Pinellas commissioner proposes ending nonprofit grants
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Seeking to further reduce next year's budget, a Pinellas County commissioner proposed slashing grant funding to nonprofits.
Why it matters: That threatens programs that nonprofit leaders say are critical to help children and families, vulnerable adults and veterans.
- "I know that we're competing for resources, but at the same time, everybody needs help," said Robin Ingles, CEO of potential grant recipient Seniors in Service.
State of play: An advisory board overseeing Pinellas' Social Action Funding program recommended about $1.7 million in grants for 17 nonprofit organizations, on par with previous years.
- But rising costs, unfunded state mandates and slower revenue growth have contributed to a tight budget season for the county, with more challenges to come if voters approve Amendment 3 in November.
- Among other cuts, including 35 positions, county administrator Barry Burton recommended slashing the nonprofit grants by about 60%, instead awarding $667,000 to seven organizations that had received funding in the past.
The latest: At a budget workshop last week, commission Vice Chair Chris Latvala proposed eliminating the funding altogether.
- "We're cutting budgets all across the board," Latvala told Axios in an interview. "Nonprofits should not be immune to that, even those that do very fine work in our community."
Threat level: The grants on the chopping block go toward programs supporting vulnerable residents, from families who can't afford fresh groceries to chronically homeless people.
Zoom in: Seniors in Service is seeking $99,999 for a program that provides buddies who check in on older adults without friends or family.
- The regular check-ins provide both social connection and intervention for health issues that may otherwise spiral into a 911 call that further strains the system, CEO Ingles said.
- "This funding is the deal of the century for how much we save in keeping these seniors stabilized in their homes," she said, adding that the program helped 271 seniors with last year's county grant.
The Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation is seeking $93,789 for an after-school program aimed at closing the achievement gap for underserved K–8 students in south St. Petersburg.
- Of about 85 kids enrolled in the program last year, the share reading at grade level rose from 32% to 73%, volunteer CEO Bridgette Heller said.
Friction point: While Latvala suggested nonprofits could turn to the Florida Legislature for funds, state money isn't easy to come by, nonprofit leaders say.
- "In this political climate, they're as uninclined to fund all these social services as the county is becoming," Ingles said.
What's next: County commissioners will finalize potential cuts and hold an initial vote to approve the budget at Thursday's meeting.
- Latvala told Axios he plans to raise eliminating the nonprofit grants again.