April 10, 2024

Thank you for your interest in and commitment to Downtown Los Angeles.

The DLANC is very happy to announce a second round of funding for community projects through a Neighborhood Purpose Grant. The DLANC has devel0ped the following guidelines to help applicants prepare a successful application, and to ensure the fairest, most democratic distribution of funds across the Downtown community. We acknowledge the difficult position of allocating limited resources across such a broad section of the city and appreciate your empathy and understanding.

As of April 9, 2024, the DLANC has funded two community grants, applicants include the Electric Moon Foundation, and Immersive Art Collective. This second round, wherein the DLANC will fund up to $3,000 to a DTLA-based non-profit, is the final funding round for this fiscal year.  Since 2020, following a budget reduction by the City Council, all Neighborhood Councils have operated with a $32,000 budget. In the face of rising costs and inflation, these funds are increasingly directed towards essential operational and outreach expenses. This year, in response to community requests for funding the Budget & Finance committee conducted an extraordinary mid-year budget analysis and reallocation of funds. This exercise resulted in the identification of $6,000 in NPG funding which was reallocated from Outreach and Office budget reductions. We understand that $6,000 is a drop in the proverbial bucket when it comes to funding programs that improve the quality of life throughout Downtown, but it’s all that we can carve from our annual allotment from the city while still operating Downtown’s Neighborhood Council. To distribute these limited funds equitably, we have established clear guidelines. Applications that do not meet these requirements will not be considered. Due to the volunteer nature of our council and the volume of NPG requests, incomplete applications WILL NOT be reviewed. Please ensure your submission is both qualifying and complete.

All applicants MUST be a DTLA-based 501(c)(3) in good standing with the IRS and must not have an operating budget that exceeds $250,000, as demonstrated by the inclusion of the organization’s filed 2022 IRS 990 or 990-N return. Furthermore, applicants must NOT have received an NPG from DLANC in the past four fiscal years.

Additionally, considering the substantial $2 billion investment in homeless services by the City (including $1.2B in city funds; $74M from the U.S. Department of HUD; $466.75M from LA County; and $66M from the State of California) the DLANC is channeling NPG funding into three chronically under-funded program areas: 1) Climate Crisis, 2) Public Art, and 3) Community Services. Applicants will find examples of each program area within the guidelines, which follow on the next page. The funding of these specific areas is prioritized due to the relative lack of public funds dedicated to services for Downtown youth and the elderly, cultural initiatives, and mental and physical health and fitness.

Regrettably, to have the most significant impact on the Downtown community, DLANC can only fund grants up to $2,000. We will prioritize funding for at least one applicant from each of the three program areas.

Thank you again for your dedication to the communities of Downtown Los Angeles

2023-2024 Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC) Neighborhood Purpose Grant (NPG) Guidelines:

Qualified applications received before April 30th, 2024
will be considered for funding in the current fiscal year

DLANC invites eligible organizations to apply for the NPG with the following qualifications:

1. Organizational Eligibility*: Must be a registered 501(c)(3)* with an IRS-listed address within DLANC boundaries. (*Applicants without a 2022 IRS filing will NOT be considered.; **DLANC will accept applications from fiscal sponsoring organizations, so long as the applicant organization meets all other edibility criteria laid out herein.).

2. Prior Funding: Organizations should not have received a DLANC NPG in the fiscal years 2019-2022.

3. Financial Threshold: The organization's annual operating revenue must be less than $250,000.
4. Documentation:

• Submission of the 2022 filed IRS 990 or IRS 990-N is mandatory.
• NPG Application* completed and signed, including all requisite documentation (*Given the volunteer nature of DLANC, and the volume of requests for NPG funding, incomplete applications WILL NOT be considered. Therefore, please ensure an accurate and complete application.

5. Multiple NPG Applicants: An applicant with multiple pending or planned NPG requests with other Los Angeles Neighborhood Councils must provide specific disclosure that includes a narrative as to the project scope in Downtown LA. Applicants failing to disclose or provide the specific project details in Downtown will be denied.

6. Downtown LA Neighborhood: Submissions must include a "neighborhood(s) of focus" section detailing the specific DTLA neighborhood(s) that will benefit and in which the project will occur.

7. Conflict of Interest: Applicants must not be lobbyists, contractors, vendors, or hold any city, county, state, or federal governmental position.

8. Grant Categories: Please Select One. Applicant organization MUST demonstrate a history of successful programming within the last 12 months in the program area in which it is applying.

o Public Art (e.g, Mural; Festival; Performance; Public art installations)
o Climate Crisis (e.g., Educational campaign; workshops; Greening projects)
o Community Services (e.g., Employment services, Physical/mental care initiative for youth (≤ 17 years old), and elders (≥65 years old)

Attending DLANC Meeting: Applicants must present their proposed project at a DLANC monthly meeting and be available to answer questions from the DLANC Board of Directors regarding their application. The proposals of applicants who attend such a meeting will be given priority consideration.

Decision Timeline: Qualified applications received before March 15th, 2024 will be considered for funding in the current fiscal year. This timeline is essential for the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC) to ensure that all approved projects receive funding before the City of Los Angeles concludes its current year funding operations in June, in preparation for its 2024/2025 fiscal year, which begins July 1. Additionally, due to the monthly meeting cycle of the neighborhood councils’ committees and boards of directors, the process following the submission of the Neighborhood Purpose Grant (NPG) will take approximately eight to twelve weeks. This time frame accounts for the proper review, interview, decision-making, submission to the city, and the final disbursement of funds to successful applicants. We appreciate your understanding.

Submission may be emailed to treasurer@dlanc.com.

Allocation of Funds: To maximize community impact, DLANC will award one grant of up to $2,000 in each of the aforenamed grant categories.

Funding restrictions: Per LA City law NPG funds cannot awarded for administrative or operational costs (City of Los Angeles NPG guide).

Conflict of Interest: Applicants are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest, which will be subject to verification through an internal review process.

Final Note: For comprehensive details on the application process, please refer to the City of Los Angeles NPG guide (hyperlinked in preceding paragraph). Applicants must consult this guide for additional city-mandated restrictions and obligations. While applications are open to entities that align with DLANC’s priorities and can demonstrate a clear public benefit, applicants that do not conform to city mandates will not be considered.