Sacramento Children’s Fund Planning and Oversight Commission Regular Meeting – May 7, 2026

The Sacramento Children’s Fund Planning and Oversight Commission held its regular meeting on May 7, 2026, at 10:03 AM at City Hall, 915 I Street, Sacramento. Chair Eugenia Richardson presided. Six commissioners were present (Lilian Ghafari, Nicole Kravitz-Wirtz, Monica Ruelas Mares, Davon Thomas, Shannon Williams, and Chair Richardson); Commissioner Volma Volcy was absent. The meeting covered consent calendar items, two auditor presentations, a program implementation update, and a report from the Target Populations Ad Hoc Committee. The commission voted to focus future RFP changes on the solicitation rather than the Strategic Investment Plan (SIP), and extended the meeting past two hours.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the February 5, 2026 regular meeting minutes (File ID 2026-00024).
• Approved the Commission Follow-Up Log (File ID 2026-00273).
• Dissolved the Community Engagement Ad Hoc Committee (File ID 2026-00844). All three items passed unanimously on a motion by Commissioner Thomas, seconded by Commissioner Williams.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public spoke on any agenda item or during the public comment period.

Discussion Items

• City Auditor's FY 2024/2025 Baseline Funding Verification (Item 4): Senior Fiscal Policy Analyst Joe Fleming presented the verification that the city expended the baseline funding amount of $22.9 million on youth programs in FY 2024/2025. Eligible expenditures were identified across seven departments: Youth, Parks, and Community Enrichment ($13M+ over 16 programs), Department of Community Response ($3.2M, 8 programs), Office of Violence Prevention, Sacramento Fire Department ($2.2M, 7 programs), Sacramento Police Department ($1.3M, 4 programs), Office of Innovation Economic Development, and Office of the City Manager. Commissioners asked about equity analysis and the impact of potential budget cuts. The auditor clarified that the charter does not require equity analysis and that baseline reductions could be adjusted if the city makes proportional cuts.
• City Auditor's FY 2024/2025 Audited Cannabis Business Operations Tax (CBOT) Amount (Item 5): Mr. Fleming reported that audited CBOT revenue for the prior fiscal year was $22,609,932. The city’s contribution to the Children’s Fund is 40% of CBOT. After an initial estimate of $23.3 million, a true-up reduced the contribution to $9.04 million. Commissioners discussed the implications of potential changes to the cannabis business tax rate.
• Implementation Update (Item 6): Program Specialist Julie Garen reported that 20 of 24 funded programs submitted quarterly reports; the draft progress shows almost 4,000 children served, with 60% of participants from priority populations (e.g., 8 youth transitioning out of foster care, 8 involved in juvenile/criminal systems, 20 exposed to violence). The five-year evaluation contract with Harder and Company has been executed. A $8 million Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) program for transitional age foster youth was approved by City Council (awarded to United Way California Capital Region) and will start July 1, 2026. The second open grant RFP is tentatively planned for fall/winter 2027 with a funding start date of January 1, 2028, for approximately $13.8 million (split 50-50 between CBOs and city/non-city entities). Commissioners raised concerns about low numbers in specific categories (e.g., substance abuse at 0.3%, youth violence at 3.4%, youth homelessness at 12.2%) and the need for better data collection, trauma-informed approaches, and support for smaller CBOs. Commissioner Thomas proposed a 20% per fund goal split; Chair Richardson suggested a 30/25/20/15/10 split. Commissioners also discussed the need to clarify the definition of mental health services and to improve outreach to indigenous and other underserved communities. The commission passed a motion (6-0, Williams/Ghafari) to make changes to the RFP rather than the SIP, and (6-0, Ghafari/Ruelas Mares) to extend the meeting past two hours.
• Target Populations Ad Hoc Committee Updates: Vice Chair Ghafari, Commissioner Williams, and Commissioner Ruelas Mares reported that the ad hoc committee recommends strengthening RFP scoring criteria to prioritize programs that intentionally reach youth with multiple overlapping risks (e.g., co-occurring homelessness, justice involvement, violence exposure, foster care, behavioral health needs, school disconnection), rather than just serving one priority population. The committee will present a full report at the June meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Approved consent calendar items (minutes, follow-up log, dissolution of Community Engagement Ad Hoc Committee) unanimously.
• Reviewed and commented on the baseline funding verification and CBOT audit reports; no formal action taken.
• Passed a motion (6-0) to focus future changes on the RFP (not the SIP) for the next funding cycle.
• Passed a motion (6-0) to extend the meeting past the two-hour limit (adjourned at 11:56 AM).
• Agreed to agendize for the June 4, 2026 meeting: discussion on mental health definition, fund goal percentages, priority populations scoring, and support for smaller CBOs (grant writing workshops, modified application requirements).
• The Target Populations Ad Hoc Committee will present detailed recommendations at the next meeting.
• Staff will provide additional information on the Office of Violence Prevention's programs and the status of unstarted city projects.