City of Lubbock offering COVID relief grants to nonprofits, small businesses

A City of Lubbock program offering COVID relief grants to local nonprofits opened applications Monday, and a similar program for small businesses opens next week.

The city allocated $1 million of its American Rescue Plan Act funding for the nonprofit grant program and $2.5 million ARPA dollars for the small business grant program during a regular meeting on April 26. The programs aim to provide relief to organizations and businesses negatively affected financially by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The application window for the nonprofit grant program opened Monday and runs through Thursday, June 30. The program is administered by the Community Foundation of West Texas on behalf of the city, and eligible organizations can apply through the foundation's website at www.cfwtx.org/arpa-grant.

To qualify for a $5,000 to $20,000 grant, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization must be located within the Lubbock city limits or offer services in the city; churches and accredited schools are included in the program. The organization must not have received funding through the Paycheck Protection Program.

Grant funding can be used for operating costs, lost revenue and reimbursement for personal protective equipment. The funds may not be used for debt relief. Grant amounts are based on the organization's annual gross revenue.

The Community Foundation of West Texas will receive up to $40,000 for administering the program.

The small business grant program has similar requirements; to receive funds, a business must be located in the Lubbock city limits, must be able to prove the business was adversely impacted by the pandemic, must have been operational for at least one year and must not have received funding through the Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program or the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance's microgrant program.

Grant amounts between $5,000 and $20,000 will be determined by the business's annual gross revenue.

The small business grant program is being administered by the South Plains Association of Governments, which is receiving $50,000 to administer the program.

Applications in the small business grant program opens Monday, May 23. The city is also planning to accept applications in a separate program for arts and culture organizations later in the summer.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: City of Lubbock offering COVID relief grants to nonprofits, small businesses