LEXINGTON, Ky. — The city announced awards totaling $5.029 million in Extended Social Resource Grants to 34 nonprofit agencies, marking the first time the program has surpassed $5 million in annual funding, according to a statement from Mayor Linda Gorton.

The grants, pending Urban County Council approval, will fund social services during fiscal years 2027 and 2028. The awards represent a significant expansion from previous years, when funding hovered around $3.8 million annually, and address what city officials describe as pressing community needs.

The funds are distributed across five priority areas: Community Wellness & Safety ($952,000), Childhood & Youth Development ($761,500), Food Insecurity & Nutritional Access ($746,000), Mental Health ($558,000), and Emergency Shelter ($2.01 million). The grants will support programs focused on substance use recovery and treatment, violence prevention, early learning, youth development, and low-barrier shelter for people experiencing homelessness.

"Through these grants, we help our partner agencies help residents who are most in need," Gorton said.

The selection process was competitive. City teams from the Department of Social Services, the Homelessness Prevention and Intervention office, and Procurement reviewed 94 proposals requesting a total of $10.3 million, allowing officials to fund roughly 49% of the requested amount.

Kacy Allen-Bryant, Commissioner of Social Services, said the grants represent one strategy for ensuring vulnerable populations receive adequate support. "As the name suggests, Extended Social Resource grants allow the City to fund agencies that provide services that are beyond our capacity and reach," Allen-Bryant said.

The grants represent a continuation of the city's commitment to nonprofits. In the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the Urban County Council authorized grants to 37 social service agencies, though the specific funding amount was not disclosed.