More than 20 nonprofits and small businesses in Decatur will receive COVID-19 relief grants after extra funding was approved.
The Decatur City Commission greenlit nearly $420,000 of additional funding to provide grants to organizations whose requests for relief weren’t rewarded because demand exceeded available funds.
“They were notified last fall when they didn’t get funding,” Hugh Saxon, deputy city manager, said during the Monday meeting. “So I’m sure they will be happy to learn about this.”
The city awarded $300,000 to 22 nonprofits and more than $1 million to small businesses across two grant phases. However, the city received more valid applications for relief than they could fund, leading to a blind lottery in each case.
Eight nonprofits and 13 businesses were left out. A list of those organizations was not provided.
On Monday, the city approved an additional $225,000 to fund the small business requests, and roughly $194,000 to meet the nonprofits’ needs. The nonprofit grants will be dispersed by March 31, while small businesses should receive their reward by the end of April.
The programs were all backed by the $2.9 million worth of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds that the city was allocated by DeKalb County.
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