
Nonprofits in Partnership for Families
Commissioners will assign Grant Report Reviewers for each of the grantees listed above
in advance of the mid-year report review.
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