REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on Funding Request from Santa Clara Firefighter’s Foundation for 2020 Virtual Firehouse Run
Report
COUNCIL PILLARS
Enhance Community Sports and Recreational Assets and Enhance Community Engagement and Transparency
BACKGROUND
The Santa Clara Firefighter’s Foundation (Foundation) was established in 2002 as a 501(3)C nonprofit organization to promote the welfare of the community by providing services and support to youth, seniors, disabled, and disaster victims. Over the years, the Foundation has made significant financial contributions and volunteered thousands of hours of mentorship and community engagement to the Santa Clara community.
The Firehouse Run (Run) is an annual family friendly fundraiser event hosted by the Foundation to raise funds for the Santa Clara Schools Foundation. As noted in the attached Funding Request (Attachment 1) from the Foundation, the goal and community benefit of the annual event is to raise funds to benefit Santa Clara school children and provide them with resources they may not otherwise have access to. In the past five years, the Run has generated over $100,000 for the Santa Clara Schools. In 2019, the Foundation provided nearly $28,100 in grants to the Santa Clara School Foundation, benefitting over 6,000 students (Attachment 2). In addition, the Run allows for members of the Fire Department to interact with the community and continue to develop and strengthen the relationship between the Fire Department and the residents.
Since 2018, the Foundation has been the recipient of a grant for the annual Firehouse Run through the City’s Community Grants Program. In 2018 and 2019, the Foundation was awarded grants of $10,000 to cover the costs of City and Caltrans permits and services, as well as external traffic management.
This year, the Foundation approached the City with a request for funding for a virtual Firehouse Run in December.
DISCUSSION
The purpose of the Community Grants Program is to award grants for events, activities and competitions that provide a public benefit for the City of Santa Clara and its residents, thus providing an opportunity for Santa Clara residents to attend events, celebrate and build community. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Public Health Order restrictions on public gatherings, the City has temporarily suspended the Community Grants Program for special events, including virtual events. While virtual events could be compliant with Public Health Orders, it is difficult to discern how such individual events may celebrate and build the Santa Clara community.
However, the Santa Clara-focused mission of the Foundation has shown continued support for the Santa Clara community during the COVID-19 pandemic, including delivering meals to homebound seniors every Friday since March 2020 for the City’s Healthy Meals program. This service from the Foundation allowed the City’s homebound seniors to have food security during this public health and economic crisis.
This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundation decided to proceed with Firehouse Run in a virtual format (Attachment 3) to raise funds for the Santa Clara Schools Foundation and engage the community in an activity while following the State and local County Public Health Orders. The Funding Request provides an overview of the virtual Run which will encourage participants to run, jog, or walk 5k (3.1 miles) between December 5 and December 20, 2020, at a location that is convenient for the participants. Participants will be able to submit their completed time via an online platform.
The Foundation is requesting a grant of $10,000 to fund marketing, recognition and merchandise costs as outlined in the table below:
|
Description |
Estimated Cost |
|
Marketing & Advertisement (San Jose Mercury News, Patch, Google and Facebook) |
$4,000 |
|
Recognition and Merchandise (costs to mail merchandise to participants unable to pick-up items in person, costs for t-shirts and medals) |
$6,000 |
|
Total |
$10,000 |
Additionally, the Foundation is requesting for in-kind communications and promotional outreach support for the virtual run, which includes promoting the event on the City’s communication channels, social media, Mission City Scenes Utility Bill insert, and the Inside Santa Clara newsletter.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) in that it is a fiscal activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potential significant impact on the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total fiscal impact associated with approval of the recommended action is $10,000.
The Non-Departmental budget has funds available in its community grants allocation to pay for the grant in fiscal year 2020/21. The current year budget will absorb expenditures of these funds.
COORDINATION
This report was coordinated with the Finance Department.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov>.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve and authorize the City Manager to fund 2020 Virtual Firehouse Run in the amount of $10,000 through the community grants program.
Staff
Reviewed by: Ruth Mizobe Shikada, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Firefighter’s Foundation Funding Request
2. 2019 Firehouse Run Support Grants and Number of Students Served
3. 2020 Virtual Firehouse Run Event Flyer