Gainesville commission to finalize list of area nonprofits sharing $7M in ARPA funds

Press release from City of Gainesville

A list of 37 area nonprofit organizations expected to share $7 million in American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds will be finalized by the Gainesville City Commission at its April 21 meeting.

In January, the commission selected the Community Foundation of North Central Florida
(Foundation), a local nonprofit that promotes and sustains philanthropy, to administer the
funds that will benefit the Gainesville community.

“We’ve seen over the past two years the importance of our nonprofit partners in serving
our communities – and we know the devastating financial impacts of COVID-19 still
continue for our neighbors and nonprofit organizations,” said Mayor Lauren Poe. “We
hope to reach even more nonprofit organizations providing critical services throughout the
Gainesville area with this program.”

This latest round of relief funding supplements prior COVID-19 grant opportunities through
the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act administered by external
agencies. The Foundation opened the competitive grant application period from Feb. 23
through March 17 and received 46 applications requesting $19,040,697. Award
recommendation amounts could range from $5,000 to $750,000.

Since then, an evaluation team comprised of City staff and members of the Foundation’s
Board of Directors, convened a properly noticed sunshine meeting March 28 to review the
applications and narrow down the list to qualified applicants in advance of the upcoming
commission meeting.

Applications were reviewed using the City’s equity-based approach and were analyzed to
confirm the negative impact of the pandemic.

“This innovative approach to distributing grant funding will support getting needed funds to
organizations that may not have been awarded previously,” said Barzella Papa, president
and CEO of the Foundation. “We know fantastic nonprofit organizations providing critical
services are located throughout our city – and come in all sizes.”

Eligibility criteria for the applicants was based on U.S. Department of Treasury Guidance
and developed in conjunction with the City’s general ARPA consultant Government
Services Group, LLC, an Anser Advisory Company.

Applicants must have incurred a necessary expenditure due to the pandemic or been
directly impacted by a loss or reduction of income as a result of the COVID-19 public
health emergency.

Additional general eligibility requirements for applicants include being a public, tax-exempt
organization incorporated prior to Jan. 1, 2020; located in Alachua County; and a verified
organization in the Foundation’s Philanthropy Hub.

In addition, the amount of requested funding was considered alongside each applicant’s
financial position; the impact to the Gainesville community; a financial review including
eligibility of proposed program with the ARPA Final Rule and long-term sustainability; and
a review of the nonprofit organization’s diversity and inclusion efforts.

The April 21 city commission meeting begins at 10 a.m. in the Gainesville City Hall
Auditorium.