Police board rethinks charitable giving

Requests will go to one funding agency

Niagara’s police services board members are hoping to strengthen charitable giving policies, having established a Niagara Police Foundation Program to support initiatives that promote safer communities.

During a finance meeting last Thursday, board members voted to re-evaluate guidelines for the distribution of charitable funding, while also directing board finance manager Laura Rullo and executive director Deb Reid to develop ways of adding transparency to the board’s policies.

Rullo said charitable funds are currently dispersed by the board, which approves each request as it is brought forward at monthly meetings.

However, after the development of a new Niagara Police Foundation Program was approved in November, she said the funds could instead be donated to the recently formed foundation to then be distributed to community organizations.

“There are benefits and risks to that option,” she said.

Rullo said transferring charitable funds to the new foundation would reduce the funding requests board members would be asked to consider at monthly meetings and streamline requests to one funding agency, but it would also mean board members would no longer have direct control over approving requests.

The new foundation would operate independently with its own board, she said.

“Depending on the police foundation mandate and how its policies will be formed, not all organizations that are currently funded through special funds may qualify

for funding under the foundation,” Rullo said, adding that won’t be determined until the foundation’s board of directors is selected and its policies are developed.

The charitable funds being distributed come from unclaimed goods sold at auction, unclaimed found money or money that was seized and proceeds from tuck shop sales of clothing and souvenirs.

Board members approved nearly $55,800 in donations in 2023, which included $500 for an Indigenous crosswalk requested by Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre and $6,320 for a bicycle registry program.

So far this year, the police services board has spent $21,937, supporting 13 charities.

Board member and Port Colborne Mayor Bill Steele suggested establishing new policies to tighten up how the funding is distributed.

“Quite frankly, I think we need to kind of separate the different types of funding that we do,” he said. “Now if you want to take out all the charitable organizations like the United Way and a few others here and you want to give that to the foundation, then we can do that, because we have a foundation.”

Steele also hoped to review the application process for groups requesting funding, as well as a time limit for requests.

“I think we need to tighten this up. I think changes need to be made,” he said, adding lastminute requests should not be considered.

Chief Bill Fordy agreed with the need for more structure in policies regarding charitable giving, but said policies also need to be flexible.

“There will be opportunities whereby we’re cultivating new relationships, and the police are identifying needs in the community that we may not have six months’ notice for,” he said.

Board member Tara Mckendrick agreed with Fordy about the need “to be nimble and flexible when opportunities arise.”

Mckendrick said smaller charitable organizations often don’t have resources available to dedicate to complex application processes.

“We’re talking about $500 to $2,500 usually here. We’re not talking about large grants,” she said.