Buying Results, Winning Awards: Community Service Grant Process Recognized Nationally

Congratulations to staff at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Strategy and Innovation (OSI), who were recently recognized for their Community Service Grant process!  

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) recognized Mecklenburg County for providing an innovative solution to a common problem: determining which nonprofits to fund and how to hold them accountable for results.  

The Community Service Grant program provides a streamlined way for nonprofits to apply for funding consideration, and a review process that requires awardees to submit quarterly invoices, expense reports, and performance data. The effort was led by senior management and budget analyst Lauren Tayara and strategy and innovation analyst Gauge Tillman with support from OMB and OSI staff.  

“Overall, the CSG program provides a structured, fair, transparent, and competitive process to funding, with a built-in accountability component. Many organizations hope to manage by results, focus on outcomes, and allocate spending by priority, but the county’s CSG program literally buys results and aligns nonprofit funding with community outcomes,” noted a GFOA article spotlighting the County’s efforts.  

Mecklenburg County was one of only seven communities to be recognized by the GFOA with an Award for Excellence. This is the Office of Management and Budget’s third GFOA Award for Excellence since 2018.