BALTIMORE — Baltimore City's Board of Estimates on Wednesday terminated a $500,000 agreement with the Pride Center of Maryland (PCOM).
The agreement aimed to raise violence prevention awareness, specifically among the City's sexual and gender minority populations.
It was federally funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which helped state and local governments recover from COVID-19.
The initiative was slated to be in effect through last month, but only about half the funds have been distributed so far.
With the agreement now terminated, the City says it's able to keep the remaining $250,000. They also say they have the right to review previous funding, and claw that back if necessary.
In its explanation, the City cited the two reasons below for recommending termination.
1. PCOM has failed to provide sufficient documentation to demonstrate that the cumulative number of participants who showed an increased knowledge of intimate partner violence (“IPV”) was near or equal to the number of participants reported to the Recovery Office.
2. PCOM has failed to provide a response and documentation in a timely manner that demonstrates it has not duplicated ARPA SLFRF benefits provided by the Recovery Office with the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety & Engagement (“MONSE”) or the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services (“MOHS”).
In a statement, the Pride Center acknowledged "some of [their] reporting needed improvement due to rapid growth, [they] have worked earnestly on corrective action."
The organization says they hired "a dedicated Data Manager who is committed to rectifying any data-related issues and resolving any outstanding items."
"This demonstrates our unwavering commitment to quality work in the community while also fulfilling the reporting requirements of our funders," the organization added. "We realize that simply doing great work for the community isn't enough - that we also have to be equally great in reporting that work back to our funders in responsible and transparent ways. Our commitment to transparency is unwavering, and we are dedicated to ensuring our reporting practices are clear and accurate."
