Budget & Finance Committee
Roster
Board member co-chairs: David Hunter (Treasurer)
Board members: Connie Acosta, James Hughs, Mansoor Khan, Thomas Martinez
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Mission Statement
The Budget and Finance Committee oversees all expenditures and accounts managed by the Echo Park Neighborhood Council. We are charged with managing the EPNC budget to ensure that it stays healthy and productively uses the funding provided to us by the City.
You can see a complete accounting of the Echo Park Neighborhood Council budget and expenditures on the Neighborhood Council Funding System Dashboard. (Select Echo Park from the menu on the top left.)
The complete Neighborhood Council Funding Program Policies and Guidelines can be found here.
Meeting Time
3rd Tuesday of the month at 6:30PM
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How We Spend Money
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EPNC expenditures take place mainly through four different channels:
-Annually-budgeted office expenses (storage and meeting space rental, website hosting, etc.)
-Outreach activities (flyers, promotional items, EPNC events, etc.)
-Community Improvement Projects (CIPs)
-Neighborhood Purpose Grants (NPGs)
Almost all expenditures originate in EPNC committees. For example, the Outreach Committee makes a motion to earmark $500 for Echo Park cookbooks. That motion is then brought to the Budget and Finance Committee for review and approval. After determining that it fits the necessary requirements and is within the EPNC annual budget, the BFC approves the motion and sends it on to the Board of Governors meeting for final approval.
Community Improvement Projects are a tool for the EPNC to embark on projects associated with beautification and capital improvement projects on public places within Echo Park, such as street medians, parkways landscaping, neighborhood markers, street furniture, murals, tree plantings, graffiti abatement, community gardens, capital improvements on recreation centers, libraries, parks, fire stations, etc. CIPs require approval from the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (D.O.N.E.) before they can be undertaken.
Neighborhood Purpose Grants are a way for the EPNC to support and build partnerships with local public-benefit organizations such as 501(c)(3) nonprofits and public schools. Any such organization can submit an application to request NPG funds to aid in completing specific projects or activities.
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NPG Application Process
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1) Review the EPNC Neighborhood Purpose Grant Guidelines
2) Complete the following documents:
-Neighborhood Purpose Grant Application, completed and signed
-Project Budget, on a separate sheet if space provided in application form is not sufficient
-If you are a non-profit 501(c)(3), your IRS Letter of Determination
-If you are a public school, a letter on official school letterhead, signed by the school Principal
3) Submit your documentation to the Schools, Libraries and Community Organizations Committee (or another committee that feels relevant to your organization/request) for discussion at their next meeting. Be mindful that it can take up to 90 days for the entire process (from application to receiving funding) to be completed.
A complete explanation of the NPG process can be found here
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