Mayor Ronnie Marks and Youth Commissioner Sabrina Young roasting marshmallows with some of the Scouts and their siblings.
ATHENS-High school students are interested in what volunteers can do to benefit the City of Athens and are ready to give away money to those who have a worthy project.
Mayor Ronnie Marks is serving on the grant review board for Dekko Foundation and received $2,000 from Dekko for the Athens Mayor’s Youth Commission. Dekko Foundation, based in Indiana, supports programs that empower youth in communities where its namesake operated facilities, including Limestone County. Following that mission, Marks opted to allow Youth Commissioners to decide the best way to spend the funds.
Mayor Ronnie Marks
“Last year, Dekko surprised us with $3,500, and Youth Commissioners decided to give out grants to non-profits that had projects that would benefit Athens,” Marks said. “These students learned how to debate and comprise to determine what projects to fund and how much each should receive. They learned about volunteers working in our community, and they had the satisfaction of seeing the results of their investment.”
from left, Youth Commissioner Kennedi Brown, Mayor Ronnie Marks, Youth Commissioner Sabrina Young and Youth Commissioner Ben Clark with some of the Scouts and their siblings
Among the projects funded last year were:
- Hospice of Limestone County’s Camp Hope (which benefits children from Athens)
- A sign for the downtown outdoor classroom operated by Athens Arts League
- Portable litter bags with contact info for Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful
- Camping supplies for a Girl Scout troop that serves girls from Athens
- Let’s Move Athens, a new event created by MTM Corporation to promote healthy living.
The Youth Commission voted to keep some of this year’s $2,000 for its Share the Art program. That program is where students countywide submit artwork based on themes chosen by the Youth Commission, with Youth Commissioner selecting which artwork will be on display at City Hall’s Art Corner. Youth Commissioners also set aside $500 for a scholarship for one of its seniors, with an independent selection committee set up to choose the recipient.
With some funds left over from last year, the Youth Commission has $1,400 to invest in local projects through this grant program.
The grant application is due March 10 by 4:30 p.m. and the max request this year is $500. This is for non-profit groups only. If a group has two different projects, the group can submit more than one application but it is up to Youth Commissioners whether to fund more than one.
Applications are available on the city’s website at www.athensal.us under “Mayor’s Office” and then “Youth Commission” or by emailing Holly Hollman at hhollman@athensal.us.
Project Funding Application to the Athens Mayor’s Youth Commission – 2017
Project Funding Summary: The Athens Mayor’s Youth Commission (comprised of students in grades 10-12 at Athens High School, Athens Bible School, Lindsay Lane Christian Academy, and home school students in Athens) is accepting project proposals from non-profit organizations.
The City of Athens received a grant from the Dekko Foundation in Indiana for use with a youth program. Dekko Foundation’s mission is to empower youth. To advance Dekko’s goal, the City opted to charge its Athens Mayor’s Youth Commission with deciding how the grant funds would be utilized. The students have chosen to accept proposals for a portion of the funds, to review the proposals, and to select one or more projects to fund and to determine how much funding the winning project(s) should receive.
Application Requirements: ● The project proposal should benefit the City of Athens in some manner.
- Project proposals will only be accepted from non-profit organizations.
- Project proposals should have typed responses and summaries (not handwritten)
- Include a determination letter from the IRS and latest IRS Form 990 to prove non-profit status.
Deadline: Project proposals will not be accepted after Friday, March 10, 2017, at 4:30 p.m.
How To Submit: If you mail a project proposal, do so in a timely manner so that it is received in the mail by March 10. You can mail proposals to:
Athens Mayor’s Youth Commission, c/o Holly Hollman, P.O. Box 1089, Athens, AL 35612
Email proposals to Holly Hollman at hhollman@athensal.us
Funding Amount: Funding requests should NOT exceed $350. The students may elect to fund multiple projects and may allocate the max or may allocate a smaller amount. The organization should indicate if it can complete the project if given a smaller amount.
Project Reports: Project(s) chosen for funding must submit an initial report 30 days after receiving funding and a final report when the project is completed. If the funding is being used for a portion of a project, then the final report is required at the time that portion is completed.
Site Visits: Once the project(s) or portion of the project(s) is completed, the organization must invite the Athens Mayor’s Youth Commission for a site visit to see the project.
Project Funding Application to the Athens Mayor’s Youth Commission
Organization’s Name:_____________________________________________________
Name of Contact Person:____________________________________________________
Contact Person’s Phone AND email:_____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Organization’s Mailing Address: __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Provide A Summary of Your Organization (mission statement, goals, focus area, etc.)
