SPOKANE, Wash. — The City of Spokane is prepared to divvy up more than $2.9 million in federal CARES Act funding to six local organizations.
According to a press release sent on Friday, the city recently accepted and reviewed applications from agencies and organizations to administer funding aimed at addressing COVID-19 impacts in Spokane. The Spokane City Council outlined several categories for distribution of funding in a recent resolution.
A review committee has since recommended six organizations to receive funds totaling $2,902,815. Those recommendations will be considered by the city council on Monday, Aug. 17, at its regular meeting, according to the press release.
The recommended organizations are:
- Catholic Charities – Rent Assistance
- Community Minded Enterprises – Childcare Support
- Family Promise of Spokane – Rent Assistance
- Geocko, Inc. dba LiveStories – Small Business Grant Program
- Spokane Arts Commission – Arts & Culture Sector Grants
- Spokane Workforce Council – Rent Assistance
“Getting the funding out into the community can be the most time consuming. I am thrilled our team was able to make this process as succinct as possible,” said Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward.
Washington state allocated $6.6 million to the City of Spokane for funding its COVID-19 response. In a survey, the city asked residents to prioritize CARES Act funding and received more than 3,000 responses.
The city estimates it will have between $3 and $6 million to allocate and has opened a second round of funding to include direct assistance to nonprofits. Interested agencies can find application information on the City’s CARES Act funding page.
Applications are due Aug. 23 to be considered in the second round.
“This application process has helped us better understand the needs and we will continue to assess those needs and respond with available funds,” said City Council President Breean Beggs.
A resolution approved by the city council in late June directs the city to seek reimbursement for relief funds that are not reimbursable by federal funding programs such as Federal Emergency Management Assistance.
The city will apply for reimbursement for the benefit of community members, nonprofit organizations and businesses as soon as possible.
