Jack Hopkins Social Services Funding Committee accepting applications for 2021 funding

BLOOMINGTON  The City of Bloomington Common Council’s Jack Hopkins Social Services Committee invites social services agencies serving the needs of City of Bloomington residents to apply for 2021 grant funding. 

This year, the Committee has $511,000 to distribute. Applications are available on the Committee’s webpage. Applications are due by Friday, 2 April 2021 at 4 pm.

Named in honor of former Council member Jack Hopkins who helped establish the program in 1993, the program is dedicated to funding projects that improve the lives of the City’s most vulnerable residents. Vulnerable residents include those who are low-to-moderate income, under 18 years of age, elderly, people with a disability, or otherwise disadvantaged. Since the program’s inception, the City has allocated over $5 million to local social service agencies.

The Committee is composed of four members of the Bloomington Common Council and three City residents with experience in social services. Councilmembers serving are: Susan Sandberg (Chair), Matt Flaherty, Kate Rosenbarger, and Ron Smith. The citizen appointments are: Tim Mayer, Mark Fraley and Lauren McCalister.

Committee Chair Susan Sandberg advises that “[t]he Committee thoroughly considers each application for the probability of success and maximum impact so that tax dollars are spent efficiently and effectively.”

This year the Committee is continuing the policy changes implemented within the last few years, including encouraging collaborative applications, requiring outcome indicators, and recommending funds be spent in 2021. The Committee is continuing one additional change launched in 2016: it is accepting applications for operational funds that do not meet one of the exceptions to the Committee’s long-standing, one-time funding rule (pilot, bridge, or collaborative). Any request for operational funds should be accompanied by a well-developed plan for future funding.

Criteria

In general, applications must meet the following criteria:

  • The program should address a previously-identified priority for social services funds (as indicated in the SCAN Report, City’s Housing and Neighborhood Development department’s Consolidated Plan, or other community-wide survey of social service needs);
  • The funds should provide a one-time investment that, through matching funds or other fiscal leveraging, makes a significant contribution to the program;
  • This investment in the program should lead to broad and long-lasting benefits to the community.

Interested applicants should further consult the Committee’s funding criteria as outlined on the Committee’s Webpage.

Important Dates: Per Executive Orders issued by the Governor, meetings will be conducted electronically until further notice.  Zoom links will be posted to the Jack Hopkins website in the week before a scheduled meeting.

Technical Assistance Meeting for Jack Hopkins Applicants.Thursday, 18 March 2021 at 4:00 pm
APPLICATION DEADLINEFRIDAY, 02 APRIL 2021 at 4:00 PM
Invited Agencies Present ApplicationsThursday, 29 April 2021 at 5:30 pm
Committee Recommends Allocation of FundsTuesday, 18 May 2021 at 6:00 pm
Agencies Sign Funding AgreementsEarly June 2021
Common Council Acts on Committee RecommendationsWednesday, 16 June 2021 at 6:30 pm
HAND Technical Assistance Meeting for Grantees on Claims & ReimbursementsTuesday, 22 June 2021 at 9:00 am