Municipal Grants Program Policy and Procedure Manual — full text

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## THE RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF LAC DU BONNET ## POLICY & PROCEDURES MANUAL | Reference | Classification Policy | |--------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------| | Subject Municipal Grants Program | Pages 9 | | Authority Council of the Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet | Effective Date October 26, 2021 | | Approved Resolution No. 2021- 0588 | Index | ## 1) Policy Statement and Purpose: The Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet recognizes the valuable contributions made by community organizations and volunteer groups to improve the well-being of the community and the quality of life for its residents. In recognition of these contributions, the Municipality is committed to providing modest assistance to such organizations through its Municipal Grants Program. Support is provided each year from the Municipality's operating budget to qualifying organizations through an annual application process. The Municipal Grants Program aligns with the Municipalities Strategic Plan's mission statement to provide effective governance and community leadership through the delivery of quality municipal services; response to community needs; and enhancement of our local economy, pride, history, culture, and overall quality of life. The program assists the Municipality in achieving its vision of a welcoming and healthy community. ## Purpose: The purpose of the Municipal Grants Program is to ensure that funds are allocated in a fair and transparent manner to community-based organizations. This Policy identifies the funding available, establishes eligibility requirements, and outlines application and monitoring requirements. ## Program Intent: Every year the Municipality receives a number of grant requests which exceed the municipalities allocated amount of funds budgeted. The objective of this Policy is to treat all organizations fairly and consistently. The aim of the Municipal Grants Program is to share available resources throughout the Municipality. Grants are intended to provide modest levels of support and assistance to community non-profit organizations. ## 2) Policy: ## a) Types of Grants Available: The different types of grants awarded through the Municipal Grants Program Policy are identified as follows: Program 1(a) &(b) - Financial and In-Kind Assistance: provides eligible financial grants and in-kind contribution grants to support specific initiatives and or operational costs for organizations that promote inclusiveness and a broad community benefit through improving the well-being of the community and the quality of life for its residents. (FORM A) Program 2 - Multi-Government Funding Support: provides a required municipal contribution to access funding from the federal and/or provincial governments) (FORM A) Program 3 - Capital Acquisition Support Grant: provides assistance to a community non-profit organization to assist with the purchase of a capital asset that will benefit the community. (FORM A) Program 4 - Student Bursary Grant: provides financial support to students) graduating in the current year and pursuing a post secondary education. (FORM B) Program 5 - Emergency and Discretionary Grant: provides financial support to a non-profit organization that have experienced an unforeseen situation or crisis. (FORM C) ## b) Definitions: Annual Report: is the annual report submitted by the Municipal Grants Review Committee to Council. Application Process: is the application-based process managed and reviewed by the Municipal Grants Review Committee to determine and approve grant funding to organizations. Bursary: financial assistance to a student to attend a college or university. Capital Acquisition: funds provided by the municipality, used to acquire capital assets for an organization. Council: shall mean the Council of the Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet. Criteria: are used to evaluate grant applications based on how the organization's initiative will benefit the community (scale, inclusivity, direct and indirect benefits), soundness of business plan (including resources, own funds, and fundraising), the importance of the municipality's contribution, and how the success of the initiative will be determined. Established Organization: is an organization that has existed in the community for more than 3 years. Emerging Organization: is an organization that has existed in the community for 3 years or less. Financial Assistance: is a grant that provides funding to an organization. Grant Application: is the application form required to be completed and submitted prior to consideration of any grant funding. Initiative: means any public undertaking of a project, program, and/or event carried out by an organization. In-Kind Assistance: is a grant for the provision of municipal property/facilities, materials or resources to an organization. While cash funds are not provided in relation to in-kind grants, it is recognized that such grants will involve either an expense or foregone revenue for the municipality. In-kind grants will include the estimated value of the initiative. Letter of Agreement: shall mean a document, signed by both the organization and the Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet, that outlines the terms and conditions and reporting required to receive funding. Letter of Award: shall mean a written confirmation of an award to an applicant. Methods of Communication: are methods used by the Municipality to communicate to the public, including but not limited to: the Municipalities website, social media, newspaper and press releases. Municipal Grants Review Committee (hereinafter called the "Committee"): is an independent committee of Council, operating and appointed in accordance with Council, and delegated authority to review and make recommendations in accordance with this Policy. Operations Grant: Grant moneys provided by the municipality to support a non-profit organization specifically for overhead expenses and other day to day costs related to the operations of the organization. Organization: is a non-profit community group/organization that provides products or services to improve or benefit the community. Non-profit organizations are usually concerned with generating enough revenue to provide support to their community. Non-profit organizations reinvest any money earned back into its own operation to grow the organization and further support its mission. Programing & Initiative Grant: grant money provided to a non-profit organization for community based projects. ## c) Responsibilities: The Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet will inform the community of grant opportunities through updates on the Municipalities website, social media, and the newspaper. The Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet will receive and record all applications. Late or incomplete applications may not be forwarded to the Committee for consideration. The Committee will evaluate applications and approve grants based on the grant criteria outlined in the Municipal Grants Program Guidelines and the available funds. All decisions of the Committee, or Council where applicable, will be final. The Committee shall submit a recommendation to Council. ## d) Eligible Grant Recipients and Program Principles: Applicants must be non-profit community groups and organizations whose primary focus is within the community of Lac du Bonnet. An organization can only submit one application per year, excluding the Emergency/Discretionary Grant Applicants for the Student Bursary program 4 must be a graduating student who is pursuing a post secondary education and who resides in the Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet. Municipal Grants are intended to be supplementary to an organization's main source(s) of revenue. The grant shall not be considered as the primary source of funding for the organization. The organization must show exploration of other financial and in-kind support (i.e.: fundraising and volunteer support). All funding shall be for future initiatives. Retroactive funding will not be considered. Evidence of service need, or uniqueness of service provided (responsiveness to community) must be Equity and accessibility to participants must be demonstrated. Guaranteed funding is only for the fiscal year in which the organization has applied. It is not to be regarded as a commitment by the Municipality to continue such assistance in future years. Repeat Municipal Grants will only be available to organizations who have complied with the reporting requirements of any previous grants. Funding requests may be reduced in value at the discretion of the Committee to support a wider range of initiatives. Grants may be awarded with certain terms and conditions. The Letter of Award will state if any particular restrictions apply to the grant. Grant applicants determined to be ineligible for funding or denied funding in any given year shall be notified in writing. The Committee is not obligated to allocate funds to any organization regardless of the fact that they satisfy the eligibility criteria and meet all of the objectives of this Policy. ## e) Exclusions: Individuals, businesses, publicly funded institutions (i.e.: schools, hospitals, etc.) are not eligible to apply through the Municipal Grants Program. Organizations that may be located within the Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet, but are more regionally oriented, or that represent or service a special interest group shall not be considered under the Municipal Grants Program unless the organization receives funding from regional or other municipal governments) that would also benefit from the organization's initiative(s). Consideration will not be given to requests for grants from recreational sports groups, nor will funds be used to sponsor an individual athlete or team for a competition, or to subsidize participation in a sports event. ## f) Applications: The Municipal Grants Program supports innovative initiatives that provide direct and indirect benefit to Lac du Bonnet residents. The fund does not focus on providing funding for operating expenses of an organization with the exclusion of program 1(a). Organizations seeking financial assistance must submit an application on the attached corresponding application forms to the Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet as outlined in the Municipal Grants Program Guidelines. It is the responsibility of the organization to submit a complete application with clear and sufficient information. Incomplete or unclear applications may be denied. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, schedule a meeting with an organization to discuss matters related to the submitted application. Submission of an application does not guarantee the organization will be awarded all or part of the grant requested. The grant application process and evaluating criteria shall be followed in accordance with the Municipal Grants Program Guidelines. ## g) Application Period: The application period will open annually on October 1, and close annually on December 31. All applications will be date stamped on the date received. Applicants will receive a notification that their application has been received. If the application is complete, it will be forwarded to the Committee for evaluation. The determination of the grant awards will be completed by the end of May. The allocation of Municipal Grants will occur after the annual budget is approved. The Student Bursary Program 4 application deadline is May 315* and is to be paid directly to the Advanced Education Institution. All applications must be submitted on the attached application form (Application form "B"). The Emergency and Discretionary Grants will have an ongoing intake process, must submit requests on attached application form. (Application Form "C") ## h) Financial Considerations: Unless otherwise approved by Council no grant funding will be paid until such time as the annual budget has been approved. Organizations with outstanding balances or owing the Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet will not be eligible for grants. A financial surplus or reserve held by any organization and not designated for a specific purpose may disqualify an organization from receiving a municipal grant. Any municipal grant funding that has not been spent, in the year that it is received, shall be returned to the municipality. ## i) Reporting: All organizations receiving funding from the Municipality must provide a written report to the municipality including what grant monies received was used for and a detailed report of annual revenue and expenditures for the organization on or before December 31s annually. Applications will not be reviewed until all documentation including annual reports are received by the municipality. NOTE: Any organization that does not submit a report will not be considered for funding in the future. ## j) Annual Report to Council and the Public: The Annual Report submitted by the Committee to Council will identify: the applicants who received funding in that year, the use of the funds, and the benefit to the community from the grants. It will also identify any recommendations for changes in the Municipal Grants Program (Policy and/or Guidelines) that Council may consider. Any changes would require Council approval. The Annual Report may be published on the Municipalities website each year. Unused amounts in the Municipal Grants Program at the end of each year will be carried over to the next year. The combined total of carryover of funds and current year funding that will be available in any year will not exceed $100,000.00. ## Program 1(a) & 1(b): Financial and In-Kind Assistance ## Program 1(a): Financial Operations Grant Purpose: Program 1(a) is intended to provide modest levels of financial support for operational requirements to community non-profit organizations whose primary focus is within the Lac du Bonnet community. ## Program Funding and Eligibility: Municipal Grants Program 1(a) provides an opportunity for organizations to receive funding and/or in-kind contributions for operational requirements benefiting the Lac du Bonnet community. Any funds granted by the municipality must be used for the purpose applied for, funds are not to be used for capital acquisitions. Organizations seeking funding must submit an application on or before December 31 as outlined in the Municipal Grants Program Guidelines The grant application process and evaluating criteria shall be followed in accordance with the Municipal Grants Program Guidelines. Only one application per organization can be submitted per year. Organizations cannot submit an application for an initiative that has been reviewed and denied twice. Applicants can have no more than 20% of the expenditures for administration costs. The organization, within the current fiscal year, must spend the grant funding on the sole purpose for which it was approved. ## Program 1(b): Program Initiative In-Kind Grant Purpose: Program 1(b) is intended to provide modest levels of in-kind assistance for programs or initiatives organized and implemented by a community non-profit organization whose primary focus is within the Lac du Bonnet community. ## Program Funding and Eligibility: Municipal Grants Program 1(b) provides an opportunity for organizations to receive in-kind contributions for initiatives and or programing benefiting the Lac du Bonnet community. Any funds granted by the municipality must be used for the purpose applied for, funds are not to be used for capital acquisitions. Organizations seeking funding must submit an application on or before December 31 as outlined in the Municipal Grants Program Guidelines. The grant application process and evaluating criteria shall be followed in accordance with the Municipal Grants Program Guidelines. Only one application per organization can be submitted per year. Organizations cannot submit an application for an initiative that has been reviewed and denied twice. Applicants can have no more than 20% of the expenditures for administration costs. The organization, within the current fiscal year, must spend the grant funding on the sole purpose for which it was approved. Repeat grant applications must show how their initiative differs from their previous application(s) and applications illustrating new initiatives may be prioritized over returning applications. ## Program 2: Multi- Government Funding Support Purpose: Program 2 has been established to provide financial support to community non-profit organizations that require a municipal contribution (in cash, in-kind, or a combination of both) in order to receive federal and/or provincial government grant(s). ## Program Funding and Eligibility: Municipal Grants Program 2 provides assistance to organizations in obtaining defined federal and/or provincial government grants when these government bodies require that the municipality participate in funding the initiative. Organizations seeking a municipal contribution must submit an application on or before December 31 as outlined in the Municipal Grants Program Guidelines. The municipality requires confirmation of funds received by the organization from the federal and/or provincial government grants applied for, prior to the disbursement of the municipalities portion of the grant. Only one application per organization can be submitted per year. Organizations cannot submit an application for an initiative that has been reviewed and denied twice. Applicants can have no more than 20% of the expenditures for administration costs. Grant funding to any one organization in any one year will be capped at a maximum cash value of 20% of the total government funding, including those approved by Council. The organization, withing the current fiscal year, must spend the grant funding on the sole purpose for which it was approved. Funding in any one year or over several years is not to be interpreted as a commitment to future year's funding. ## Program 3: Capital Acquisition Support Grant Purpose: Program 3 is intended to assist with the purchase of a capital item or asset for a community non-profit organization whose primary focus is within the Lac du Bonnet community. ## Program Funding and Eligibility: Municipal Grants Program 3 provides assistance with the purchase of a capital item or asset (example: Lawn mower, operational equipment) for a community non-profit organization whose primary focus is within the Lac du Bonnet community. Organizations seeking funding must submit an application on or before December 31 as outlined in the Municipal Grants Program Guidelines. Organizations can not request funds annually, this program is intended to assist with a single capital asset purchase. Organizations cannot submit an application for an initiative that has been reviewed and denied twice. The organization, within the current fiscal year, must spend the grant funding on the sole purpose for which it was approved. Funding in any one year or over several years is not to be interpreted as a commitment to future year's funding. ## Program 4: Student Bursary Grant Purpose: Program 4 has been established to provide financial support to graduating students) who are pursing a post secondary education. The students) must reside in the Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet. ## Program Funding and Eligibility: Municipal Grants Program 4 provides an opportunity for graduating students) who intend to pursue a post secondary education. Maximum bursary amount $3000.00 may be divided among applicants based on relevance, need, and the availability of funds. Students seeking funding must submit an application to the Municipality prior to May 31st of each year. Late applications will not be accepted as outlined in the Municipal Grants Program Guidelines. The grant application process and evaluating criteria shall be followed in accordance with the Municipal Grants Program Guidelines. Any funds distributed to a student are paid directly to the post secondary education center approved in the application. The student must provide proof of acceptance and student number for payment. ## Program 5: Emergency and Discretionary Grants Purpose: Program 5 has been established to provide financial support to community non-profit organizations that have experienced an unforeseen situation or crisis. ## Program Funding and Eligibility: Municipal Grants Program 5 provides assistance community non-profit organizations that have experienced an unforeseen situation or crisis. Organizations seeking funding must submit an application as outlined in the Municipal Grants Program Guidelines. Applications for Emergency and Discretionary Grants will have an ongoing intake process, must submit requests on attached application form. The organization must spend the grant funding on the sole purpose for which it was approved. Funding in any one year or over several years is not to be interpreted as a commitment to future year's funding.   Sadia Arvek Signature Deputy Chief Administrative Officer