Glendale nonprofits see drop in federal funding
Once again, federal funding for local nonprofits was cut as federal dollars earmarked for social services shrink each year.
This year, Glendale received about $1.6 million, or 10% less than last year, for its Community Development Block Grant program, which distributes money to organizations that provide after-school programs for at-risk youth, senior services and a shelter for battered women and children.
Of the $1.6 million, the City Council this week approved divvying up $229,000 to social-service organizations for programming. The remainder will go for city-related programs and administrative costs as well as capital improvement projects for both the city and nonprofits.
At $99,500, the biggest recipient of funds was youth programs, including youth employment, after-school programs and teen programs, according to a city report.
Homeless programs received the second-most funding, $80,000, and adult counseling and case-management programs came in third with $77,500.
Nearly all the nonprofits that had received funding in the past saw a cut, except the Committee for Armenian Students in Public Schools, which does intervention and group counseling. The organization received a $5,000 increase, bringing its allocation for fiscal year 2014-15 up to $15,000.
Organizations that saw a drop of more than $1,000 included the Armenian Relief Society, Catholic Charities’ Loaves & Fishes Homeless Prevention Program and Ascencia, Glendale’s largest homeless services provider.
Two organizations that didn’t receive money last year also didn’t get any Community Development Block Grant funding this time around. They were Glendale Healthy Kids and Path Ventures, a homeless nonprofit, which asked for $30,000 and $25,497, respectively.
The council also cut grant funding completely for the city’s Youth and Family Services program run by the Community Services & Parks Department, which received $10,000 last year.
Councilwoman Laura Friedman said the constant cutting of federal grants for nonprofits is a shame, but added that she knew the nonprofit groups that do benefit from federal funds greatly impact the community.
“I know that the money that is going to be spent, is going to be very well spent in the community,” she said.
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