FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lauren DeIorio, President & Executive Director
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City of Ocala and the Community Foundation Partner to Distribute American Rescue Plan Dollars
City Council Designates $600,000 for Nonprofits in Ocala Needing Financial Assistance
Ocala, FL (Nov. 9, 2021) – In a recent unanimous decision by the Ocala City Council, 10 percent of the first disbursement of American Rescue Plan Act funds that the City has received will help nonprofit businesses. Overall, the City of Ocala expects to receive more than $12 million in two installments. The Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County is assisting the City with the distributions of $600,000 in nonprofit grants.
President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) on March 11, 2021. The act provides specific funding allocations directly to state, local and municipal government agencies, with the City of Ocala expected to receive more than $12 million. A provision in ARPA states government agencies may use funds to “Address negative economic impacts caused by the (COVID-19) public health emergency, including economic harms to workers, households, small businesses, nonprofits, impacted industries, and the public sector.”
Earlier this year, the Community Foundation surveyed area nonprofits about their continued financial impacts from the pandemic including increases in service demand and lost revenue from special fundraising events and other reduced donations. Of the 50 nonprofits who responded to the survey, more than $9.5M had been reported as lost revenue since the previous year. The negative impact COVID-19 has made is likely much greater given this is just sampling of approximately 1,300 nonprofits located within Marion County.
The Community Foundation is no stranger to this process, as they worked with 70 nonprofits in Marion County, reviewing grant applications and documentation for the distribution of approximately $4.2 million federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) aid in 2020.
Nonprofits located in the City of Ocala will be eligible to apply for assistance through a grant application at https://communityfoundationforocalaandmarioncounty.submittable.com/submit. Applications will be accepted through November 30, 2021.
For more information about ARPA assistance, contact the Community Foundation at ocalafoundation.org.
The Community Foundation for Ocala Marion County is Building a Stronger Community…One Passion at a Time. Programs include the NonProfit Business Council, the Estate Planning Council, and the Nonprofit Resource Center in partnership with the City of Ocala, the Marion County Hospital District, Advent Health, and generous individual and corporate donors who wish to give something back to their local community.
