The sting of the economic downturn as a result of actions to control COVID-19 is not only being felt by the city of Sedona, but is now having a trickle-down effect on some nonprofit organizations as well.
Each year the Sedona City Council doles out funds as part of its small grants program to encourage and fund activities, programs or events developed by 501(c) organizations. Last year the city gave $166,500 to more than 20 organizations. And while funding is never guaranteed, there are several of the same names on the recipient list year after year. But this year is different.
On Tuesday, July 28, council was scheduled to distribute funding based on the recommendations of the Small Grants Review Committee that was once again led by Stephanie Giesbrecht. She was joined by Bill Cammock, Dean Gain, Christine Siddoway and Patty Reski.
The committee, which received requests totaling $263,860, recommended sticking with last year’s budget of $166,500 and adjusted the requests to fit that budget. But in the end, council approved just $45,200 by a 6-1 vote after two hours of discussion.
Councilman John Currivan was the dissenting vote, stating that he feels the unused funding should be frozen for now but re-evaluated for possible grant distribution in the next few months.
Council members who were in favor of slashing the funding said they felt bad for doing so but with the city looking at millions of dollars in sales and bed tax losses over the next year — as well as positions and programs currently frozen — it was necessary. Council also brought up the fact that due to restrictions related to COVID-19, some of these programs and events, which applied prior to the pandemic, may not come to fruition over the next 12 months.
While the full $166,500 is listed in the city’s budget, council members said at the meeting that many things in the budget exist as line items but the funding may not be as the year progresses.
“In light of continued concern about significant revenue losses and consistent with freezing all discretionary spending internally at the city, council opted to fund those requests that represent critical needs but not to fund other requests that, while valuable, don’t rise to the same level of priority,” City Manager Justin Clifton said the following day.
A city report states that during the Fiscal Year 2020-21 budget meetings, council directed the committee to prioritize requests that addressed health and human services needs and/or fundamental organizational capacity — meaning the organization may not survive if not for funding from the city.
Unlike prior years, the committee’s goal was not to balance grant awards to a specific budget target, but instead assess the needs and make recommendations to council on what is critical to fund.
The report states that council noted during the budget work sessions that if health and human services and/or fundamental organization capacity grants totaled more than $166,500, the committee could recommend a greater funding amount. However, committee members said they felt that only $30,700 reflected health and human service or fundamental capacity needs.
Council approved six requests that fell into the modified health and human services category as well as two from the contingency list — Sedona Toys for Tots and Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Those receiving funding this year include:
— Steps to Recovery Homes, $5,000
— Sedona Area Homeless Alliance, $4,000
— Precious Stones Preschool at Rock of Ages Lutheran Church, $10,200
— Verde Valley First Books, $1,000
— Verde Valley Imagination Library, $3,500
— Verde Search and Rescue Posse Inc, $7,000
— Sedona Toys for Tots, $5,000
— Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters, $9,500
Those organizations that received recommendations for funding by the committee but will go without are Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition, Sedona International Film Festival & Workshop, Chamber Music Sedona, Emerson Theater Collaborative, Sedona International City of Peace, Conscious Education, Verde Valley Wheel Fun, Benefactors of Red Rock State Park, Sedona Historical Society, Sedona Arts Festival, Sedona Visual Artists Coalition, Parangello Players, Red Rocks Music Festival, Sedona Arts Center, Plan B Foundation for Wolves, Sedona School Mountain Biking Club, Verde Valley Sinfonietta, Gardens for Humanity and Piano on the Rocks International Festival.
The application process for next fiscal year’s small grants funding begins in February.
