At the request of First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved funding for a variety of capital improvement projects and program support for nonprofit organizations, including charitable, educational and cultural organizations.
Among the projects and programs approved for allocations from First District Discretionary Funds are $75,000 for the Lane House Museum at Calico Ghost Town regional park for renovations critical to the protection and preservation of historic artifacts, $20,000 to Desert Manna Ministries for the purchase of a refrigeration truck, and $30,000 to the Oak Hills Community Center for installation of heating and air conditioning and other upgrades.
Supervisors also approved allocations of $15,000 to the Boys and Girls Club in Adelanto, $10,000 to the Family Assistance Program for continuation of domestic violence services, and $5,000 to A Better Way, also for domestic violence services.
“This will be one of the last opportunities for a County supervisor to provide direct support to worthy nonprofit community groups and local governments, such as Community Services Districts,” said Supervisor Mitzelfelt. “That’s why I called for efforts to train our local nonprofits to improve and coordinate their fundraising and grant writing programs.”
The Board today approved a $137,500 agreement with The Community Foundation for the purpose of developing and implementing a Countywide Grants Development Initiative, including establishment of a Centralized Grant Writing Team to increase grant support to educational, health, government, and nonprofit organizations in San Bernardino County and by extension, to the 2.2 million people who live in the County.
The agreement is being funded with $27,500 from the Board Discretionary Funds of each of the five supervisorial districts. Due to ongoing budget constraints, Board Discretionary Funds are being eliminated, and federal Community Development Block Grant funds are being directed to a few large projects, rather than being distributed to numerous nonprofit groups or agencies.
“As government becomes more limited in its ability to assist local nonprofits and agencies, it becomes imperative that we expand private sector support,” Supervisor Mitzelfelt said. “The state of California generates an average of $119 per person in support from foundations, but in San Bernardino County, that number is only $3 per capita. We have the greatest need, but among the least support, and we need to work together to improve that.”