A new grant program in the Region of Queens may require a little tweaking.
The municipality combined several funding programs into the new Community Investment Fund in December with the goal of making grants more accessible.
The move also came with a big boost in money available to organizations but it also came with new criteria for grant applications.
“If your reserve funds surplus exceeds your annual budget by 50 per cent you are disqualified,” explains Mayor David Dagley. “And it’s set up that way so we don’t have non-profits sitting on money and we end up funding all of their projects.”
“If there’s surplus and it’s stated in a letter ‘well we intend to do this with it later’ there’s no meaning it’s actually going to happen so that’s the reasoning for it, and maintaining a fun all of Queens County can access.”
Some groups however argue, that’s not always a true reflection of their finances, as they may have things like renovation projects in the works.
At a recent council meeting the North Queens Medical Centre Association questioned the municipality’s process as they were declined funding for their parking lot upgrades.
In a letter to the municipality they explained their regular expenses don’t include major repairs and their donation revenue in 2018 was exceptionally high.
At another council meeting, councillors questioned why Queens Daycare was also declined a grant.
Dagley says they may revise or clarify the application documents so there’s less confusion next year.
Story by Brittany Wentzell
Twitter: @BrittWentzell
Email: wentzell.brittany@radioabl.ca
