London non-profits urge city hall to maintain grant programs [Video]

Months before budget deliberations might change a pair of municipal grant programs, local non-profit organizations attended city hall on Thursday hoping to quash the proposal now.

On Thursday, the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee (SPPC) heard from delegations concerned about a recommendation to suspend some of the funding to the Neighbourhood Decision Making Program ($250,000/year) and Community Capital Grants ($500,000/year) for the next three years in order to reduce future property tax increases.

A compromise motion by Coun. Corrine Rahman would cut each of the two grant programs in half, and fund them from a council reserve fund when it has a year-end balance of at least $1 million.

However, representatives of several agencies urged the committee to reject any reductions.

“Londoners are not in a position to make up any shortfall that will be caused by the city’s disinvestment,” said Maureen Cassidy, Executive Director of Pillar Nonprofit Network. “Donation …