New nonprofit grant process for Sonoma

Since it came up the “tier one” concept of supporting nonprofit agencies 10 years ago, the City of Sonoma has awarded grants totaling over one million dollars to the Sonoma Ecology Center, Sonoma Community Center, Sonoma Valley Boys and Girls Club, and Vintage House. The idea was to help fund the agencies that provided programs and services that otherwise might fall to a city agency – sparing the creation of a Parks and Recreation Department, for example.

That system has been ditched in favor of the new Sonoma Community Fund Grant Program, under which all nonprofits serving City residents are on equal footing to apply for grants of up to $25,000. The City Council voted to fund the grant program with 1.5 percent of the city’s annual revenue. That’s a pool of about $180,000 to start with. If revenues go up — and the hotel tax just set a record for the last reported period — so will the charity pot.

“Opening the grant process will allow for a wider range of funding and services to become available to residents of the City and Valley,” said City Manager Carol Giovanatto… Other details: Grants must go to supporting a specific program or service, not for operating expenses. After two consecutive years of receiving a grant, a nonprofit will be ineligible for one year. No nonprofit that gets more than 10 percent of its budget from the city is eligible for a grant: example: Chamber of Commerce.

–Val Robichaud