October 16, 2023

Letter from our Executive Director

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Hello Valued Community Partners,

 

Thank you for your interest in applying for 2024-2026 Funding for Community Programs. I wanted to take the opportunity to explain the unique nature of this year’s funding process. Each of California’s 58 counties receive funding through Prop 10 Tobacco Taxes to support the work of the County Commissions through programming in the community and internally. The funding allocation is based on each county’s annual birth rates. Additionally, as one of the 21 smallest counties, First 5 Nevada is the recipient of the Small Population County Funding Augmentation (SPCFA) - that allows us to support baseline administrative functions.

 

Prop 10 has been successful in its goal of reducing tobacco product usage. However, as a result, there is less funding for crucial child-centered and family-serving programs. We are seeing an even deeper decline due to the passage of Senate Bill 783, which prohibits the sale of flavored tobacco products in California. While First 5 Nevada County and all First 5s across the state are committed to securing sustainable, ongoing funding, we will see a decrease in the amount of funding we can send out to the community in the upcoming contract period.

 

The Commission has voted to release a total of $355,000 annually, in the form of 2-year contracts. This is a change from our current model of 3-year contracts. Please keep this in mind as your organization makes the decision about whether to apply for the funds.

 

The Commission will be making funding decisions based on how well organizations respond to the application, as well as how proposal responses embody the goals and priority areas outlined in the newly approved 2024-2030 Strategic Plan. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the Strategic Plan prior to completing your application for funding.

 

All applications and supporting documents will be submitted via SurveyMonkey by 5pm on December 15, 2023. A PDF of the application can be downloaded from our First 5 Nevada County website. Applications will be scored and reviewed during a public hearing in February 2024 with award notifications being sent out no later than March 1, 2024.

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Please direct all questions to Rosemary Gonzalez - rosemary@first5nevco.org. 

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Thank you for your dedication to Nevada County's Children. 

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Melody Easton

Executive Director

First 5 Nevada Children and Families First Commission