TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Kelly Strickland, Assistant City Manager
FROM: Christopher Cauley, MPA, Economic and Community Development Director
DATE: August 25, 2025
RE:Title
Receive an Administrative Report on the Empowering Community Safety Micro-Grant Program as of June 30, 2025 - End of Cycle Six Title
end
end
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
All
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
GOAL I: The City of Fayetteville will be a safe and secure community.
1.3: To ensure a low incidence of property and violent crime.
1.4: To engage citizens in community watch and safety events.
GOAL IV: The City of Fayetteville will be a highly desirable place to live, work, and recreate.
4.5: To ensure a place for people to live in great neighborhoods
Executive Summary:
Staff requests that City Council receive and accept this administrative report on the Empowering Community Safety Micro-Grant Program. No other Council action is requested. The Economic and Community Development Department (ECD), through a community-based review committee, has provided micro-grants and capacity-building training to fund, inspire, and boost community crime-reduction activities. The program has operated for 36 months (six six-month cycles) and is currently in its seventh cycle. Across the first six cycles, 67 agencies received 159 awards totaling $373,860.
Background:
In fall 2021, the Police Chief proposed a series of crime-reduction strategies. Under the direction of the City Manager’s Office, the Fayetteville Police Department and Economic and Community Development (ECD) benchmarked other programs and reviewed best practices to design an initiative aimed at improving neighborhoods and building community capacity, specifically helping local groups evolve into sustainable nonprofits.
City Council appropriated $250,000 to launch the Empowering Community Safety Micro-Grant Program, funding four cycles over two years. The program’s purpose is to empower, encourage, and engage community members in creating activities that promote crime reduction in Fayetteville, with a focus on grassroots efforts in redevelopment areas or neighborhoods experiencing recent spikes in violent crime.
Following the success of the first four cycles, City Council extended the program for two additional cycles and appropriated $130,000 in FY 2024-2025. Between the close of cycle six and the drafting of this administrative report, City Council further increased the allocation to $100,000 per cycle, bringing the total for cycles seven and eight to $200,000.
Issues/Analysis:
Throughout the three-year program the six major themes included: Addressing Upward Mobility, Community Crime Prevention, Conflict Resolution and Mediation, Family Stability, Implicit Bias and Diversity, and Opportunities for Youth/Parents/Families. Funding was allocated to each theme based on the merit of the application and can be seen in the table below.
Major Themes # of Grants Grant Amounts
Addressing Upward Mobility - 11 Awards for a total of $21,500
Community Crime Prevention - 36 Awards for a total of $86,260
Conflict Resolution and Mediation - 19 Awards for a total of $49,500
Family Stability - 14 Awards for a total of $32,500
Implicit Bias and Diversity - 3 Awards for a total of $6,500
Opportunities for Youth/Parents/Families - 76 Awards for a total of $177,600
Total - 159 Awards for a total $373,860
The program was designed to fund different organizations that typically do not receive funding from the government because of audit requirements. However, the small sums of funding allocated to each awardee enabled the City to fund six different types of grant recipients, including: Churches, Temples, or Mosques, Civic Associations, Community Groups, Community Watch, Individuals, and Non-Profit Organizations. Funding was allocated to each theme based on their application and can be seen in the table below.
Types of Organizations # of Grants Grant Amounts
Churches, Temples, or Mosques - 8 Awards for a total of $16,000
Civic Associations - 6 Awards for a total of $8,760
Community Group - 40 Awards for a total of $82,100
Community Watch - 25 Awards for a total of $53,000
Individuals - 63 Awards for a total of $129,000
Non-Profit Organizations - 17 Awards for a total of $85,000
Total - 159 Awards for a total $373,860
The program awarded three different amounts of funding based on the experience and legal status of the applicant. These amounts were divided into three tiers and the amount of funding awarded for each cycle and each tier can be seen below:
|
Tier / Cycle |
Cycle 1 |
Cycle 2 |
Cycle 3 |
Cycle 4 |
Cycle 5 |
Cycle 6 |
|
Tier One |
$39,100 |
$12,000 |
$9,000 |
$18,000 |
$22,260 |
$6,000 |
|
Tier Two |
$0 |
$26,500 |
$11,500 |
$6,500 |
$15,000 |
$29,000 |
|
Tier Three |
$10,000 |
$21,500 |
$35,000 |
$36,500 |
$12,500 |
$17,500 |
|
Total |
$49,100 |
$60,000 |
$55,500 |
$61,000 |
$49,760 |
$52,500 |
Program impact highlights (cycle 6 examples):
• R.O.O.T.S. (Regiment of Overriding the Statistics) Mentoring - early-intervention mentoring, restorative justice series, and school empowerment workshops; multi-cycle recipient now leveraging Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) support.
• Zenaida Cranford Mentor Mentee Program - youth mentorship for teen girls (ages 12-17), including a “BOUNDARIES” workshop series, team-building retreat, and self-defense training; progressing toward nonprofit status.
• Jai6 Youth Foundation - KidSpark Connect program for ages 8-12; peer-led leadership, communication, and mental wellness; multi-cycle recipient now also receiving CDBG support.
• Roots of Resilience: The Inner Peace Project - first-time recipient (cycle 5) that advanced to 501(c)(3) status and expanded programming in mindfulness, conflict resolution, and family wellness.
Through this initiative, $45,024 was invested from the $380,000 program budget for capacity-building workshops delivered by FTCC’s Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Small Business. Across the six cycles, 18 two-hour workshops covered how to start and operate a nonprofit and how to find and write grants. For cycle six, workshops were opened to the public to maximize reach and inform residents of available opportunities.
Budget Impact:
At the November 8, 2021 City Council regular meeting, City Council approved Budget Ordinance Amendment 2022-5, which appropriated $250,000 to the community safety micro-grant program. Funding was reallocated to the following fiscal Year on March 23, 2023 when City Council approved Budget Ordinance Amendment 2023-15. Budget Ordinance Amendment 2024-7 continued to reallocate the initial funding across fiscal years until exhausted. Funding for this program was budgeted in the Economic and Community Development Department for Fiscal year 2025.For Fiscal Year 2026, funding has been moved to the Office of Community Safety.
Options:
1. Accept the report as presented.
2. Do not accept the report and provide guidance to staff.
Recommended Action::Recommended Action
For information only, no action required unless Council moves to add to an upcoming Work Session.
end
Attachments:
None.