Before the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners held its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 21, it heard from nonprofits looking for funding in the upcoming budget for fiscal year 2018. The nearly three-hour process had 46 nonprofits pitch their case for a combined total of nearly $11 million.
The rapid-fire presentation format allowed a brief window for nonprofits to outline their needs. Commissioners did not comment after the presentations.
Commissioners did request that two projects reappear before them because their scope and funding amount were too large to cover in the time allotted. Those projects are: The Town of Woodfin’s $2 million request for its greenway project and the Asheville Housing Authority’s $4.2 million request for the redevelopment of Lee Walker Heights.
County commissioners have time to mull over the presentations since the budget doesn’t have to be adopted until June 30, when the current fiscal year ends. Until then, they will hold budget workshops and direct staff to find money for the projects they favor. The current budget is $413,574,951 and includes about $1.2 in nonprofit funding.
Xpress took shorthand notes during the presentations. Below is a list of the nonprofits, the amount requested and brief notes and quotes from the person making the presentation. You can view that grid with the pictures below or open the spreadsheet here.
How many of these nonprofit corporations asking for public money engage in regular fundraising activities to support their missions?
Are the full grant proposals, with narratives and budgets, available?
Mostly elitist artsy fluff that will drive up rents by attracting artsy gentry. The main exception is Mountain Housing Opportunities, though even they are elitist in that they build too few housing units that are too large. Charity and subsidized housing units should average no more than 2100 cubic feet per unit (300*7) at least until waiting lists are a thing of the past. Bigger means fewer and fewer is unacceptable.
Planned Parenthood needs local funding to replace risky federal funding. The closest thing we had was YWCA mother love program last year, but not here this year. Current YWCA programs don’t cut it.
Can the reporter provide more details about each specific request? Budget break-downs essential to see how money might be spend. Citizens can’t understand these without more details.