2020-05-12 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                      12 MAY 2020


    Advance purchase orders made prior to the COVID-19 pandemic for equipment and supplies
      requiring payment e.g. uniforms for the start of the winter sports season;
    A need to engage or increase contractors where tasks are usually undertaken by volunteers
      e.g. for field or building maintenance;
    Infrastructure projects part-funded from external grants requiring a cash co-contribution from
      the organisation where the NFP is now needing to redirect funds to operational expenses;
    Perishable items purchased in advance for events that are now cancelled.

4.    Community Impact

Without some level of immediate support many community organisations are at risk of being unable
to provide important social programs or meet essential operational needs. This has the potential for
important consequences including:
    Inability to provide welfare for those people requiring basic needs such as food and shelter;
    Inability to assist people in crisis such as those experiencing domestic violence or suicidal
      thoughts;
    Placing organisations into a fragile financial position or causing debt to be incurred by
      individuals to pay organisation costs;
    Fractured, unstable community organisation sector which is not able to support a wider
      community recovery;
    Increased human social impacts such as loneliness, depression, harmful behaviours.

5.    Proposed Grant Category – Community Disaster Response and Recovery Grants
To provide support to our community sector through COVID-19, Council has implemented initiatives
such as a moratorium of fees, charges and liabilities from 1 March to 30 June 2020, deploying
Council staff to work in community organisations and delivering fortnightly sector development
workshops. In addition, Council is working with the sector to advocate for support from
Commonwealth and Queensland Governments to assist the long-term recovery of community
organisations.
In response to the unique situation that disasters place on the community, and in this instance
COVID19, it is proposed that Council also adapts its approach to its community grants program to
meet immediate challenges and needs during the response phase which will provide a better
foundation for eventual recovery. It is therefore proposed to create a new grant category within
Council’s Community Grants Policy for Community Disaster Response and Recovery Grants.
To provide funds in a timely manner, this funding stream would be allocated through a “Quick
Response” grant round offering small grants to eligible community organisations that have
immediate essential needs. For the proposed COVID-19 grant round, eligible not-for-profit
incorporated community organisations could apply for funding where they demonstrate that they
meet the following criteria:
    providing emergency welfare relief to the community such as food, clothing, accommodation
      or counselling;
    experiencing immediate financial hardship as a result of COVID-19 related service disruptions;
    seeking to establish alternate service delivery models for business continuity; or
    seeking to provide support services to vulnerable residents impacted by COVID19.

Applicants would be able to apply for a maximum of $2,500 and would need to demonstrate their
need for external funding support. Applicants would also need to meet the standard requirements
within the Community Grants Policy.
In addition to the community benefits envisaged, these grants will also aim to provide stimulus to the
Noosa economy through the engagement of local suppliers and contractors.

Assessment and Determination


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