Decatur’s commission approved awarding $300,000 in grants to 15 non-profit businesses within city limits, paying out anywhere from $2,830 to $25,000 each. The money is culled from the $2.91 million that’s Decatur’s portion of the federal government’s CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act, with $1.2 million going towards an emergency grant program for small businesses and nonprofits.
A total 31 applications were submitted with 22 meeting the minimum requirements. Since the money applied for was nearly $200,000 over what was available, the final 15 non-profits were selected by a blind lottery. To qualify each non-profit needed one to 30 full-time equivalent employees.
According to Deputy City Manager Hugh Saxon, who oversees the program, the funds will get disbursed Dec. 18 and recipients must spend their money by March 31, 2021.
Another $400,000 in CARES funds will go towards a new round of grants for small businesses with one to 50 full-time staffers, also with a $25,000 cap per company. Recipients should get notified next week. Again, if the small business grant program is oversubscribed—that is, if application requests total more than $400,000—a blind lottery will determine the recipients.
In May, 28 small businesses initially received loans from the city’s Downtown Development Authority. But with release of the CARES funds in October, the city commission approved $500,000 going to those 28, thus transforming their loans into grants for expenses incurred due to the effects of COVID-19.
The 15 non-profits receiving grants:
Phoenix School - Revenue supplement to help recover from loss of 2020 summer program, $25,000
Decatur Makers - Payroll and stipend support, $25,000
L’ Arche Atlanta - Payroll and technology support; training services for clients, $25,000
Global Growers Network - Payroll support, supplies, $25,000
First Christian Church of Decatur - Payroll and program support, $25,000
Decatur Book Festival - Reimbursement for payroll, business expenses, $20,904
DeKalb Rape Crisis Center - Payroll support, technology, $16,000
DeKalb History Center - Payroll support, $25,000
Global Village Project - Payroll and educational program support, $25,000
Academe of the Oaks - Technology for online learning, PPE, $23,266
Beacon of Hope Women’s Center - Medical and health education supplies, PPE, $6,000
Threshold Community Program - Technology to provide for online learning, financial aid, fundraising, $25,000
Oakhurst Recovery Program - Counseling fees, supplies, training, $25,000
Citizen Advocacy of Atlanta & DeKalb - Payroll support, office supplies, training, $6,000
All Walks of Life - Technology and program support, $2,830
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