KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — Two Knox County Commissioners proposed changes to the requirements nonprofits have to meet before they can be awarded a grant by the County. 

Commissioners Andy Fox and Angela Russell proposed 12 requirements any nonprofit, charitable or civic organization must comply with before receiving a grant from the county. 

The requirements essentially give the county a full scope of the organization’s workings, from its finances to requiring a sworn statement saying the funds from the grant won’t go to anyone in the United States illegally. 

The proposal lists the following items that must be attached to any application for a grant:

1. Itemized financial statements of the organization, including a copy of the organization’s prior year’s external audit showing a clean, unqualified opinion.
2. Detailed accounting of expenditures paid by the organization from the funds it received from Knox County during the previous fiscal year, if applicable. 
3. General itemized financial budget of the organization, including a detailed accounting of expenditures budgeted to be paid by the organization from the funds it anticipates receiving from Knox County.
4. A copy of its corporate charter, bylaws and similar corporate documents.
5. A signed agreement allowing Knox County’s internal audit department to be granted access to all records for financial, operational, and compliance auditing that the internal audit department deems necessary.
6. Disclosure of any potential staff or board member conflicts of interest
7. A copy of a letter from the Internal Revenue Service proving they are a tax-exempt organization.
8. A statement of the nature and extent of the program of the organization that serves the residents of the county, and how the county funds will be used.
9. A summary and source of funding for administration costs and all other programs or initiatives sponsored or undertaken by the organization, but funded through other sources, “so that the citizens of Knox County may be fully apprised of the financial status of each nonprofit organization.”
10. A sworn statement from the executive director affirming:
    1. No funds are being used to benefit any person or persons residing in, staying in, or visiting Knox County, “while in violation of the United States immigration laws” and …
    2. Practices are in place to make sure no organization funds are used for the benefit of a person in the U.S. illegally. 
11. Salary information for the organization’s chief officer and next highest paid employee.
12. Other information as may be required by the county commission.

The ordinance is up for a first reading at the commission’s Oct. 27 meeting.