The Sedona City Council unanimously approved $200,000 in small grants allocations for local nonprofit organizations during its July 11 meeting. Twenty-nine organizations had requested $374,022 for fiscal year 2024 with 27 receiving all or some of their request.

Vice Mayor Holli Ploog asked Stephanie Giesbrecht, chairwoman of the Small Grants Citizen Work Group, what she thought would be “an appropriate amount” of city funding for the program, noting that a number of the organizations that applied received less funding than they hadrequested due to the program being capped at $200,000.

“It does pain us not to be able to help out these organizations more in what they do, because they’ve become so good at crafting their programs to meet the city’s needs,” Giesbrecht said. “My gut tells me that $350,000 would help us to be able to make an impact for these organizations and allow them not only to just meet their minimum levels, but to be able to grow their programs and not only help more of their target population, but potentially in an even more impactful way.”

“These are all such deserving organizations, and the city couldn’t be the city that it is without the government partnering with these nonprofits for the services, and there needs to be that process,” Councilwoman Kathy Kinsella said. Suanne Rudley of West Sedona commented that the program’s funding should be increased next year and suggested that council display a list of the grant recipients prominently in the council chambers.

The organizations that applied for funding, and the amounts they requested and were awarded, are:

• The 1501 Foundation: $20,000; received $5,000
• The Arts Academy of Sedona: $10,000; received $0
• Cancer Support Communities Arizona: $10,000; received $5,000
• Chamber Music Sedona: $18,000; received $14,000
• Emerson Theater Collaborative: $20,000; received $8,000
• Gardens for Humanity: $4,000; received $3,000
• Hope House of Sedona: $3,270; received $1,635
• The Hummingbird Society: $8,000; received $4,000
• Keep Sedona Beautiful: $10,000; received $5,000
• Manzanita Outreach: $22,000; received $20,000
• Old Town Mission: $15,000; received $0
• Parangello Players: $15,000; received $13,000
• Piano on the Rocks International Festival: $13,500; received $6,750
• Red Rocks Music Festival: $12,500; received $6,250
• Sailfish Sport Project: $10,000; received $4,000
• Sedona Area Homeless Alliance: $20,000; received $15,000
• Sedona Area Veteran and Community Outreach: $3,000; received $3,000
• Sedona Arts Center: $30,000; received $13,000
• Sedona Arts Festival: $10,000; received $10,000
• Sedona Community Food Bank: $8,157; received $8,157
• Sedona International Film Festival and Workshop: $30,000; received $13,000
• Sedona School Mountain Biking Club: $10,000; received $3,000
• Sedona Visual Arts Coalition: $7,500; received $5,000
• Sedona Winefest: $10,000; received $2,000
• St. Vincent de Paul Sedona Conference: $10,000; received $5,000
• Street Heat Ministries: $9,095; received $4,708
• Verde Search and Rescue Posse: $10,000; received $10,000
• Verde Valley Sinfonietta: $20,000; received $10,000
• Wheel FUN: $5,000; received $2,500

Old Town Mission’s request for $15,000 was not approved. If approved, the sum the Cottonwood area mission requested would have covered 30% of its costs for food for distribution to Sedona residents. This was its first time applying to the program.

The work group members noted that “this organization demonstrates excellent administrative and record-keeping practices” in their recommendations and stated that the only reason they did not recommend funding the mission was that its hours for food assistance overlap with those of other distributors such as the Sedona Community Food Bank and Manzanita Outreach.

The Arts Academy of Sedona’s request for $10,000 to create a wellness podcast that would have targeted Sedona Harmony residents was also rejected. The committee recommended further planning and development for the project, including “specific information as to project timeline, individual podcast topics, evidence target population is technically prepared and capable of listening to podcasts [and] data collection strategy to demonstrate actual outcomes.”

The Sedona Winefest received $2,000 out of its $10,000 request, with the committee reducing the award given that only 20% of attendees are residents, economic growth is no longer a funding priority for the program, the event is only for adults and other funding sources are available to it.

Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Kristin Greene stated that the funding for the 

Verde Search and Rescue Posse will provide “support for training and equipment for the canine unit in their Volunteer Search and Rescue.”

The 1501 Foundation will also receive $5,000 to provide yoga and mindfulness classes for the Sedona Fire District; the foundation had requested $20,000 to pay for the full cost of the program.

The committee pointed out that the organization that benefits from the program, SFD, has a large budget of its own and suggested that SFD consider including the program in its budget in future.