Jack Hopkins Social Services Committee

Page last updated on September 11, 2023 at 11:54 am

About the Jack Hopkins Committee

Started by, and named after, former Councilmember Jack Hopkins, this funding program began in 1993. Since its inception, the Bloomington Common Council and Mayor have provided approximately $6.1 million to social services agencies for projects that have made a difference in the lives of City residents in need. The Committee is composed of four members of the Common Council and three City residents with experience in social services.

The Jack Hopkins Social Services Grant Program 2023 Application Period is Closed

The City of Bloomington Common Council’s Jack Hopkins Social Services Committee received 48 applications from social service agencies serving the needs of City of Bloomington residents for 2023 grant funding. This year, the Committee had $323,000 to distribute, along with past unused funding. The Committee prioritized projects and programs where investments will have positive, long-term effects such as alleviating the effects of poverty, reducing susceptibility to disease, decreasing absences from school, reducing lost time from work, etc.

Reports and Funding Recommendations

View the Jack Hopkins Committee's 2023 Recommended Funding Allocations

History of Funding: 1993-2023 (PDF)

The 2023 Committee:

Councilmember Susan Sandberg (Chair)
Councilmember Kate Rosenbarger
Councilmember Jim Sims
Councilmember Ron Smith
Resident - Jami Scholl
Resident - Mark Fraley
Resident - Tim Mayer

PROGRAM FOCUS

The program should address a previously-identified priority for social services funds (as indicated in the Service Community Assessment of Needs (SCAN), the City of Bloomington Housing and Neighborhood Development Department's Consolidated Plan, or other community-wide survey of social service needs).

This investment in the program should lead to broad and long lasting benefits to the community. In the words of Jack Hopkins, “Priority should be given to projects or programs where investments now will have a positive, long-term spillover effect."

Priorities

The Common Council prioritizes programs that provide food, housing, healthcare, or other services to city residents who are of low or moderate income, under 18 years old, elderly, affected with a disability or are otherwise disadvantaged.

City Residency - Programs must primarily serve City residents. Individual programs have occasionally been located outside of the City but, in that case, funds have never been used for capital projects (e.g. construction, renovation, or improvement of buildings).
Low Income - Programs primarily serving low-income populations are given a high priority.
Emergency Services – Programs primarily providing emergency services (e.g. food, housing, and medical services) are given a high priority.

SCOPE OF FUNDING

The Jack Hopkins Social Services Funding Program seeks to encourage innovation and address changing community needs. Further, the Jack Hopkins Social Services Funding Program recognizes that, in the current economic climate, operational funding may be essential to a non-profit organization's continued provision of services. The Jack Hopkins Social Services Funding Program will consider requests for both one-time investments and operational expenses.

One-Time Investment

Applications requesting funds for projects that address changing circumstances in the community are encouraged. Requests should provide a one-time investment that, through matching funds or other fiscal leveraging, make a significant contribution to the project. EXAMPLES – capital improvements.

Operational Expenses

Applications requesting operational expenses will also be considered. These expenses are recurring rather than non-recurring. EXAMPLES - personnel,* rent, utilities, maintenance, supplies, client services, and other ongoing budget items. Agencies seeking funding for operational expenses should be aware that future funding may be unavailable or inadequate to cover the same expense in subsequent years, and therefore should not rely on Jack Hopkins Social Services Funding for their operational expenses from year to year. Any request for operational funding should be accompanied by a well-developed plan for future funding.

* Paid Time Off and Bonuses - Paid time off and bonuses shall not be considered eligible for Jack Hopkins Social Services Funding.

NOTE: Over time, the Committee has worked to further refine each criterion with more particularity. This refinement is captured in the Committee's Elaboration of Criteria (linked above). Agencies should consult this document in preparing their applications.

Questions? Contact Council staff at council@bloomington.in.gov

2023 JACK HOPKINS APPLICATION MATERIALS:

Solicitation Letter and Guidelines (Please read)
2023 Application
2023 Application Summary
2023 Project Budget Template
Elaboration of Criteria (Please read)
An Example of a Well-Written Grant Application

Timeline for the 2023 Jack Hopkins Funding Cycle (important dates for agencies in bold):

MARCH 21st - Technical Assistance Meeting for Applicants (Tuesday, 4:00pm) - Zoom recording link; Showers City Hall, Hooker Conference Room (Suite 245); link to meeting presentation slides.