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Authorize the County’s contribution of $5,200 from the General Fund contribution allocated to District 3 to benefit the following organizations, including Friends of Fairfield Police K9s ($750), California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce Foundation ($700), Fairfield-Suisun Visual Art Association ($1,000), Fairfield Community Services Foundation - Food Pantry ($750), Food is Free Solano ($1,000) and Wednesday Club Historical Group ($1,000)
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
Supervisor Williams requests that the Board of Supervisors authorize the County’s contribution of $5,200 from the General Fund contribution allocated to District 3 to benefit the following organizations, including Friends of Fairfield Police K9s ($750), California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce Foundation ($700), Fairfield-Suisun Visual Art Association ($1,000), Fairfield Community Services Foundation - Food Pantry ($750), Food is Free Solano ($1,000) and Wednesday Club Historical Group ($1,000).
SUMMARY/ DISCUSSION:
District 3 has identified four (6) local non-profit organizations for which to contribute its non-county contribution allocation, including:
Friends of Fairfield Police K9s, $750
Friends of Fairfield Police K9s is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the Fairfield Police Department K9 Officers that serve and protect the community. Through the generosity of donors, the K9 program receives support with equipment, training, and medical needs for retired K9 Officers. Donor funds supplement the City-funded K9 program expenses and do not supplant the Fairfield Police Department’s K9 budget. These funds will be used to support training for active duty Police K9s and medical needs of retired K9 Officers.
California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce Foundation dba Solano Hispanic Chamber Scholarship Fund, $700
The California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce Foundation (CHCCF) was created and incorporated in 2008 and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The Foundation was established to identify funding opportunities for the educational and economic development programs of the CHCCF and supported organizations. The primary charitable purposes of the CHCC Foundation are (1) To create, develop and provide educational and economic development programs to increase adult leadership for CHCC and its members; (2) To provide scholarship opportunities for qualified students to attend educational institutions to study business and economic development; and (3) To attract and receive contributions of cash, securities and property of any other kind or description from individuals, corporations and other business or governmental entities to establish and maintain the Foundation's funds. The "Solano Hispanic Chamber Scholarship Fund" refers to a scholarship program offered by the Solano Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, aimed at supporting Hispanic students from Solano County, California, who are either high school seniors or college freshmen, by providing financial assistance towards their education. These funds will be used to support Solano Hispanic Chamber’s Scholarship Fund.
Fairfield-Suisun Visual Art Association, $1,000
The Fairfield-Suisun City Visual Arts Association is a non-profit organization of visual artists and friends of the arts working in collaboration with the community to promote artistic creativity, education and expression. The FSVAA sponsors the annual FSVAA Student Art Show (which is open to all Solano County High School Students), the annual FSVAA Children’s Art Show (which is open to all Fairfield-Suisun City 1st thru 8th grade students), art classes, art auctions, fundraisers for other non-profits, and annual art events. These funds will be used to provide financial support of the student art shows.
Fairfield Community Services Foundation, $750
The Fairfield Community Services Foundation is a dedicated team of innovative leaders committed to fostering a stronger community in Fairfield. Through their unique model of public-private partnerships, they aim to create impactful solutions that benefit all residents. They are focused on building a brighter future for Fairfield. The Fairfield Community Services Foundation improves the lives of Fairfield's underserved youth, families, and seniors by providing the support and services that give hope. The Fairfield Community Services Foundation’s Food Bank Program assists the community by donating food to local churches to be distributed to families in need. These funds will be used to support the Food Bank program services.
Food is Free Solano, $1,000
Food is Free Solano is a local free food resource run completely by volunteers and supported by the local community. The program addresses the issues of food insecurity on an ongoing basis. Its Senior Food Box Program proudly offers the commodity food box program for Solano County Seniors aged 60 and older. These funds will be used to provide much needed financial resources to ensure that the Senior Food Box Program continues to serve local seniors impacted by food insecurity.
Wednesday Club Historical Group, $1,000
The Wednesday Club Historic Group is a sister group of the Wednesday Club of Suisun City. They fundraise together and donate to charities together. Their scholarships began with the Wednesday Club’s first scholarship, a music scholarship established in 1952. It was named for Isla Wright, an accomplished singer, pianist, piano teacher, and long-time member of the Wednesday Club. The scholarship was started by her cousin, Anna Kyle, another gifted singer and pianist who sang in many church choirs and was the first Supervisor of Music in Solano County. After Anna Kyle's death, a second music scholarship was funded. These two scholarships later became one, the Isla Wright/Anna Kyle Scholarship.
The Doris Pelchat Advanced Nursing Scholarship was established in 1988. It is named after Doris Pelchat, who had a distinguished career as a nurse in the Pacific Theater during World War II and at the David Grant Hospital on Travis AFB after the war.
In 2001, an academic scholarship was established for young women who wish to pursue advanced education other than nursing or music. In 2005, the scholarship was named the Robbins Family Academic Scholarship, in honor of the family who, in 1922, donated the land upon which the present Wednesday Club clubhouse sits.
Another music scholarship was established in 2005 in the name of Caroline Covey, a distinguished choral director for 39 years and symphony violinist and piano teacher for 45 years. This scholarship was later combined with the Isla Wright/Anna Kyle Scholarship to become The Wednesday Club Music Scholarship and is now the Music/Fine Arts Scholarship. These funds will be used to support Wednesday Club Historical Group’s Scholarship Fund for Solano County students.
Guidelines for Grant Funding Requests:
During the FY2024/25 Budget Hearings, the Board appropriated $75,000, $15,000 to each supervisorial district, to allow Board members to support community service programs. The Board directed County Counsel to provide guidelines on how to recommend funding for qualifying agencies or programs. The Guidelines are as follows:
1.) Each supervisor must submit the proposed expenditure to County Counsel and the Auditor-Controller for initial review.
2.) The Board must approve the expenditure by a majority vote.
3.) The Board must determine that the expenditure is for a public purpose.
4.) The Board may authorize an expenditure of public funds to a nonprofit organization so long as the County retains ultimate control over the exercise of judgment and discretion of the intended program.
5.) To ensure accountability, all expenditures are subject to periodic audit by the Auditor-Controller; and
a) If the recipient provides an activity, program or service (“activity”), it shall provide an activity report within 30 days of the activity that states the number of persons attending (if applicable) or participating activities carried out, feedback from participants (if applicable) and benefits of the activity. The recipient’s failure to provide a report may result in its being considered ineligible for future funding.
b) If the recipient is purchasing property or making improvements, it shall use the funds for only the specified purposes and allow representatives of the county to inspect and/or audit the purchase or the contractor’s performance, the facility or the portion improved with the funds and/or the records pertaining to the expenditures. The recipient shall retain for inspection and audit purposes any and all books, receipts, documentation and other records of the expenditures for three (3) years from date of receiving funds.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The expenditures totaling $5,200 in contributions are included in the Department’s FY2024/25 Working Budget. The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2024/25 Working Budget.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose not to authorize these expenditures; however, this is not recommended as this is consistent with Board policy.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
There is no other agency involvement.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION