In an almost 5-hour long City Council meeting, Coronado’s mayor and council members deliberated on how to spend $1 million in grants for community groups.
There was just one problem: 32 organizations submitted requests totalling over $2 million.
Kelli Maples, the city’s management analyst, recommended that 23 organizations receive the $1 million in grants.
After a 4-hour discussion, the City Council on June 20 decided to largely follow the staff recommendations while awarding funding to three additional organizations.
Grant winners
The winners: Emerald Keepers, Pacific Animal Welfare Society (PAWS of Coronado) and Coronado Schools Foundation – Robotics received grant money while the Coronado Hospital Foundation received nothing.
The three programs receiving the most award money were the Coronado Island Film Festival at $80,000; Safe Harbor Coronado receiving $75,000 and the Coronado Historical Association receiving $72,144 to keep the Coronado Museum free.
And as the July 4th approaches, the Coronado Fourth of July committee received $52,249 for the parade and $43,363 for the Leap Frogs (U.S. Navy’s Parachute team) and fireworks.
What the management team found was that there was a steep increase in the amount requested versus the amount of available funding, which, according to Maples, has stayed relatively the same over the last few years.
Big asks, unhappy council
Six organizations requested the maximum amount of $150,000, with one asking five times the amount requested the year before.
Council members were not pleased that so many community groups significantly upped their requests.
Almost every organization that we funded last year came in at two, three or four times the amount that they got last year.”
-Council member Mike Donovan.
“What we’re trying to do is take our grant budget and use that money in the best possible way to benefit the community,” Council member Mike Donovan said. “Almost every organization that we funded last year came in at two, three or four times the amount that they got last year.”
Donovan stated a disappointment that he felt these organizations were taking advantage of the grant system and to “tighten up” their requests.
Councilman: Take a grant writing class
He even offered that they take a seminar in writing a grant request as he didn’t see any of the necessities on this year’s applications.
“I think we need to continue [the course], or maybe offer it more often,” Donovan said, referencing a grant writing course the city offered in the past.
Donovan did draw laughs when he admitted to the long council meeting: “I guess I’m getting tired so I’m going to rag on somebody.”
The end of the deliberation resulted in $1,015,000 being awarded to 25 organizations for the fiscal year 2023-2024.
List of recipients
Certain organizations had multiple programs funded. Here’s a complete list of the grant recipients:
- Coronado Historical Association
- Keep the Coronado Museum Free, $72,144
- Coronado’s African American History Exhibit, $15,391
- Coronado’s Ferries from the Della to Today Exhibit, $14,429
- Coronado Floral Association, $84,000
- Safe Harbor Coronado
- Family Support Services, $59,396
- Healthy Families Program, $75,000
- Coronado Chamber of Commerce
- Promotion of the City of Coronado and its Businesses, $55,436
- Holiday Parade & Tree Lighting, $15,391
- Coronado Visitor Center Website, $34,882
- Coronado Fourth of July
- Parade, $52,249
- Leapfrogs and Fireworks, $43,363
- Lamb’s Players Theatre, $50,501
- Coronado Philharmonia Orchestra, $23,072
- MainStreet Coronado Ltd
- Economic Vitality, $36,521
- Home-Town Traditions, $25,840
- Musica Vitale
- 2023-2024 Mainstage and In-School Programming, $16,966
- Crown City Chorale General Operating Support, $6,412
- Memorial Day Planning Committee, $2,600
- Friends of Children United Society, $23,279
- Coronado Schools Foundation
- Coronado Art & Wine Festival, $21,959
- Robotics Team Expansion Request, $9,317
- Reading Legacies, $13,837
- Coronado Community Theatre, $20,246
- Coronado Community Band
- Operations Support, $17,174
- July 4th Patriotic Concert, $1,500
- Classics 4 Kids Inc., $15,389
- Villa-Lobos International Chamber Music Festival
- Coronado Residency, $6,514
- Coronado School Outreach, $4,930
- Storytellers of San Diego, $3,069
- Emerald Keepers
- Student Clubs & Internship Programs, $10,825
- Community Programs & Outreach, $38,425
- Pacific Animal Welfare Society, $26,835
- Coronado Island Film Festival
- Production of the Annual CIFF 2023, $25,000
- Year-Round Production & Outreach, $80,000
- Coronado Music and Arts Foundation, $15,000
- Coronado Little League, $12,000
