The St. Helena City Council awarded $180,000 in nonprofit grants on Thursday, but it faced some hard decisions as requests far exceeded the city’s budget.
A handful of nonprofits received the full amount they requested for the upcoming fiscal year: UpValley Family Centers ($30,000), the Boys & Girls Club ($30,000), Rianda House ($30,000), Collabria Care ($6,000) and Napa Valley Community Organizations Active in Disaster ($4,900).
Five nonprofits received less than they’d asked for, and 16 grant requests weren’t funded at all, including applications from St. Helena Preschool For All, We Care Animal Rescue, Nimbus Arts and the St. Helena Historical Society.
Nonprofits requested a total of $376,451 in grants. Last year nonprofits asked for about $256,000 and received $190,000.
Before the pandemic forced the closure of the Cameo Cinema, the Friends of the Cameo had requested $10,000 for a “Let’s Eat” program on food culture. Instead, the council agreed to award $20,000 for a socially distanced drive-in theater the Cameo plans to launch in late June near Vidovich Avenue.
Councilmembers stressed that Thursday’s decisions aren’t final, since it’s hard to guess how quickly revenue will bounce back after the COVID-19 pandemic. If revenue exceeds projections, the council could reevaluate the situation in a few months and award more grants.
Vice Mayor Paul Dohring noted that the community might step in to help fill the gap. In 2016, when the city awarded only half of the requested grant amounts, Leslie Rudd’s Rudd Foundation donated $35,050 to cover the other half.
Photos: As seen in the St. Helena Star, week of June 4
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