The Grand Junction City Council voted at its Wednesday meeting to appropriate $1 million in grant funding to help local small businesses and nonprofits that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The $1 million, plus administration fees, will be split into three programs, Finance Director Jodi Welch said. Two programs will be similar to COVID-19 relief programs the City Council authorized in 2020. One will provide $500,000 in assistance to small businesses and be administered by the Business Incubator. The other will provide $250,000 for nonprofits that are focused on hunger relief and be administered by the Western Colorado Community Foundation (WCCF).
Much of the discussion was regarding the third program, which is a new proposal. It will likely go to support operations for nonprofits more generally. However, Council Member Anna Stout said the criteria for what nonprofits would be eligible and how the program will be administered is still under discussion. Stout has been me