FAS-023 - Grant Policy_2022SAINT IOHN
Title: Grant Policy
Subject: Grant Policy
Category: Finance and Administrative Services
Policy No.: FAS-023
M&C Report No.: 2022-311
Effective Date: 01 January 2023
Next Review Date: 01 January 2027
Area(s) this policy applies to: Cross Corporate
Office Responsible for review of this Policy:
Finance and Administrative Services
Related Instruments:
Policy Sponsors:
Chief Financial Officer
Document Pages:
This document consists of 7 pages.
Revision History:
Common Clerk's Annotation for Official Record
Date of Passage of Current Framework: 2022-10-03
1 certify that this Policy was adopted by Common Council as indicated
a bove.
2024-04-29
Common Clerk
Date
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. POLICY STATEMENT...................................................................................................................1
2. PURPOSE OF GRANT POLICY...................................................................................................... 3
3. DEFINITIONS............................................................................................................................. 3
4. GRANT APPLICATION.................................................................................................................3
5. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.................................................................................................................5
6. INELIGIBILITY............................................................................................................................. 5
7. EVALUATION..............................................................................................................................6
8. OUTCOME REPORTS AND GRANT CLOSE OUT........................................................................... 7
9. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES...................................................................................................7
1. POLICY STATEMENT
1.1 Not for profit and charitable organizations can often provide services to the community
more efficiently and effectively than otherwise provided by the city.
1.2 The City of Saint John has legislative authority to issue grants pursuant to subsection
102 (1) of the Local Governance Act.
1.3 City grants must align with Council's strategic priorities and strategic plans.
1.4 All City grants shall be subject to an open, equitable, and transparent process for the
application, evaluation, and allocation of grant funds.
1.5 City grant eligibility criteria shall be aligned with the Grant Policy FAS-023.
1.6 City grant applications below $25,000 shall be evaluated by a Grant Committee in
accordance with Grant Policy FAS-023.
1.7 Major grant requests above $25,000 shall be submitted to the City for consideration in
a future operating budget subject to an open, equitable and transparent evaluation
process and alignment with the City's strategic priorities.
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1.8 The Commissioner of Growth and Community Services shall bring forth Grant
Committee recommendations to Common Council for consideration.
1.9 The City Manager shall bring forth grant recommendations to Common Council that
exceed $25,000 subject to funds being available in the approved annual operating
budget.
1.10 City grants (including in -kind contributions) are subject to funding available in the
operating budget and shall not be funded by debt or with City Reserve Funds unless
the use of the reserve is included in the annual approved operating budget.
1.11 Grants are expressly prohibited from being drawn from operating reserves if the
operating reserve is less than 75% fully funded.
1.12 City grants are not transferable and must be used for the purposes outlined in the
submitted application.
1.13 Grants are funded by taxpayers and therefore grant recipients shall submit an outcome
report for every city approved grant.
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1.14 Outcome reports shall be made available to the public on the City's website.
1.15 A grant close-out process shall be conducted annually by the Grant Committee.
1.16 Development Incentives, Heritage Grants, Land for Public Purpose Grants and
Beautification Grants have separate Council policies and are exempt.
2. PURPOSE OF GRANT POLICY
2.1 To provide an open, fair and transparent process for the application, evaluation and
allocation of grant funds.
2.2 To ensure taxpayers receive value for money with transparent reported outcomes.
2.3 To ensure city grants align with the city strategic plan and Council's priorities.
2.4 To inform and guide the recommendations of the Grant Committee and City Staff.
3. DEFINITIONS
3.1 Financial Statement — Balance sheet and income statement representing the most
recent fiscal year of financial results.
3.2 Grant — financial or in -kind assistance provided by the City to an eligible grantee.
Discounts, reimbursements, relief on existing contracts, leases and user fees when
service has already been provided are forms of financial assistance and is considered
a city grant.
3.3 Grant Committee —A Committee approved by Common Council to provide oversight on
city grants.
3.4 In -Kind Grant - a grant for the provision of municipal property/facilities, materials, or
resources to an eligible grantee that creates an incremental cost for the City.
4. GRANT APPLICATION
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4.1 City grant opportunities and submission deadlines shall be posted publicly on the City
website.
4.2 Grant application forms shall be made available to the public on the City website.
4.3 Grant applications do not automatically roll over into future years, annual applications
are required.
4.4 Grant applications forms shall include eligibility and evaluation criteria.
4.5 Grant applications forms must be signed by a signing authority who is legally authorized
to act on behalf of the organization.
4.6 Grant application requires the applicant to include:
4.6.1 Proof of status (non-profit number, charitable organization number, qualified
donee status)
4.6.2 Clearly defined outcomes for the community (the need) aligned with Council
priorities and 10-year strategic plan.
4.6.3 Experience to successfully achieve the proposed outcome
4.6.4 Measures of success
4.6.5 Amount of grant funding requested & proof of financial need
4.6.6 List of all in kind assistance being requested
4.6.7 Description of how the funds will be used
4.6.8 Organization's budget
4.6.9 Total revenue from other sources of funding
4.6.10 Governance structure including organization chart, experience, profile of
senior staff, Board of Directors, and key policies in place
4.6.11 Copy of the organizations most recent financial statements
4.7 Limit of one grant award per organization.
4.8 Incomplete applications will not be considered.
4.9 The City reserves the right to incorporate focus areas in the annual grant program to build
greater alignment between the outcomes of the grants and Council Priorities. Focus areas
will be based on staff recommendations to Common Council.
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ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
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5.1 Registered non-profit, charitable organization or qualified donee holding principal
activities within the geographic boundary of the City of Saint John.
5.2 Respect the Canadian Charter of Human Rights and promote equal access and
opportunity for all persons.
5.3 Be in good standing with the City and have no outstanding arrears with the City or have
outstanding outcome reports from previous grant awards.
5.4 Shall not be financially dependent on the City grant to sustain operations. City
operational grants shall not exceed 30% of the organization's total revenue streams.
5.5 Grant recipients will acknowledge the support of the City of Saint John in written
materials, and through other appropriate means. The recipient shall also display
signage or a notice acknowledging the support of the City of Saint John at the
recipient's principal location(s) and its significant public events (including the
recipients annual meeting.
5.6 Proposed outcomes must be in alignment with Council priorities and the City's 10year
strategic plan.
5.7 The organization must have a defined governance structure that make specific
individuals accountable for the use of the grant and for the intended outcomes.
5.8 Must demonstrate a financial need for the grant.
5.9 Must benefit and be assessable to the citizens of Saint John.
INELIGIBILITY
6.1 For -Profit organizations, individuals, other levels of government and private clubs.
6.2 Organizations with political affiliations.
6.3 Any expenditure incurred prior to the application date.
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6.4 Projects or events already taken place prior to application date.
6.5 Funding of deficits or debts.
6.6 Past grant recipients have not submitted outcome reports pursuant to this policy.
6.7 Funding of initiatives outside the city boundaries.
6.8 Grant request that exceeds 30% of the organizations total annual revenue for
operational funding. No cap applies for project or event funding requests.
6.9 Outcomes proposed in grant application competes with existing City services.
6.10 The advancement of religion or partisan political activity.
6.11 Fundraising events.
6.12 Conferences or professional development.
6.13 Meals, entertainment, travel expenses, cash prizes or gifts.
7. EVALUATION
7.1 Grant requests below $25,000 shall be evaluated by a Grant Committee.
7.2 Grant requests that exceed $25,000 shall be evaluated and recommended by City
Manager to Common Council in compliance with the Grant Policy.
7.3 A Grant Committee shall make formal recommendation to Council through the
Commissioner of Growth and Community Services.
7.4 The City shall produce an evaluation matrix for the Grant Committee's use to assess
each application based on requirements set forth in sections 4, 5 & 6 of this policy.
7.5 A Grant Committee may request oral presentations from grant applicants.
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OUTCOME REPORTS & GRANT CLOSE OUT
8.1 Successful applicants must complete and send to the City an outcome report by
December 3111 in the year the grant was received.
8.2 The Grant Committee shall review each outcome report and the Chair of the Grant
Committee shall sign off on each report to signify close out if satisfied the report
complies with this policy.
8.3 The Outcome report shall include:
8.3.1 Description of the completed outcomes to demonstrate success.
8.3.2 Financial summary of the revenues and expenditures of the organization (or a
financial statement).
8.3.3 Financial report summarizing the expenditures funded by the City grant.
8.3.4 Signature of the organization's Board Chair and authorized signing authority.
8.3.5 Unused grant funds provided by the City.
8.4 Unused city grant funds shall be returned to the City or receive an approved extension
from the Grant Committee.
8.5 The Grant Committee shall conduct a grant close out review of all outcome reports
annually by February 151" for the following purposes:
8.5.1 To determine compliance with this policy.
8.5.2 To determine if the organization is eligible to apply for future grant funding.
8.5.3 To determine if any funds should be returned to the City.
8.6 Outcome reports shall be made available to the public on the City's website
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
9.1 Common Council shall:
9.1.1 Approve the Grant Policy and any amendments to the policy.
9.1.2 Approve grants.
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9.2 The City Manager shall:
9.2.1 Ensure compliance with the Grants Policy
9.2.2 Evaluate and make recommendation to Council for grants that exceed $25,000.
9.3 The Commissioner of Growth and Community Services shall:
9.3.1 Receive recommendations from the Grant Committee
9.3.2 Bring the Grant Committee recommendations to Common Council.
9.4 The Grant Committee shall:
9.4.1 Evaluate and make community grant recommendations to the
Commissioner of Growth and Community Development per the policy.
9.4.2 Monitor compliance with grant policy through review of outcome reports.
9.4.3 Conduct a grant close out reviews of outcome reports.
9.5 The Chief Financial Officer shall:
9.5.1 Support compliance through periodic audits.
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