Some recognition is due to the folks over at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Strategy and Innovation (OSI) in Mecklenburg County. They've come up with a clever solution to a widespread challenge: handing out funds to nonprofits in a way that's fair, transparent, and most importantly, effective. Their Community Service Grant process has earned them some national attention and a prestigious award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA).
The beauty of the Community Service Grant program, plagued by complexities in the past, now offers a more streamlined approach for nonprofits to vie for funds. It installs a system in place demanding that those who get the green light on funding must turn in regular invoices, expense details, and reports outlining their progress. This was spearheaded by Lauren Tayara and Gauge Tillman, acting in their capacities as senior management and budget analyst, and strategy and innovation analyst, respectively, backed by the strength of their fellow OMB and OSI staff.
It's not easy to make waves in the world of governmental finance, but Mecklenburg County managed just that. They received one of only seven Awards for Excellence handed out by the GFOA this year, marking their third win since 2018.
The GFOA didn't hold back in praising the program, saying, “Overall, the CSG program provides a structured, fair, transparent, and competitive process to funding, with a built-in accountability component. Many organizations hope to manage by results, focus on outcomes, and allocate spending by priority, but the county’s CSG program literally buys results and aligns nonprofit funding with community outcomes,” according to a Mecklenburg County press release.
