Local organizations serving Bradford could qualify for more funding thanks to a recent change.
Committee of the whole recommended council approve an update to the town’s community support program, including increases to funding levels and streamlining the policy, during its March 5 meeting.
The program involves various different funding options from the town, council and mayor to community organizations.
According to a report from clerk Tara Reynolds, the grants committee, which reviews funding applications and make recommendations to council, met in December and reviewed the program’s policies for the first time since it came into effect in 2015.
“It’s just cleaning it up and making it a lot easier for the decisions being made at the table,” Mayor James Leduc said, noting that “going through it year after year,” the committee realized “we need to bring in some new definitions.”
For the community grant program, the funding range was increased to between $500 and $5,000 — up from $400 to $3,000 — “as it more accurately reflects the applications received.”
The program provides support to not-for-profit groups in recognition of the value they bring to the well-being and growth of the community and in helping the town retain a strong community focus.
In January, council approved $17,300 in funding for 10 local groups.
Funding is also set aside for the mayor to donate at their discretion and this was also increased to amounts less than $500 from amounts less than $400.
On the other hand, the council community initiatives fund was removed from the program, since it referred to funds raised through the annual mayor and council charity golf tournament, the proceeds from which are provided to a specific beneficiary chosen each year.
Objective-based funding was also removed from the program, and previously referred to requests for more than $3,000 for multiyear commitments.
“There have generally not been many applicants for this type of funding and it simplifies administering two different intake deadlines under the policy,” Reynolds said in her report.
In-kind contributions remained unchanged and each town department has the discretion to make in-kind donations from their own department’s resources to a maximum value of $1,000.
While applications for the mayor’s discretionary funding and in-kind donations can be made at any time in the year, applications for the community grant program must be filed by Oct. 1 in order to qualify for funding in the following year.
Organizations must operate within town to qualify.
Requests may be approved in full, approved for a lesser value than requested or denied, and priority is given to requests that support programs in the following categories: youth/senior, heritage/civic, arts/culture or leisure/tourism.
For more information, visit townofbwg.com.
Recommendations from the committee are considered for approval at the next regular council meeting.
