Title
Accepting a $25,000 donation from Craig Leipold and Helen Johnson-Leipold to support CollegeBound Saint Paul and amending the 2025 budget for the Office of Financial Empowerment.
Body
WHEREAS, Craig Leipold and Helen Johnson-Leipold are valued donors and champions of CollegeBound Saint Paul, as well as committed supporters of the City of Saint Paul’s initiatives; and
WHEREAS, the Leipolds wish to donate $25,000 to CollegeBound Saint Paul (the “Donation”) to support the program’s mission of providing all children born in Saint Paul on or after January 1, 2020, with a College Savings Account to foster early financial empowerment and educational success; and
WHEREAS, Minn. Stat. §465.03 authorizes the City to accept gifts and donations of personal property for the benefit of its citizens in accordance with the terms prescribed by the donor; and
WHEREAS, Saint Paul Administrative Code Section (“SPAC”) §41.03 allows the City to accept any form of donation subject to the following provisions: (a) all donations of any type in any amount of value shall be received and processed in accordance with proper and accepted accounting practices, (b) all donations shall be received and accepted by city council actions according to SPAC §41.03 and according to reporting procedures established by administration and approved by the city council, and (c) all donations shall be made public and subject to periodic audit; and
WHEREAS, the City’s Office of Financial Empowerment administers CollegeBound Saint Paul, which will use the Donation to enhance its programming, including supporting outreach efforts such as Community Ambassadors, Money Action Day, community tabling events, and bonuses for accounts tied to family engagement; and
WHEREAS, the Donation will have a meaningful impact on the program’s ability to expand community outreach, increase participation, and deepen family engagement; and
WHEREAS, with the Donation, pursuant to Section 10.07.1 of the Charter of the City of Saint Paul, the Mayor certifies that there will be $25,000 more available for appropriation to the Office of Financial Empowerment in 2025 than originally estimated in the Office of Financial Empowerment’s 2025 budget; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council finds that the Donation of this gift serves a public purpose by directly supporting a program that invests in the educational and financial futures of Saint Paul citizens; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Saint Paul hereby:
1. Accepts the $25,000 donation from Craig Leipold and Helen Johnson-Leipold.
2. Amends the 2025 Office of Financial Empowerment budget as detailed in the attached Financial Analysis.
3. Thanks Craig Leipold and Helen Johnson-Leipold for their generous donation.
Financial Analysis
See Attachment.