Explanation
BACKGROUND:
This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to execute grant agreements with 107 of the 109 not-for-profit social service agencies that have been awarded for this first year of the department’s Elevate!All program. There are 107 not-for-profit social services agencies included within this ordinance and there will be additional pieces of legislation for the remaining agencies. The total amount awarded to the 109 agencies is $9,925,000.00 this legislation represents $9,775,000.00 of that amount. This legislation also authorizes the payment of eligible expenses prior to the issuance of the purchase order beginning January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026 and authorizes the advancement of funding to each agency on a predetermined schedule. Additionally, these programs/grant agreements may include reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverages for participants. The expenditure of such items is hereby deemed to be a valid public purpose in that such purchase will address the immediate needs of program participants beginning with the period of performance of the grant January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026. These expenditures are authorized in accordance with Columbus City Code Chapter 329 as the food and/or non-alcoholic beverage expenditures are part of the standard operating costs for the non-profit organizations serving vulnerable residents.
The Elevate!All NOFA (Notice of Funding Availability) was advertised from May 8, 2025, through June 30, 2025, on the Department of Development webpage, the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County’s webpage, distributed via various listservs and provided individually upon request. Non-profit organizations eligible to apply were those which provide services and/or support directly to Columbus and Franklin County households below the ALICE Threshold in one or more of the following focus areas: Financial Security, Housing Stability, Homelessness, Wealth Building, and Behavioral Health and Trauma. Potential Applicants were instructed to request up to 10% of their local organizational operating budget with a minimum request of $25,000 and a maximum request of $200,000.
The City received 189 proposals requesting over $24 Million. Utilizing the first applicant-led peer review in the City’s history, 360 reviewers read and ranked unique sets of applications ensuring that each application was reviewed twenty times. The rankings were processed through a complex statistical analysis to determine allocations commensurate with each application’s performance in relation to each other. In total, 110 community agencies were recommended for the $10,000,000.00 in available funding, one recipient declined the award. The awards are expected to be re-allocated for two additional year terms contingent upon each grantee’s compliance with reporting and financial requirements as well as City Council approval.
Elevate!All is the next step in the Elevate! Initiative’s effort to affect positive change for the residents of Columbus. The City believes that stronger infrastructure will lead to stronger programs. Without a solid foundation, even the best-designed programs can collapse under strain or fail to scale. To that end, Elevate!All will provide funding for the backbone of organizations: leadership, staffing, technology, strategic planning, financial systems, evaluation tools and more. The City hopes that awarded organizations will utilize these dollars to build their internal strength, thereby improving the long-term sustainability of their programs. This initiative will help ensure agencies have the adaptability and resilience to navigate future challenges, meet changing needs and continue to deliver high-impact services for years to come. By focusing on strengthening capacity, Elevate!All is investing in the long-term stability and success of local organizations, so they can keep serving our community - even as circumstances change or new challenges arise.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: An emergency exists in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the execution of the grant agreements and reimbursement/advancement of funds in order to ease the financial burden of these non-profit social service organizations that are providing services and support directly to Columbus and Franklin County households that focus on financial security, housing stability, homelessness, wealth building, behavioral health, and trauma services.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding is available within the Hotel Motel Tax Fund 2026 budget (Fund 2231), up to $3,475,000.00, and the Cannabis Host Community Special Revenue Fund (Fund 2215), in an amount up to $6,300,000.00.
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE: See attached Exhibit A for a list of social services agencies and the vendor registration and contract compliance data.
Title
To authorize the Director of Development to execute grant agreements with numerous not-for-profit, social service agencies in an amount up to $9,775,000.00 for the Elevate!All Program; to authorize the expenditure of funds prior to the establishment of the purchase order beginning January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026; to authorize food and or non-alocholic beverages expenditures as part of the standard operating costs for some of these non-profit organizations; to authorize the advancement of funds on a pre-determined schedule during the term of the agreement; to authorize the transfer between object classes in an amount up to $3,701,000.00 and the expenditure in an amount up to $3,475,000.00 within the Hotel Motel Tax Fund, to authorize the expenditure in an amount up to $6,300,000.00 within the Cannabis Host Community Special Revenue Fund; and declare an emergency. ($9,775,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS Elevate!All NOFA (Notice of Funding Availability) was made available to local not-for-profit organizations from May 8, 2025, to June 30, 2025, on the City’s Website (Department of Development webpage), the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County’s website, and distributed via various listservs and provided individually upon request; and
WHEREAS, the City received 189 applications, requesting $24,000,000.00. One hundred and ten programs were selected for 2026, with one recipient declining their award, marking the inaugural year of the Department’s Elevate!All program; and
WHEREAS, 107 of the awarded 109 organizations are included within this piece of legislation; and
WHEREAS, the expenses prior to the issuance of the purchase order are authorized starting January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026; and
WHEREAS, the grant agreements will be funded with a combination of Hotel Motel Tax Funds and the Cannabis Host Community Special Revenue Fund; and
WHEREAS, the transfer of $3,701,000.00 is necessary between object classes and divisions is necessary and the expenditure in an amount up to $3,475,000.00 is necessary within the Hotel Motel Tax Fund, and the expenditure in an amount up to $6,300,000.00 is necessary within the Cannabis Host Community Special Revenue Fund; and
WHEREAS, the grant agreements will include advance payments to the organizations on a pre-determined schedule; and
WHEREAS, some of these non-profit organizations will have a need for food and or non-alcoholic beverage expenditures and those items are part of their standard operating costs expense beginning the period of performance of the grant January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026 and is allowable per Columbus City Code 329; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual and daily operation of the Department of Development in that it is immediately necessary for the Director in the Department of Development is authorized to execute grant agreements and authorize the reimbursement/advancement of funds with numerous not-for-profit social service agencies that are providing services and support directly to Columbus and Franklin County households that focus on financial security, housing stability, homelessness, wealth building, behavioral health, and trauma services, for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the transfer of appropriation in an amount up to $3,701,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized within Fund 2231 (Hotel Motel Tax Fund), from Dept-Div 44-01 (Administration), object class 03 (Services) to Dept-Div 44-12 (Housing Stability), object class 05 (Other) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 2. That for the purpose as stated in Section 4, the expenditure in an amount up to $3,475,000.00 or so much thereof as may be necessary is hereby authorized in Fund 2231 (Hotel Motel Tax Fund), Dept. 44-01 (Administration), in Object Class 05 (Other) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That for the purpose stated in Section 4. the expenditure in an amount up to $6,300,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized within Fund 2215 Subfund 000000 (Cannabis Host Community Special Revenue Fund), within Dept-Div 44-01 (Administration), object class 05 (Other) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the Director of Development is authorized to execute grant agreements with numerous not-for-profit, social service agencies, as listed in the exhibit attached to this ordinance, in an amount up to $9,925,000.00 for the entire Elevate!All Program this legislation represents $9,775,000.00 of that amount; to authorize the expenditures prior to the issuance of the purchase order beginning January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026; and to authorize the advancement of funds on a pre-determined schedule during the term of the grant agreement.
SECTION 5. That this Council recognizes and authorizes the expenditures for food and or non-alcoholic beverages for those organizations as those items are considered part of the organizations' standard operating costs, are allowable beginning January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026 per Columbus City Code Chapter 329.35, are for a proper public purpose, and that any and all funds awarded pursuant to this ordinance may go toward to the expenditure of food and or non-alcoholic beverages.
SECTION 6. That payments are expressly contingent upon the availability of sufficient monies in the Hotel Motel Tax Fund (Fund 2231) to cover the obligation set forth in these agreements and in no case shall payments exceed available cash in this fund. In this event that there is not sufficient cash in the fund to cover the obligation set forth in this contract, the City Auditor shall have the authority to make all necessary adjustments at her discretion.
SECTION 7. That under the authority of Columbus City Code Chapter 111.14, the Department of Development is authorized to execute grant agreements for the purpose as stated in Section 4.
SECTION 8. That funds are hereby deemed appropriated and expenditures and transfers authorized to carry out the purposes of this ordinance and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 9. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 10. That for the reasons stated in the Preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this Ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.