How Franklin County decides which nonprofits get money to fight poverty, abuse and more
Across Franklin County, dozens of nonprofit organizations work diligently to ensure the city's neighborhoods are supplemented with the resources they need.
Whether supplying meals through local food banks, forming out-of-school programs for students or establishing centers for those struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, these organizations serve as difference-makers in the capital city.
But not all of them get county funding. Franklin County Commissioner John O'Grady said the choice is difficult.
With the number of nonprofits that apply for funding each year, O'Grady said he and Commissioners Kevin Boyce and Marilyn Brown largely rely on county agencies to go through funding applications before making a final decision.
Through the Department of Job and Family Services, Justice Policy and Programs, Children Services and other agencies, the county is able to assist needy families, prevent child abuse and neglect, encourage the access to healthcare and reduce juvenile and behavioral health problems – as well as other services.
The commission itself administers and coordinates a few grants as well, such as the Community Partnerships and Resilience Initiative grants, which provide assisted funding for personal protective equipment, programming and unexpected revenue losses and expenses taken on by nonprofit and community-based groups.
When making these decisions, O'Grady said the board's focus is to ensure these programs are in line with the county's Rise Together Blueprint for Reducing Poverty.
This initiative underlines 13 overarching goals and 120 specific action steps that are used as a barometer to support underserved communities and reduce poverty levels across Franklin County.
In developing the blueprint, Job and Family Services workers spoke to more than 200 families living in poverty to talk about what programs they needed to improve their conditions.
"Vulnerable populations really matter," O'Grady said, "So, the blueprint is definitely at the top of my list when it comes to funding."
The commissioners also evaluate the sustainability of the organizations themselves. County funds can't be seen as a lifeline for nonprofit groups, O'Grady said.
"We don't have enough money to be able to fund every single one of them," he said. "You got to do a great job of understanding which ones are making a great impact and have great business models."
Marilyn Mehaffie, executive director at St. Stephen's Community House, said the commissioners have continuously supported the organization. According to tax return documents, the nonprofit received $2,765,400 in county funding between 2018 and 2019.
“We’ve had a really good relationship with the county," she said. "They seem to be funding things that are very much needed in the community, especially for us when it comes to youth programming."
These services have been vitally important in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, which has resulted in unprecedented job losses and overwhelming demand for assisted funding.
The county has allocated $20.9 million to support programs such as Community Partnerships grants and others that have developed since March. And in June, Franklin County and the City of Columbus announced Resilience Initiative grants, which provided a combined $20 million in CARES Act funding to human service organizations.
But due to the demand of funding, which was more than four times what was available, the selection committee limited the selection of agencies . The county and the city narrowed applicants to only those serving key areas of service: homelessness, food, violence, substance abuse and other related areas.
Mehaffie said the county ensured St. Stephens and other organizations received enough relief funding to continue their programs and develop new ones centered around COVID-19 restrictions.
“They have rules and regulations," she said. "But they help fund these programs to better serve the children that make up these communities."
The community center was able to conduct its summer science program in-person, as the county helped provide PPE and developed a framework for social distancing, Mehaffie said.
Despite this support, Michael Corey, executive director of the County Human Service Chamber, which represents 102 local nonprofit groups, said there are organizations with needs that are still unmet. It's not because of a lack of benevolence or prioritization on the local level, but because their needs are far greater than what's available.
Federal support is quickly drying up, he said.
"There is enormous concern that without a new federal stimulus package, the nonprofit sector, and the social safety net it creates in partnership with our local government agencies, philanthropic partners and our health systems, will be in a very precarious state when our community needs those agencies the most," Corey said.