The Cottonwood City Council allocated $226,500 of outside agency funding to 11 community organizations at its regular meeting on Oct. 7.
In fiscal year 2016, the outside agency funding program started with a budget of $15,000. This later grew to $100,000 in FY2020, prompting City Council at that time to direct staff to create a competitive grant application process. In FY22, the program emphasized funding groups that supported the city’s most vulnerable populations and increased its budget to $150,000.
Last year, the program’s budget increased to $180,000 for FY25 and allocated a separate line item budget of $110,000 for the Verde Valley Senior Center. At a work session in May, council requested that the center apply for funding through the competitive program and added the allocated amount from the prior year into the program’s budget for a total of $290,000 for FY26. While the full funding requested was allocated into the budget, it did not guarantee it would be recommended for awarding by staff.
The city received 18 applications with total funding requested at just under $660,000, exceeding the budget. Staff recommended that council award funding to 11 of the 18 applicants at a total amount of $226,500, leaving a program budget surplus of $63,500 that council can redirect toward another project.
To determine funding allocation, a scoring committee was made up of staff members across different city departments who ranked each organization.
Three of the organizations received full funding: Low-Income Student Aid, Science Vortex and Verde Valley Wheel Fun.
LISA plans to support their basic needs project that helps qualified low-income student aid requests to provide school supplies, clothing, athletic fees, food and other expenses. The Science Vortex plans to use the funding to coordinate the 2026 Verde Valley SciTech Festival, STEAM education and two staffers. Wheel Fun plans to use the funding for operating after school mountain bike clubs.
The council approved to fund the recommended amounts with six votes in favor. Councilman Stephen DeWillis recused himself. Council directed staff to bring this back later to further discuss allocating the remaining $63,500 in the budget.
The funding approved:
â– $90,000 to Verde Valley Senior Center
â– $25,000 to Low-Income Student Aid
â– $20,000 to Old Town Mission
â– $20,000 to Wheel Fun/Cyclists Coalition
â– $16,000 to Steps to Recovery Homes
â– $15,000 to Science Vortex
â– $10,000 to Verde Valley Caregivers
â– $10,000 to Verde Valley Homeless Coalition
â– $8,500 to Verde Valley Humane Society
â– $7,000 to Project Rising Hope
â– $5,000 to Friends of the Verde River
