HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – The Hopkinsville City Council voted to establish the Hoptown Helps Grant Program to supply funds to non-profit agencies in a fair and transparent manner. During the March 18 meeting, councilmembers unanimously voted to approve the municipal order establishing the program.
The city will now consider funding requests on an annual basis to organizations who meet posted requirements and are located within the city limits. During the yearly preliminary budget formulation process, the city CFO will make a recommendation of how much money will be delegated toward the Hoptown Helps program for distribution. This will then be approved by the mayor and the council.
“This new system replaces the previous automatic funding structure, creating an opportunity for a wider range of organizations to apply for financial support,” said a news release from the city.
Once there is a set amount of funding to work with, the Future Funding Committee will be responsible for evaluating and reviewing all grant submissions from the community. Non-profits that already receive funding through the city budget will not be eligible to apply. Final recommendations for funding will be forwarded to the council for approval in August.
“Our non-profits play an important role in improving the quality of life for Hopkinsville residents,” said Mayor Knight. “By establishing the Hoptown Helps grant program, we are creating a fair, more transparent process that ensures funding decisions reflect the needs of our community.”
The open application period begins April 1 and closes May 31. There will be an annual Hoptown Helps workshop held in March at a future date to explain the annual grant program and the application process to interested grantees.
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