City of Staunton launches Nonprofit Sustainability Grants Program

The City of Staunton has announced the launch of the Nonprofit Sustainability Grants Program to distribute CARES Act funding to support nonprofit organizations in the city that have been affected by the ongoing public health emergency response.

This grant program will provide $300,000 to eligible nonprofit organizations to reimburse for actual expenses incurred as a result of service interruptions due to COVID-19.

“The City of Staunton recognizes and appreciates the immeasurable impact of local nonprofits on the quality of life in our community, and also understands the challenges presented to these organizations by the continuing impacts of our public health crisis.  We are eager to support our nonprofit sector, and the valuable services they provide, through the Nonprofit Sustainability Grants Program,” Mayor Andrea Oakes said.

The Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge is administering programs for both Staunton and Augusta County.

The application form will be available on November 3 at www.cfcbr.org/NSF, along with an FAQ to provide additional details. The deadline for submitting grant applications for the City program is Monday, Nov. 30, at 11:59 p.m.

Grantees will be notified by Dec. 9 with disbursements beginning as soon as practicable. All applications and required attachments must be submitted electronically.

Before applying, nonprofit organizations should be aware of the following key considerations:

• You cannot include expenses that have already been reimbursed by other federal funds.
• If you received a Paycheck Protection Program loan or similar funding, you can apply for this grant. However, you can only submit for reimbursement those expenses that were not used to qualify for forgiveness of that loan.
• Funds can only be used for expenses incurred between March 1 and Nov. 15.
• Revenue replacement is not a permissible use of funds. Replacement of lost revenue from a cancelled fundraising event is one example of an impermissible use of funds. However, actual expenses incurred in connection with a cancelled event are eligible (e.g., non-refundable deposits paid to vendors).
• You will be asked to provide receipts or other proof of expenses incurred for individual expenses greater than $750.

Any questions about the Nonprofit Sustainability Grants program should be directed to Cristina Casado of the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge at [email protected] and/or 540.213.2150.