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Recurring $10,000 Contribution to Conejo Senior Volunteer Program September 23, 2014 Page 2 Previously, the program had the advantage of receiving a $58,000 federal grant each year to support these services. The grant requirements changed in 2012 which made the Conejo Valley program ineligible for the grant funds as it was currently operating. In order to continue receiving the grant, the program would only be able to provide volunteers to agencies that specifically served seniors. For example, this means that seniors that wanted to work with children or at a government agency could no longer come to CSVP, but would have to find opportunities on their own. This also means that all the agencies that rely on CSVP for volunteers would now have to do their own recruitment. CSVP has always greatly valued the contributions of local agencies to our community and wanted to continue serving all agencies and non -profits so they chose to not restrict their operations, which meant that they could not receive the Federal Grant Fund monies this fiscal year. The CSVP Advisory Board, Goebel Commission and staff are working to fill the shortfall through fundraising and grant writing. Without procuring additional funding to meet the shortfall it is possible that the CSVP may have to limit the programs and citizens it currently serves. The CSVP Advisory Committee and the Council on Aging regularly review grants for consideration but found that the program in many cases did not qualify. The Community Event Endowment Fund (CEEF) grant specifically states "activities not eligible for funding include: on-going program or salary support" and the maximum limit is below the need. The Community Development Block Grant is specifically for social services that "primarily benefit lower income households." The Social Services Endowment Fund, also primarily for social services, is closed until 2016. The committees will continually research grants that are appropriate for their needs for additional funding in the future. The FY 2014-15 CRPD budget for the CSVP is $129,000, which includes: one full-time Program Director, one part-time Volunteer Coordinator, and one part-time Administrative Assistant ($115,000); and supplies ($14,000). This is a reasonable amount for managing over 1,000 volunteers, providing a free tax program, and serving 60 agencies. Realizing the value of the program and the struggle of raising $58,000 annually to stay in operation, the Goebel Commission has chosen to support CSVP with a $10,000 donation. The current FY 2014-15 City budget to support the Goebel Adult Community Center (GACC) for facility repair and maintenance is $273,000. Currently, no City funding is provided for GACC operational costs. Council on Aging believes that a matching annual appropriation through the City of Thousand Oaks Senior Services of $10,000 would be appropriate as this program serves not only senior volunteers by enriching lives, but also the agencies that serve seniors and the citizens that receive those services.