Santa Clarita is getting ready to give away about $200,000 in community funding through its annual grant application process, according to city officials, who are offering eligible nonprofits help with information on how to apply.  The review process starts with the release of the application following a virtual public information meeting at 10 a.m. Sept. 19 held via Zoom.  “This meeting is highly recommended for all nonprofit agencies interested in applying for grant funds,” according to a news release issued Thursday by Carrie Lujan, communications manager for the city. “The meeting will include details about the grant program, timeline, funding eligibility, grant categories and other criteria.”  There will also be a question-and-answer session with two members of city staff familiar with the process: Phil Lantis, arts and events manager for the city; and Noely Serrato, a city management analyst.  Lantis said Thursday there are two basic areas where nonprofit organizations can seek funding: community service and public arts.  Based on past awards, the community service grants can go to a variety of purposes, from enhancing the resources available at community facilities to improving residents’ experience at nonprofit venues.  Last year, for example, Bridge to Home received $5,000 to assist in “various program supplies used by BTH’s volunteer activities coordinator,” according to the nonprofit’s 2023 application.   “Those supplies — office supplies, purchased workbooks, food, paper plates and utensils, art supplies, books, printer ink, and other expendables — are used by BTH clientele as they participate in life skills, wellness development, educational/vocational support, and therapeutic activities,” according to the application.   For the Gibbon Conservation Center, the same amount was given to improve the digital signage at the Saugus facility.  “The interactive signs funded by the city of Santa Clarita will provide the community a multisensory experience,” according to Alma Alexandra Rodriguez, operations and development manager for the facility.  “Visitors will be able to watch the gibbons, listen to them singing and now touch the signage to create a lasting impact,” she wrote in an email Thursday, adding that tours are held Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m.  For the arts grants, the awards are divided into three categories, according to Lantis.  There are two more traditional categories through which organizations can apply, and there’s also a category for what he referred to as “capacity-building,” which is intended more as a structural support for organizations that bring the arts to the public, as opposed to a direct funding of the arts, he said.  The Community Arts grants are intended to support more traditional services, including mentorship programs and local events, he said, mentioning the recent World Music Festival at California Institute of the Arts as one example of the support.  He also mentioned Santa Clarita Presents, another funding source that helps nonprofits with stage costs to put on performances at the Performing Arts Center at College of the Canyons.  The capacity-building supports most recently went to Boxtop Opera, which introduces the arts to students, and the Santa Clarita Artists Association, according to Lantis.   The deadline for the application process is 5 p.m. Oct. 23, according to the city’s website.   The post City offering prep for grant applications   appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.