For the past several decades, city funding for individual nonprofits has dominated City Council discussions on the budget, but not this year.
While over 90 percent of the budget might pass with virtually no comment by councilmembers, hours would be spent discussing the proposed allocations to individual nonprofits, even though the allocations in total made up less than 1 percent of the budget.
This year, during the budget discussions of allocations to nonprofits – with several notable exceptions including Downtown Greensboro Inc (DGI), the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, Piedmont Business Capital and Crime Stoppers – the individual allocations were not discussed in detail.
The individual allocations also do not appear in the budget document.
According to the Greensboro Budget and Evaluation Department, these are the allocations to nonprofit organizations for fiscal year 2021-2022.
$10,000 – Other Voices
$195,000 – DGI Ambassador Program
$600,000 – Piedmont Business Capital
$35,000 – Piedmont Film Commission
$40,000 – Greensboro Sports Foundation (NCA&T track event)
$75,000 – NC Folk Festival
$100,000 – Greensboro Chamber of Commerce (Launch Lab)
$130,000 – Greensboro Chamber of Commerce
$100,000 – Guilford County Economic Development Alliance
$75,000 – Crime Stoppers
$1,085,000 – Greensboro Science Center
$376,000 – Center City Park
$61,000 – Piedmont Triad Regional Council
$120,000 – Greensboro Housing Authority
$16,400 – NC Metropolitan Coalition
$250,000 – International Civil Rights Center and Museum
$100,000 – For cultural arts partners through grant process
$64,075 – Housing Coalition Hotline
$30,000 – Housing Coalition Operations
$125,000 – Interactive Resource Center
$20,000 – White Flag Winter Shelter
$300,000 – Homeless Prevention (various agencies via Request for Proposal)
$120,000 – Arts Greensboro (to support community performing arts)
DGI also receives $1,161,125 in downtown Business Improvement District funds. This revenue is from an additional 8 cents in property tax paid by downtown property owners that can only be used to support economic development in the central business district. DGI was the only bidder on this contract.
While the allocation of $125,000 to the Interactive Resource Center, which is run by Councilmember Michelle Kennedy, is listed, the allocation to One Step Further of about $400,000 for the Cure Violence program run by Councilmember Yvonne Johnson is noticeably absent from this list.
Do Kennedy and Johnson receive any compensation for”running” these”non profits”?If so, how much?
Did these two elected officials cast votes in any way affecting the allocation or distribution of these funds?
Has legal staff been involved in any manner regarding these funds?
If so, is there some documentation from legal allowing these monies to go to entities controlled by these two elected officials?
At least on the surface,this smells gamey.
Does anyone care?
My sentiments entirely, a good 75 % of this budget could be converted to doing a better job of helping the community like potholes law enforcement allowed to do their job .The two city council people with ties to these freebies places of free money should be evicted from the coin for conflict of interest.We are paying them a salary,they are making a huge salary with their business;in essence they are DOUBLE DIPPING from the city.That practice should stop last year.Where are all the people who want less taxes!!!!!Why aren’t you voting these people out of office WAKE UP PEOPLE !!!!!
A hundred thousand here, a hundred thousand there; flog it for a while, then we’ll be talking about real money.
If you go to Pro Publica’s website, you can see that it reports Michelle Kennedy as Director of Interactive Resource Center with a salary of $80,500.
Amazing,is it not?
And the local media, excluding the Rhino, is silent. I could understand the liberal N & R not delving into the politics of the council, but what about the local television stations? Guess they want to be liked by the council as well, and don’t want to bite the hand that feeds them.
Greensboro has the worst local government. We might as well be “little Chicago”.
Again just like skips budget 90% for minority’s example 40k for a/t how about the same for inch. Another bunch of democrat horse crap. Talk about systemic racism here we are if you give to one give to all or not at all
Must be nice… The yard waste wasn’t picked again this week, grass is growing through the cracks in the pavement of our street, the neighborhood has a bunck of potholes and spalling pavement, but the non profits, which I am assuming pay little or no taxes, are benefiting for the City Council’s largesse while basic services go to pot.
Cure Violence is reportedly run by One Step Further,as reported in RT before.
One step Further’s Executive Director according to Charity Navigator is Yvonne Johnson,and her salary is listed at $45,555.
Not to mention the salary she gets for being on the council and the benefits she gets from the city in her role.
Oh well. . . . . . .that’s politics. I vote for you, and you give me something in return and I’ll be sure to get out the vote for you next election. Sadly, democrats see themselves the governing class. . . .it’s part of their DNA.
Term limits is the answer, for both parties.
Over $1 million for the Science Center? They are updating and changing all the time. Let them pay for their own improvements. It is a top NC tourist attraction and certainly should be able to sustain itself. No arguing it is a wonderful resource e for the City, but over a million dollars is way too much. Glenn needs to pay for his own dreams. After all, that’s what he is building. He has sought no input from citizens. It’s his playhouse!
Almost $4M to nonprofits not counting the $1M+ that DGI receives from higher taxes downtown. Each non-profit should have metrics to prove they are providing critical and valuable services to the community and be held accountable. There is a definite conflict of interest with Kennedy )please go back to CA..) and Johnson. Some non-profits should support themselves thru fees, admissions and donations as someone else stated. If I were on the council I would cut out all funding except those who could prove they were providing critical community services.
Maybe tax laws should change and eliminate non-profits completely.
Greensboro voters, let’s kick the folks out. Elect people who know how to run a business as that is what the city is.
Worse than the science center skip asks for no money for the money pit so called museum downtown in the county budget but sneaks in funding to minority groups to give back to the money pit then gets 250 k from the city for the money pit. What a crock of horse crap.
MaryKay, I know your read these things. June 28th is long gone; yet again I passed thru the intersection of W. Market & Guilford College Rd four times this week. I saw the usual tired barricade cans radiating out in all directions, two more lanes of traffic blocked, uneven payment cluttered with exposed manhole covers, ad nauseum.
What I didn’t see was any work being performed, or any people actually there to do any work.
So, please assure us again.
Oh no, they have added way more orange barrels. So you see, things are improving.