Department of Finance

COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT FUND (CEF) GRANTS FOR FY09

For FY09, Metro is inaugurating a new Community Enhancement (CEF) Grant program for Nashville nonprofit organizations. The CEF has been designed to meet community needs by funding:

  • Services not currently provided by Metro Nashville Government.
  • Services which enhance those already provided by Metro Nashville Government.

This program will award grants in three areas:

  • Domestic Violence
    Services provided to the family members where domestic violence is/has been an issue of concern.
    Total Allocated: $750,000
  • Education/Aftercare
    Services provided to children and youth so they may succeed in school.
    Total Allocated: $750,000
  • Community Service
    Services provided that enhance the lives of Nashvillians and the community in which we live.
    Total Allocated: $500,000

RECOMMENDED RECIPIENTS OF FY09 COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT FUND APPROPRIATIONS

On August 7, Mayor Dean will be submitting to Metro Council recommendations for 26 Community Enhancement Fund appropriations – 6 each in Community Service and Domestic Violence and 14 in Education/Aftercare.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications for the FY09 CEF grants were due June 4, 2008. Please see the "FY09 Community Enhancement Fund Handbook" (below) for additional details on the eligibility requirements and application process. (Note: the CEF Timeline described in the Handbook was changed. The new Timeline was described below.)

APPLICATION REVIEW

After initial staff screening, applications were further evaluated and rated by panels of reviewers selected by the Mayor, the Vice Mayor and the Chair of the Metro Council Budget and Finance Committee. The Chairs of the panels were as follows:

  • Brenda Wynn, Community Service
  • Beth Courtney, Domestic Violence
  • Katy Varney, Education/Aftercare

Each application was reviewed and scored independently by three reviewers according to the scoring system described on pages 12-14 in the FY09 COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT FUND HANDBOOK (below). The three individual scores for each application were averaged and the average became the final composite score for that application. Reviewer panels were given the option of making awards based strictly on ranking by score, or by first prioritizing particular service areas or populations. Final funding decisions included giving consideration to the extent to which the beneficiaries of proposed projects may be underserved. "Underserved" may describe the population, geographic area, or specific problem to be addressed by the application being considered.

QUESTIONS?

Many questions may be answered by referring to the FY09 COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT FUND HANDBOOK.

Other questions must be directed via email to dgc@nashville.gov.

CEF FY09 TIMELINE

June 12: 3 p.m. in the Mayor’s Media Room, Metro Courthouse. Review packets to be given to reviewers.

July 3: Reviewers return their review packets with completed scoring sheets to Metro Division of Grants Coordination for tallying and tabulation.

July 14: 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.. Open Meetings of Community Service and Education/Aftercare Review Panels at 222 Third Avenue, North, Nashville, Tn. 37201, The Education/Aftercare Panel will meet in the Civil Service Commission Meeting Room (1st Floor) and the Community Service Panel will meet in the Bill Whitson Training Room (6th Floor).

July 15: 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Open Meeting of Domestic Violence Review Panel, 222 Third Avenue, North, Nashville, Tn. 37201; in the Bill Whitson Training Room (6th Floor).

July 16-18: Continuation of Review Panel deliberations to be scheduled as needed, in the Bill Whitson Training Room. (Panels may conclude their business and complete their recommendations for the Mayor on July 14 and 15, in which case additional meetings will not be scheduled.)

By July 18: Final recommendations are presented to the Mayor and included on the Council agenda for August.

August-September: The Division of Grants Coordination will contact CEF grant recipients to develop and execute grant agreements.

KEY LINKS

Contact Grants Coordination

Metropolitan Government of Nashville And Davidson County
Department of Finance
Division of Grants Coordination
222 3rd Avenue, North, Suite 650
P.O. Box 196300
Nashville, TN 37219
E-mail: DGC@nashville.gov