Casino $$ split in bits to charities

City officials are trying to stretch out community funds from Wynn Casino as they wait for a jackpot two years from now and are spreading limited amounts of money across several dozen charities that are angling for cash.

Fifty-seven Charlestown nonprofits applied for more than $900,000 in aid from the city’s Charlestown Community Impact Fund, which has $1 million in its coffers. The officials managing the fund split about $180,000 among 41 of those nonprofits yesterday in an effort to parcel out the money slowly.

“This has to spread over two years and maybe more, we have to make this last until the casino opens,” said District 1 City Councilor Sal LaMattina, who helps administer the fund. “Nonprofits in Charlestown need to be patient, eventually we’ll be able to help them out.”

When the casino opens, which is expected to take place in fall 2019, it will contribute $2 million a year to the impact fund, which will also be used to address effects of the casino. But until then, the initial $1 million donation will be the only source of funding.

Officials said they plan to dole out about $150,000 twice a year until then, and nonprofits can apply again if they didn’t receive any funding in one round, or if the funding came in under their request.

Because of the large amount of applicants, almost no nonprofit received the maximum requested in the initial round of funding.

The Charlestown Boys & Girls Club, the YMCA and the John F. Kennedy Family Service Center all received $10,000, the highest amount awarded. LaMattina said fund administrators tried to balance requests and treat similar groups equally, with similar nonprofits like youth sports organizations receiving like amounts.