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A resolution appropriating a total of $500,000.00 from a certain account of the General Fund of the General Services District for a grant to the United Way of Middle Tennessee, Inc., to provide financial counseling and other financial education activities to low-income residents in accordance with the Financial Empowerment Center program model.
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WHEREAS, Section 7-3-314 of the Tennessee Code Annotated states that metropolitan forms of government may provide financial assistance to nonprofit organizations; and,
WHEREAS, Section 5.04.070 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws provides that the Council may, by Resolution, appropriate funds for the financial aid of nonprofit organizations; and,
WHEREAS, the Mayor’s Office has recommended that $500,000.00 of the funds appropriated for the Mayor’s Office in the Budget Ordinance (Substitute No. BL2024-373), be distributed to the United Way of Middle Tennessee, Inc.; and,
WHEREAS, the grant funds will be utilized to provide financial counseling and other financial education activities to low-income residents in accordance with the Financial Empowerment Center Program model; and,
WHEREAS, it is to the benefit of the citizens of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County that these funds be appropriated to United Way of Middle Tennessee, Inc.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. There is hereby appropriated $500,000.00 from Fund No. 10101 to fund a grant to the United Way of Middle Tennessee, Inc., to provide financial counseling and other financial education activities to low-income residents in accordance with the Financial Empowerment Center program model.
Section 2. The grant contract between the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County and the United Way of Middle Tennessee, Inc., attached hereto and incorporated herein, is hereby approved.
Section 3. That this Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.
Agenda Analysis
Analysis
This resolution appropriates $500,000 from the General Fund of the General Services District for a grant to the United Way of Middle Tennessee, Inc. (“United Way”), to provide financial counseling and other financial activities to low-income residents through the Financial Empowerment Center model. The Mayor’s Office recommended that $500,000 of the funds appropriated for the Mayor’s Office in the Budget Ordinance be distributed to the United Way.
The resolution also approves a grant contract between the Metropolitan Government and the United Way for the continuation of the Nashville Financial Empowerment Center. The Metropolitan Government was the recipient of a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies for the purpose of operating the financial empowerment program through December 2015. The Financial Empowerment Center program has subsequently been extended by Ordinance Nos. BL2016-387, BL2017-869, BL2018-1313, BL2019-10, BL2020-552, BL2021-914, BL2022-1386, and BL2023-139.
The Financial Empowerment Center provides one-on-one financial counseling and other financial education activities at no charge to low-income residents. The United Way agrees to conduct a minimum of 2,160 counseling sessions during the contract period. At least five full-time (or equivalent) counselors would be retained and supervised to provide these services. The term of this contract is from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.