SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION response programs , including a $ 7.5 million grant opportunity opening in June for small businesses and nonprofits located in the unincorporated area , and a $ 4 million grant opportunity ( with a match from the City of Sacramento ) opening in July for arts and nonprofit cultural organizations countywide .
In addition to government grants , foundations have proven invaluable . The Consolidated Communications California Foundation , the philanthropic arm of network solutions company Consolidated Communications , provided more than $ 111,000 to 88 nonprofit organizations in 2021 . Funded by employee contributions and an annual gift from the company itself , the Foundation grants 100 percent of its funds directly to nonprofits .
“ The last two years have been especially tough on nonprofits in our region ,” said Marla Ellis , manager of accounting for Consolidated Communications and president of the Foundation board , in a statement . “ We ’ re proud of our employees for giving so generously during this challenging time when the need has been increasing and fundraising opportunities have been interrupted .”
Jennifer von Geldern is a freelance writer who covers regional businesses , charities , events and the people who enrich our communities .
Government Grants
CARES and ARPA help groups stay afloat
When the pandemic hit , funding became a nightmare for all kinds of nonprofits — particularly those that relied on revenue from in-person events , those that counted on donations from individual and corporate donors , and those that were asked to step up and help the community in new and often costly ways .
The federal government first released assistance funds through the Coronavirus Aid , Relief and Economic Security ( CARES ) Act in March 2020 . To further aid in recovery , the $ 350 billion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ( ARPA ) was signed into law the following March .
Local governing bodies were then tasked with figuring out how to disperse those funds . The City of Sacramento focused CARES Act funding on Small Business Recovery and Assistance , Youth and Workforce Training Programs , Arts , the Creative Economy and Tourism , Homelessness and Rapid Re-Housing , Social Services , and Citywide Operation Response .
When the City became eligible for $ 112.2 million through ARPA , they focused on funding Small Business and Commercial Corridor Revitalization , Homeless and Housing , Youth , Workforce Training and Gang Prevention , Arts and the Creative Economy , Valuing City Employees , and Addressing Organizational Needs .
In Sacramento County , the Board of Supervisors approved ARPA allocations in three areas : Housing and Homelessness , Health , and Economic Response . Funding included $ 7.5 million broken into direct grants of $ 5,000 to 1,500 small business and nonprofit organizations in unincorporated Sacramento County that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 .
The San Joaquin Board of Supervisors focused on funding a Small Business Grant Program and Family COVID-19 Assistance Grant Program . Since June 1 , 2020 , the County has completed three rounds of funding totaling over $ 20 million to 1,438 local small businesses .
The Yolo COVID-19 Relief Fund — a partnership between Yolo County , the cities of Woodland , Winters , West Sacramento and Davis , and the Yolo Community Foundation — wvhas granted more than $ 679,000 to 30 local nonprofits in two categories : Front-Line Response Grants for “ organizations addressing needs created or exacerbated by COVID-19 ,” and Nonprofit Sustainability Grants to “ support organizations whose funding was significantly disrupted by the crisis ,” according to its website .
Placer County has allocated 39 percent of its CARES funding — a larger percentage than any other county in the state — to supporting struggling businesses and nonprofits . To date , the County has allocated $ 16 million in grants administered in partnership with the Sierra Business Council through a program called Placer Shares .
― Jessica Laskey
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