Sandy Springs Provides Financial Boost To Nonprofit Organizations

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The Sandy Springs City Council during its Dec. 16, 2014 meeting approved financial support to nine nonprofit organizations as part of the city’s Serving Sandy Springs program.

The funding initiative was established to “provide a consistent response from the city to requests for financial and non-financial resources on behalf of nonprofit organizations,” the city of Sandy Springs said in a press release.

Applications for funding requests were due in October, with 13 requests totaling almost $100,000 submitted for consideration. They were evaluated following criteria adopted by the Mayor and City Council during its March 6 Council meeting.

Among the considerations:

• Does the request carry out a public purpose?
• Does the request further a city-adopted priority?
• Is there a strong need in the city for this organization’s programs/services?
• How many city residents are/will do the program serve?
• Are the goals or outcomes and plan for the resources clearly defined and quantifiable? Do they match the mission of the organization?
• Is the proposed project achievable within the fiscal year?

Organizations receiving funding:

Act 3 Productions, Inc. ($6,250) – to support production of three, stage-plays for the 2014-15 season. The requested funds will support the productions with program supplies, contracted professional services related to those programs, and fees such as theatrical rights, scripts etc.

Am Yisrael Chai ($3,250) - to support a Holocaust remembrance event on January 25, 2015, which will include a community presentation, candle lighting ceremony, and an exhibit to be displayed at the Anne Frank in the World Exhibit.

Art Sandy Springs ($3,750) - supports the production of the 2015 ShowStoppers event, a talent competition for area youth.

Friends of North Springs ($5,000) – supports the school’s theatre tech department by upgrading outdated equipment.

Friends of Benson ($10,000) – funding will upgrade one outdoor bocce court at the Dorothy Benson Senior Multipurpose Complex, which hosts regular bocce lessons and quarterly tournaments through the facility’s fitness program.

Heritage Sandy Springs ($2,645) – supports the 2015 Storytelling Festival, in collaboration with the Mount Vernon Presbyterian School, the Southern Order of Storytellers and PeachSeed Youth Storytelling festivals, with a four-hour event comprised of performances, hands-on workshops and participatory youth workshops.

Keep North Fulton Beautiful ($5,775) – to fund the purchase of a “bulb eater” machine to recycle fluorescent lamps.

Mary Hall Freedom House ($2,500) – to support workshop costs, supplies and classroom materials for its WorkNOW initiative providing job readiness training, computer literacy, GED preparation and employment assistance.

Sandy Springs Education Force ($10,736) – to fund the After School All Star Program for economically disadvantaged students.

In approving the grants, the City Council allocated a total of $49,906 of the available budget of $50,000 for the program.