Grand Rapids Council Gives Non-Profits Opportunity for Grants

The Grand Rapids Village Council met for their second meeting of 2024 inside Town Hall on Monday, January 22. The meeting started at 7 P.M. and lasted approximately one hour, with all council members and Mayor John Berry in attendance.

Though routine business was conducted, a major step in assisting local non-profits and funding repairs at Town Hall was voted on.

Council Member Louise Estep, who also serves at the chair of the finance committee, presented a plan to use the remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that were received from the federal government.

The proposal includes using $67,500 of the ARPA money as grants for non-profits located within village limits. Each non-profit can apply for a maximum of $7,500 (per organization).

According to a letter sent out to local non-profits, organizations who wish to receive a grant must meet the following criteria:

• Grants are to be made to 501(c)(3) organizations located in the 43522-zip code-area who serve Grand Rapids residents. If the organization is not a 501(c)(3), a sponsoring organization must be used; they must have a 501(c)(3) designation.
• ARPA Rescue funds are for those non-profit organizations whose clientele substantially include individuals who are Grand Rapids residents and have been most negatively impacted by COVID (e.g. lower income, those with food insecurity, unemployed).
• Grants are to be made to eligible organizations as listed above who were in operation in the time period from the official start of the COVID pandemic lock-down (March 15, 2020) through the end of calendar year 2021.
• Maximum grant is $7,500 (not guaranteed)
• A completed application and supporting documents must be submitted together in order to be considered for funding.
• Grant applications must include the following supporting documents:
  • Board Member and Officer List
  • Proof of organization (or sponsoring organization) 501(c)(3) status
  • Financial Statements for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023
  • Budgets for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023
  • Summary of persons served during the Pandemic dates listed above
  • Narrative of programs and funding that were impacted by the Pandemic
  • Narrative of long-term plans for viability post-pandemic
  • The time period for spending awarded funds will be a rolling 12-month period from the date of the award but no later than December 31, 2025. Deadline to apply is March 29, 2024.

Those with questions regarding the grants can contact Council Member Estep at esteplouise83@gmail.com.

Additional funds from ARPA will be used to help fund maintenance projects at town hall.

• $3,000 – New door mechanism
• $7,000 – New header
• $4,500 – Painting Town Hall
• $5,800 – New furnace for Town Hall

Other business conducted during Monday’s meeting included:

• Council voting to donate unused laptops, received during the pandemic, to Otsego Schools. Motion passed.
• Approval of bills from January 5, 2024 through January 18, 2024 in the amount of $19,852.43. Motion passed.

Meetings are held on the second and fourth Monday of the month at 7 p.m. inside the council chambers at Grand Rapids Town Hall.

*Our thanks to The Heart of Grand Rapids for video recording this meeting.