$230,000 grants dispersed to small nonprofits for 'Uplift Ingham County' pandemic relief
Fourteen nonprofits in Ingham County received a chunk of federal COVID-19 relief funds to bounce back from pandemic-related financial setbacks.
Ingham County Board of Commissioners contracted Capital Area Community Services in June to provide $5 million in assistance to county residents. The agency proposed $3.6 million for direct client assistance, $300,000 in financial literacy and foreclosure assistance, $300,000 in mental health and medical assistance, $300,000 for nonprofits and community groups and $500,000 in administrative costs.
Commissioners set eligibly parameters for nonprofits to meet in the Uplift Ingham grant program, which include having fewer than 26 employees, proof of financial hardship from the pandemic, being located in the county and not having received more than $10,001 in grants from a single program.
CACS held off announcing recipients until Jan.14, after Lansing Economic Area Partnership announced its Sunrise Grant recipients. Four of the Uplift Ingham recipients received LEAP's Sunrise Grants. The county allocated $11 million to LEAP for the Sunrise program.
Sarah Clinkscales, the communications coordinator at CACS, said Executive Director Miguel Rodriguez wanted to support the community, but the funds were not always there. The nonprofit last sub-granted funds at the height of the Great Recession in 2008.
"There are a lot of services out there that I was unaware of, and I was born and raised in Lansing," said Brandi Thomas. "I had no idea all of the different services that are offered, so this has been really good because now we have additional resources and partners to kind of work with going forward."
Thomas, a family support assistant at CACS, sorted through applicants' proposals to determine eligibility. All nonprofits, she added, are required to abide by their proposals and any changes are subject to approval by CACS. Most of the applicants needed funding for administrative costs.
"Usually when there's funds allocated, there's stipulations and very often, they don't want you to use them for overhead. For a small organization such as ourselves, that is crucial," said Erica Lynn of The Village Lansing, which received a $10,000 grant.
Awards ranged from $10,000 to $20,000. Originally, the grant was intended for 10 nonprofits, but four more applied and CACS didn't want to turn them away, Clinkscales said. A full list of the Uplift Ingham grant recipients are on CACS's website, CASCMI.org.
Lynn said the grant helps pay for leasing, utilities, insurance and other overhead costs to keep the nonprofit running. The organization runs solely off fundraisers, which directly fund its programs. Last year, through Lynn's various applications, The Village Lansing received more grant funding and direct business mentorship from LEAP's Sunrise program and the One and All entrepreneurial boot camp.
No two organizations had the same mission, which Lynn said amplified the complex and different needs residents have. Calling to her nonprofit's name, she said it "takes a village" not only to raise a child, but to help others in need.
The Village Lansing's COVID-19 impact came via a rise in homicides as Lynn said they deploy different programs to not only keep kids busy outside of school, but to coordinate support services for families affected.
Shannon Norris runs the Fledge Foundation, a nonprofit offering harm-reduction services those battling substance abuse and essentials to Lansing residents, and said the biggest concern during the pandemic was keeping those programs running. She applied for assistance in funding staffing costs and expanded administrative capabilities.
The pandemic forced the organization to increase staff capacity, food supplies and other basic needs. They held a wellness fair last October to connect people with mental health services, the food pantry and other social services.
"Nonprofits are totally dependent upon the community and charitable giving," Norris said. "By supporting these, they are supporting the organizations that are doing work that other people can't do."
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Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at (517) 267-1344 or knurse@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @KrystalRNurse.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Grants dispersed to small nonprofits for pandemic relief
