Mission
The Bella Vista Town Watch (BVTW) Finance Committee’s job is to keep BVTW financially viable to advance the organization’s mission of crime prevention and improved quality of life for Bella Vista residents. The Finance Committee’s goal is to help support—directly and indirectly—the many valuable assets that exist within our community, in particular the police, but also the Palumbo Recreation Center, the Charles Santore Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia and the various neighborhood parks. In manner, the finance committee’s overall mission is to strengthen the necessary support system that makes Bella Vista a great place to live.

Effective and Efficient
One hundred percent (100%) of BVTW funds go directly to all our operational and capital projects. No BVTW member receives compensation. Furthermore, BVTW is tax-exempt so we do not pay sales tax, resulting in seven percent (7%) more funding going directly to the bottom-line. Also, our organization draws on the talent and interests of the membership, resulting in additional savings.

Funds
BVTW has two types of funds: Operational and Capital. BVTW’s annual operating income is generated through business sponsorships of our print newsletter “The News of Bella Vista”, community support of the “Bella Vista Night at the Phillies” fundraisers, Town Watch Integrated Services (TWIS) grants from the City of Philadelphia, and neighbors donations. A breakdown of BVTW operating income and expenses are explained in the graphs and notes below. The BVTW Treasurer tracks, manages and reports our operational income and expenses using QuickBooks.

BVTW Income and Expense Graphs

Capital funding from grants is accounted for separately from BVTW operational expenses so that all the approved funds are directed to the approved project.

Grants
With the support of local government officials and agencies, BVTW for years has helped secure and administer grant funding, such as Community Development Block Grants, to support capital improvement projects in Bella Vista. For example, these grants have purchased new bikes for the 3rd Police District and paid for improvements to the Palumbo Recreation Center. The chart below outlines recent grant awards. BVTW has a proven track record of success because we follow the grant mandates and understand the entire process from application, through implementation and close-out. As a result, BVTW is always in a position to receive future funding.

Completed Grant Projects

Year	Project	Amount	Funding Source
2008	Police Bikes & Equipment	$5000	GPUAC Grant/Rep. Josephs
2008	Palumbo Park landscaping	500	Film industry donation
2007	Police laptop computers	5000	PA DCED grant/Rep. Josephs
2006	Palumbo baseball fencing & team benches	25,000	Urban Development Program/Sen. Fumo
	Historical Markers	5000
	Palumbo Rec Center Trees	5000	Conely Grant
	Power Washer	1000
	Walkie Talkies	500	District Attorney's Office