Coronado City Council Approves Community Grants

Categories: CharityCommunityEvents/What's HappeningNews

Coronado residents gather to celebrate the funding of community grants, promoting local initiatives.

News Summary

The Coronado City Council has approved community grants totaling over $1 million for various local initiatives. The funding aims to support organizations and events that enhance community engagement. This year’s allocation includes a new funding model and processes for grant applications. The approved grants cover a range of projects from arts to local celebrations, demonstrating the council’s commitment to strengthening community ties and cultural offerings in Coronado. Future discussions will focus on assessing the impact of these funds and improving grant processes.

Coronado City Council Approves Over $1 Million in Community Grants for 2025-26 Fiscal Year

The Coronado City Council approved community grants totaling $1,067,998 for the 2025-26 fiscal year during its meeting on June 17, 2025. This year’s allocation is part of a total budget of $1,161,000 for community grants, which represents 1.4% of the General Fund budget.

In a new funding model introduced this year, the council implemented two types of grant applications: the Automatic Renewal Program and the Mini-Grant Application. A total of 28 grant applications were submitted under the Automatic Renewal Program, requesting $913,724, while 12 Mini-Grant applications were received, seeking $171,849.

To enhance the allocation process, the council adopted a tailored funding approach that provided opportunities for discussions and adjustments to specific grant amounts before final approvals.

Approved Grants

The approved grants included funding for various community initiatives and organizations:

$15,000 each for PAWS, KMAC Foundation, and Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA) Foundation
$5,000 for Storytellers of San Diego
Full amounts of $13,750 for SDSU Research Foundation (Camp Able), $15,000 for Coronado Hospital Foundation, and $13,099 for Coronado Cheer
An additional $15,000 for Coronado Junior Arts League, bringing their total grant to $30,000
$105,000 for Coronado Fourth of July celebrations
$100,000 for Coronado Island Film Festival, allocated between event costs and year-round activities
$24,850 for the Coronado Schools Foundation‘s Arts and Wine Festival
A total of $109,000 for the Coronado Chamber of Commerce to support various initiatives
$95,600 for Coronado Floral Association to cover tent costs
$20,000 for Coronado Community Band
$77,000 for the Coronado Historical Association, which includes $15,000 for an architecture exhibit and $12,000 for the Hotel del Coronado restoration project
$50,543 for the Coronado Philharmonia Orchestra
$70,100 for Emerald Keepers, whose members abstained from voting on this matter
$75,000 for Lamb’s Players Theatre to support their upcoming season
Funding for the Memorial Day Ceremony Planning Committee increased from $2,800 to $4,000

Denial and Deferred Applications

Four Mini-Grant applications were denied due to concerns about funding practices. Additionally, the council deferred decisions on applications from Coronado Community Theater and MainStreet Coronado Ltd pending further information.

Remaining Funds and Future Discussions

The total grant allocations left a surplus of $93,002 of the total available budget. The council’s approval came with a unanimous vote, although some members abstained due to conflicts of interest.

Future discussions will focus on evaluating the effectiveness of the current grant funding processes and criteria. The next regular city council meeting is scheduled for July 15, 2025, at 4 p.m. at City Hall, where further discussions on community grants will continue.