Every year, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners’ fiscal budget that’s adopted in June includes a good deal of money – usually around $2 million – that is handed out to a wide range of non-profit Community-Based Organizations.
Since the turn of the century, there have been many attempts to establish a rational formula for which groups should get money; however, even in years when those guidelines have been unanimously adopted by the Board of Commissioners, the board has thrown those guidelines out the window at budget time, with some of the money always going to groups run by friends of various commissioners.
Though the final decisions this year, as in past years, will ultimately come down to the predilections of the individual county commissioners, Guilford County staff is starting the process early with a call for applications at the start of the year. So, if you have a group that does good work in the community, or you have a group and are friends with a county commissioner, the application process is about to begin.
The county is holding application information sessions in early January and early February.
Guilford County will open applications for the Community-Based Organization funding in January for the money that will be handed out in fiscal year 2025- 2026.
That new budget will kick into effect on July 1, 2025.
Every year, Guilford County provides some funds to the selected community organizations that meet the definition of a 501(c) non-profit and that “facilitate economically, culturally, and civically valuable services.”
The county conducts a “competitive process” to distribute the money. As part of that process, all groups requesting money must submit an application, and there is some training required for all applicants as well.
Three upcoming online information sessions will provide comprehensive information about the funding timeline, applications and contract templates.
County staff will also address any new changes slated for fiscal year 2025 -2026.
Those interested in getting some of the taxpayer money can register at https://forms.office.com/g/wETwH0TjDJ.
Anyone who wants highly detailed information about the Guilford County Community Based Organization funding process can visit: https://bit.ly/GuilfordCountyCBOs.
Two information sessions will be held on Monday, Jan. 6, at 9 a.m. and at 3 p.m., with a third session to be held on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 3 p.m.
A recording of the information session will be available on the county’s website.
The application period will open up on Monday, Jan. 20 and run through Friday, Feb. 28 at 5 p.m. (A link to the application will be emailed to registered, potential applicants on Monday, Jan. 20.)
When the Guilford County Board of Commissioners adopted a new 2024-2025 fiscal budget in June of last year, $1.7 million of that budget was taxpayer money that the board handed out to community-based non-profits.
The group of chosen recipients was especially interesting last year because, unlike in past years, the Board of Commissioners didn’t hold any public discussions at budget time on which organizations should or shouldn’t get money.
Also, unlike in past years, the county manager and a committee of county staff designed to determine which non-profits should get money was never formed – and therefore didn’t provide any input as they had in past years.
Instead, last year, the county commissioners wanted to control the process entirely, which is what they did.
In the past, the manager’s recommended budget always included a list of recommended non-profits; however, last year for the first time, there weren’t even any recommendations from the manager regarding the funding.
In previous years, county staff would weed through applications and ask questions such as: Is this organization financially trustworthy? Can they produce audits that show how the money is being used? What tangible, measurable results and benefits does this program produce? How do the goals of this non-profit fit in with Guilford County’s service efforts?
The 2024-2025 list was instead a hodge-podge of churches, schools, and organizations – many of which had never before been funded by the county and some that the Rhino Times had never even heard of.
Since there were no public discussions on the non-profit funding last year, no one knows why each organization got money or how the amounts were decided.
Last year, Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston admitted that – even though the county has tried for the vast majority of this century to come up with a rational policy for handing out the money to non-profits – in the end, he said, the list is always a list of which organizations can get five votes from the nine-member board.
Some county residents don’t believe the county should use taxpayer money to pick who wins and loses when it comes to non-profits; however, the commissioners clearly don’t feel that way.
The following is a list of the groups that received money in the 2024-2025 budget and how much each recieved:
A Legacy of Hope $5,000
A Simple Gesture – Greensboro Inc. $15,000
Aaron T. Jones Jet-black Empowerment $45,000
African American Atelier Inc. $50,000
ARC of High Point $10,000
Beyond Sports NC $20,000
Big Brother Big Sister $15,000
Black Child Development Institute $10,000
B-Natural $5,000
Carolina Theater $25,000
Children Law Center $20,000
Combat Female Veterans Assoc. $50,000
Commander Peace Academy $20,000
D-Up Inc. $20,000
Establishing Safe Cultures $20,000
Families Against Senseless Killings $20,000
Family Room Foster Care Resource $10,000
Folk Festival $25,000
Friends Of John Coltrane $25,000
Glenwood Together $10,000
Greensboro Business League $45,000
Greensboro Urban Ministry $40,000
Growing The Distance Inc. $20,000
Guilford Housing Foundation $10,000
Hayes Taylor YMCA $40,000
High Point Arts Council $50,000
High Point Discovered $10,000
Historic Jamestown Society $20,000
Horse Power $10,000
HP Friendship Foundation $15,000
HP Housing Authority $15,000
Jalloh’s Upright Services $15,000
Junior Aggies $7,500
Kids Poetry Basketball Inc. $15,000
Level Up Parenting $10,000
Lydia House Inc. $20,000
Malachi House II $37,500
Mega Church Ministries $20,000
Mustard Seed Community Health. $10,000
New Hope Missionary Baptist Next $10,000
Level of the Triad Inc. $45,000
Open Door $25,000
Peacehaven Community Farms $15,000
Piedmont Triad Film Commission $15,000
Room at The Inn $15,000
Senior Resources. $25,000
Sister Circle. $70,000
Southwest Renewal, HP $75,000
St. Stephen AME Zion Church Still $10,000
I Rise $25,000
T Wingate Andrews High School $50,000
TCC Community Health $20,000
The Heroes Center $10,000
The Mind Group $20,000
The Oaks Therapeutic Community $15,000
The Salvation Army of Greater HP $15,000
Triad Food Pantry Inc. $50,000
Triad Health Project. $40,000
Triad Play Therapeutic After $25,000
School TSCF Food Network. $15,000
Turning Everything Around United. $20,000
Arts Council of Greensboro United. $75,000
Way of Greater High Point United $10,000
Way of Greensboro $10,000
Urban Roots NC $12,500
D. Muhammad Center $7,500
West End Ministries. $20,000
Welfare Reform Liaison Project $25,000
YMCA Of High Point-Chavis Branch $40,000
Youth Behavior Helper $20,000
Youth Focus $25,000
YWCA of High Point $15,000
Property taxes paid by Guilford County property owners should not go to nonprofits. Payments to nonprofits by Guilford County Commissioners are not a public policy issue for all residents of Guilford County but a select few. If the commissioners desire to give to nonprofits, collect the money from sources other than property taxpayers. Start with the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce that is a champion for open borders and cheap labor and endorses certain nonprofits. A nonprofit on the list serves users that are over 70% Hispanics in the east Greensboro area. Taxpayers pay for welfare. Why should our property tax money go to a nonprofit that is essentially welfare that taxpayers already pay for? Could it be that the people served by the nonprofit are illegal immigrants? After all, Guilford County is a sanctuary county. Collect the money from the business firms that have benefited from county and state decisions, starting with David Couch’s company located in High Point, and all the law firms that have benefited from representing developers in spot zoning cases. Why are we giving property tax money to any church; churches already receive tax benefits? Collect nonprofit payments from fees paid into the county by those who contributed to the Commissioners’ election campaigns.
Government should not give our property tax money to nonprofits. If the Commissioners are hell-bent on giving money to nonprofits, the money should not come from property taxes but from other sources. County Commissioners are out of control starting with Skip Alston and the Commissioners who support Alston out of fear.
Couple of thoughts on why Governments are justified to use taxes in support of non-profits:
– Nonprofits often fill gaps in essential services that the local government can’t fully provide. (healthcare for underserved, food banks and shelters, etc…)
– Nonprofits frequently possess specialized knowledge and experience in specific areas. Tax funding allows them to efficiently tackle complex problems facing our local communities.
– In many cases, nonprofits can deliver services more efficiently than government agencies, leading to a better use of tax payer dollars.
– Nonprofits are often at the forefront of developing new solutions and approaches to social challenges, fostering innovation and ‘better’ solutions to complex problems
Key to the idea of giving tax dollars to nonprofits is that HAS to be accountability and measure of quality of services offered. Sadly, Guilford hasn’t always been good at this and has continued to support programs that fail to deliver results as promised. But that in itself should stop support for many of these nonprofits that DO have a strong track record of success.
My two cents.
Your comments sound like they were written by a marketing firm for nonprofits. Nonprofits receive tax benefits already. Why should property tax money be used to give more money to nonprofits. What does D. Muhammad Center do for property taxpayers in Guilford County? What has T Wingate Andrews High School done for the property taxpayers of Guilford County to deserve a gift of $50,000? What does the church St. Stephen AME Zion Church Still, which does not pay property taxes, do for the property owners in Guilford County who DO pay property taxes? The Arts Council of Greensboro already receives government help. Why do they need an additional $75,000? Junior Aggies was given $7,500. What are Junior Aggies? $20,000 to Families Against Senseless Killings? Really? Everyone is against senseless killings. Why do we need a nonprofit that collects $20,000 of property taxpayers’ money to support an idea that others already agreed upon? What exactly does Families Against Senseless Killings do to deserve $20,000? What does the nonprofit Greensboro Business League do to collect $45,000? What exactly does Aaron T. Jones Jet-black Empowerment do and why are they deserving of $45,000 given to them by the property taxpayers of Guilford County? The Greensboro Urban Ministry has a 100% charity rating, but they receive tax money from other sources. Why an additional $40,000 from property taxpayers in Guilford County? Their top four (4) directors’ salaries exceed $384,000 annually. Nonprofits are scams, many are set up to support grifters. Guilford County property taxpayers’ money should not be given to nonprofits.
“Non-Profit” = Non Taxpaying.
I believe they call these funds “walking around money” to those who have political connections to Skip and his followers. . . . . .er um. . .supporters. . . . . .it’s all about politics and getting out the votes for those who are willing to spread the money around.
Disgusting pissing away of taxpayer money.
No property tax money should go to any organization. All that money should be returned to the taxpayers for overpaying property taxes. This is exactly why property taxes should be illegal it is nothing short of extortion. By doing this every property owning citizen in Guilford county should be able to claim a tax deduction on their taxes because it is them who is donating not the county
Tax return should be given to those who paid the taxes; they may need the money for which they worked. If the taxpayer of the money has a favorite charity, let them assign their portion where they want it to go.
Now Thats a great Idea!!
Typical Government approach; We know how to spend your money better than you do. NOT!
It’s called buying votes. Hello, that’s how Guilford County works. All citizens are not equally served, only those that Skip and hand out associates deem appropriate.