SUBJECT:
Title
A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Erie Approving the Distribution of Funding Through the 2026 Grants to Communities Program
Department
DEPARTMENT: Administrative Operations
Presenter
PRESENTER(S): Meredyth Muth, Director of Administrative Services & Operations
Lee Mathis, Police Chief
David Pasic, Director of Public Works
David Frank, Director of Environmental Services
Brandon Grasmick, Recreation Coordinator Special Events
end
Time
TIME ESTIMATE: 20 minutes
end
For time estimate: please put 0 for Consent items.
Fiscal
FISCAL SUMMARY:
Cost as Recommended: $80,000
Balance Available: $80,000
Fund General Fund
Line Item Number: 100-10-110-575140-000000
New Appropriation Required: No
Policy
POLICY ISSUES:
Staff believe the recommended grant allocations reflect the Council adopted priorities of the Grants to Communities program.
Recommendation
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Approve the resolution with recommended distribution of funding for the 2026 Grants to Communities Program.
Body
SUMMARY/KEY POINTS
• The Grants to Communities Program provides funding to local non-profit organizations to support projects, programs, and events that benefit Erie and its residents. Information on the program is available on the Grants to Communities <https://www.erieco.gov/974/Grants> page of the Town’s website.
• $80,000 is budgeted for the program in 2026.
• The applications were reviewed by a staff committee from Administration, Parks & Recreation, Environmental Services, Public Works, and the Police Department and the members all agree with the recommendation.
BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
For 2026, the application requirements were changed based on Council’s direction in August. This included limiting service grants to $12,000 and capping event applications at two per organization and limiting awards to $5,000 for each application.
Staff received applications with requests totaling $195,616. This included 33 applications from 25 organizations. Of the requests, $77,616 was for events and $188,000 was for services.
With only $80,000 available to distribute these were tough decisions. The staff recommendation allocates less for events and more to services, with a particular focus on essential services for lower income residents.
Please note that in some cases the award amounts do not represent the full funding request. However, based on the number of applications and the award criteria, staff believe this list reflects fair and equitable funding.
|
Request Type |
Event/Service Description |
Organization |
Requested for 2026 |
Recommended For 2026 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Event |
Biscuit Day |
Erie Historical Society |
4,000 |
4,000 |
|
Event |
Celebration of Excellence |
SVVSD Foundation |
5,000 |
0 |
|
Event |
Color Wheel Project |
T2 Dance Company |
3,500 |
0 |
|
Event |
Eerie Erie |
Erie Optimists |
2,000 |
2,000 |
|
Event |
Erie Art Festival |
Art Circle |
5,000 |
2,000 |
|
Event |
Erie Fest |
BBN |
5,000 |
5,000 |
|
Event |
Erie Pride |
BBN |
5,000 |
5,000 |
|
Event |
Erie Stories |
Motus Theater |
5,716 |
0 |
|
Event |
Gala |
SVVSD Foundation |
5,000 |
0 |
|
Event |
Garden Tour |
COCreate Erie |
5,000 |
0 |
|
Event |
Homecoming Parade |
Erie Optimists |
1,000 |
1,000 |
|
Event |
Kindness Gala |
PLAY Education Foundation |
5,000 |
0 |
|
Event |
Lotus & Light Celebration |
Nepali Jatra |
5,000 |
2,000 |
|
Event |
Luminary Walk |
Soaring Heights PK-8 PTO |
5,000 |
2,000 |
|
Event |
Music & Emotions |
Boulder Philharmonic |
1,400 |
0 |
|
Event |
Musical Performances |
Sister Carmen |
5,000 |
0 |
|
Event |
Night of Hope |
Voice for Children CASA of Boulder County |
5,000 |
0 |
|
Event |
Sounds of the Sacred South |
Samarpana Foundation |
5,000 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Requested in Events |
77,616 |
23,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Service |
Book Vending Machine |
PLAY Education Foundation |
12,000 |
0 |
|
Service |
Meals for Homebound Residents |
Coal Creek Meals on Wheels |
12,000 |
12,000 |
|
Service |
College Scholarships |
Erie HS Education Foundation |
6,000 |
6,000 |
|
Service |
College planning for low income, first generation and Foster Care students |
Collegiate Crossings |
10,000 |
5,000 |
|
Service |
Communal Garden |
Rejoice Lutheran Church |
5,000 |
0 |
|
Service |
Food Pantry |
Community Food Share |
2,000 |
2,000 |
|
Service |
Childcare Scholarships for qualifying families |
Early Childhood Council of Boulder County |
12,000 |
0 |
|
Service |
Food Pantry |
Erie Community Food Bank |
7,500 |
7,500 |
|
Service |
Food Assistance |
Erie Uplink |
9,000 |
9,000 |
|
Service |
Connecting families with home health care |
Hello Nurze |
3,000 |
3,000 |
|
Service |
Kindness Project |
PLAY Education Foundation |
12,000 |
0 |
|
Service |
Makerspace |
COCreate Erie |
12,000 |
0 |
|
Service |
Medical Equipment Loans |
Erie Rotary |
500 |
500 |
|
Service |
Adaptive baseball league |
Sandlot Baseball League |
3,000 |
0 |
|
Service |
Direct financial assistance for housing, utilities, transportation and essential services. |
Sister Carmen Community Center |
12,000 |
12,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Requested in Services |
118,000 |
57,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Requests |
195,616 |
80,000 |
|
|
Total Amount Available |
80,000 |
|
Two versions of the approval resolution are included with this item: Option 1 has the staff review team recommended funding amounts; Option 2 has no specific amounts listed and can be used if Council determines to award amounts different than those recommended.
Upon passage of the Council’s preferred version of the resolution, staff will begin the process of distributing the funds.
.attachments
ATTACHMENT(S):
1. Resolution - Option 1
2. Resolution - Option 2