The Lacey City Council approved an increase to the city’s Human Services Grant Program cap, raising the maximum award from $35,000 to $50,000 for both public service and capital projects.
The decision, made during the council work session on Tuesday, April 22, followed a detailed discussion on how to use limited city funds more effectively to support nonprofits and human service agencies.
The updated cap reflects a shift in funding strategy that several council members endorsed, including Mayor Andy Ryder, who noted allocating larger grants could better support critical community needs.
“When you're spreading dollars around so thin, it’s pretty hard for these agencies to take just a little bit of dollars and be able to meet their missions,” Ryder said.
“I’d rather see actually a higher cap and a couple organizations really be able to do something with those dollars,” he added.
While some members supported the cap as a way to distribute funds more broadly, most agreed that flexibility was necessary to ensure the city could respond effectively to the most pressing needs.
Michelle Chavez, representing the Human Services Commission, explained the original $35,000 limit was based on the commission’s analysis of funding trends from the previous cycle.
“There were some asks that were just very large,” said Chavez, noting the cap was initially intended to allow more agencies to receive at least partial funding.
However, she acknowledged the value of larger awards, particularly in cases where agencies can leverage other sources of support.
The council also discussed aligning the Human Services Grant Program with the upcoming launch of the city’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, which includes federal dollars with stricter compliance requirements.
Council members expressed interest in eventually running both programs on a coordinated timeline to identify funding overlaps and maximize impact.
City staff confirmed the programs would remain separate for now due to differing requirements and administrative burdens.
“This is only our second year running this program,” Chavez said. “As we continue to learn and evaluate what works best, we can consider changes that make the process smoother and more effective for everyone involved.”
The council unanimously approved the updated Human Services Grant Program policy, application and rubric with the revised $50,000 cap.
Applications are set to open at the end of April, with awards expected to be distributed beginning in August.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here