City of Concord, CA
04/26/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/26/2024 12:40
Concord to Donate $150,000 to Local Nonprofits
The Concord City Council on April 23 authorized the distribution of $150,000 to seven local nonprofits to support projects in the areas of workforce development, youth drug prevention and education, and mental health and substance abuse services.
The funds, which will be distributed in Fiscal Year 2024-25, were received from retail cannabis businesses in Concord as part of the City's Cannabis Community Benefit Fund. These are voluntary contributions from the developers of the business as part of their development agreement with the City of Concord.
In 2022, the City Council established this fund and last year determined a procedure for distributing funding through grant awards based on applications reviewed and recommended by Concord's Community Services Commission.
Organizations receiving grants must serve residents within the city and must provide any of the following services:
- Workforce development;
- Youth drug use prevention and education efforts; and
- Drug treatment programs and/or mental health programs, including programs providing supervised diversion from the criminal justice system to avoid recidivism.
Funding was also allocated to support the City's recreation scholarship program, which supplements the cost of summer camps and swimming programs for youth from lower income households. Participating in organized recreation activities is a fundamental way for Concord's youth to boost self-esteem and build healthy social connections that can be influential in preventing drug use.
More information about youth scholarships, including eligibility and a list of popular summer programs is available at cityofconcord.org/youthscholarship. Residents are encouraged to apply now!