Subject:
Title
Recommendation to award grant funding to applicants of the first round of large projects funded by the American Rescue Plan Act Nonprofit Capital Fund.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval of the recommended list of highest-ranked grant applicants for the first round of the large project track of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Nonprofit Capital Fund, administered by the Pinellas Community Foundation (PCF) and funded by the County’s allocation of ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund with additional staff recommendations.
The large projects track of the Nonprofit Capital Fund is intended to fund acquisitions of, or modification to, property by nonprofit organizations that have experienced a negative economic impact by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• An independent rank and review committee of the PCF reviewed and scored 78 eligible Letters of Intent requesting a total of $83,086,947.70. On October 6, 2022, the same committee members met and ranked the eligible LOIs that would move to the full grant application phase. On March 7, 2023, after individually reviewing each grant application, the independent rank and review committee met to rank the 19 submitted grant applications and made recommendations. The list of applications recommended for award is attached for a total of $10,500,00.00.
• Due to a scrivener’s error, the PCF’s independent committee reconvened on April 14, 2023, to address the discovery that two organizations were incorrectly placed on the original award recommendation list. The committee worked to balance both process and expectation in adjusting their funding recommendations.
• Due to these new recommendations, staff conducted a supplemental review of the 19 applications. This review included analysis of geographical impact, alignment with national ARPA goals, and direction given by the full Board of County Commissioners to focus on food insecurity, specialized health, and services to the County’s most impacted residents.
• As such, staff is recommending the following changes to the PCF’s list: unassign the funding for the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg, Inc. (because the applicant has substantial established resources and the demonstrated financial impact was not as great as others); Community Health Centers of Pinellas, Inc. DBA Evara Health (for the same reasons as the YMCA and the project will not directly counteract the effects of COVID-19); and the African People’s Education and Defense Fund, Inc. (because the project also will not directly counteract the effects of COVID-19).
• Should these staff recommendations be accepted, the funds then available are recommended to be allocated to the next ranked partially-funded applicant - Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services, Inc.
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Strategic Plan:
Ensure Public Health, Safety, and Welfare
2.1 Provide planning, coordination, prevention, and protective services to create and enhance safe, secure, and healthy community
2.2 Be a facilitator, convener, and purchaser of services for those in need
Foster Continual Economic Growth and Vitality
4.2 Invest in communities that need it the most
First Class Services to the Public and Our Customers
5.2 Be responsible stewards of the public’s resources.
Summary:
Summary
Award $10,500,000 of funding from the large project track of the ARPA Nonprofit Capital Project Fund as recommended by the Pinellas Community Foundation with staff recommendations to unassign funding to three applicants and assign the balance to the next ranked partially-funded applicant.
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Background Information:
On May 10, 2021, Treasury announced the Coronavirus State and Local Recovery Funds, established by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, to provide $350 billion in emergency funding for eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments.
The Coronavirus SLFRF provides substantial flexibility for each jurisdiction to meet local needs. This includes support for households, small businesses, impacted industries and nonprofits, essential workers, and the communities hardest hit by the crisis. These funds also deliver resources that recipients can invest in building, maintaining, or upgrading their water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure.
Pinellas County received $189,381,543.00 from SLFRF. All funds must be obligated by December 31, 2024, and expensed by December 31, 2026.
The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners approved the ARPA SLFRF spending plan in concept on January 11, 2022, and an amended spending plan on May 24, 2022. The spending plan includes a $19,000,000.00 budget for a Nonprofit Capital Fund. The PCF was engaged to administer this fund in July 2022 and presented their intended approach at the July 28, 2022, Board Work Session. A copy of the slide deck presented by the PCF representatives is attached.
The program is divided in to two tracks: one for small purchases of capital assets of less than $200,000, such as equipment, and a second track for large projects that involve the purchase or refurbishment of real property with a maximum request of $5,000,000.00.
An initial allocation of $3,750,000.00 was dedicated to the first round of small purchases, which was award on November 15, 2022.
The large project track of the ARPA Nonprofit Capital Project Fund has an allocation of $10,000,000.00 for the large projects (with an additional $500,000 dedicated for technical assistance to ensure that organizations that have fewer resources are able to submit competitive applications and maintain compliance with ARPA requirements).
A total of $83,636,974.70 in large projects was submitted by nonprofit organizations submitted letters of intent for Round 1 in competition for the $10,500,000.00.
Twenty-three of the 78 proposals progressed to submit a full application for funding consideration, and 19 of those submitted a full project application.
A total of $22,517,891.00 in large project full applications were submitted and 12 of the 19 full applications were recommended for funding as noted above.
Fiscal Impact:
This will disburse $10,500,000.00 of the $19,000,000.00 set aside for the ARPA Nonprofit Capital Fund.
Staff Member Responsible:
Chris Rose - Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Auria Oliver - Grants Administrator for the Office of Management and Budget
Partners:
Pinellas Community Foundation
Attachments:
Original PCF list of applicants recommended for funding in Round 1 of the Large Projects and the list of applicants not recommended for funding, dated March 9, 2023.
PCF list of applicants recommended for funding in Round 1 of the Large Projects and the list of applicants not recommended for funding as amended on April 14, 2023.
July 28, 2022, Board Work Session slide deck as presented by the PCF.
A slide deck explaining the PCF Round 1 of the Large Projects process and recommendations.