‘Once in a lifetime’ funding coming

Gov’t. invites biz owners, non-profits to apply

From staff reports

Local business owners and community-based non-profit leaders are invited to attend an online meeting designed to raise awareness of the American Rescue Plan Act and other economic recovery funding opportunities, and better understand what they need to do to be eligible for these opportunities.

Dubbed the Readiness Summit, the event is set for 9 a.m. Friday Feb. 4.

It is hosted jointly by city, county and state government. This summit will walk community stakeholders and small business owners through the process of how the City of Chicago, Cook County and the State of Illinois are working collaboratively to streamline the public’s access to the historic opportunities, in order to expand the impact of the once-in-a-lifetime federal investments.

Following opening remarks, there will be three plenary sessions designed to be helpful to any organization, regardless of their area of focus. Each session will include a 15-minute period for questions and answers.

• The first session will be an overview of city, county and state funding opportunities, including a general timeline of their availability.
• The second session will focus on eligibility requirements, including specific administrative guidelines and rules pertaining to the city, county and state.
• The third session will cover compliance, reimbursements and auditing – with special emphasis on some of the specific rules related to federal funding.

Following the plenary sessions, there will be a lunch panel to help organizations and businesses better understand how to formalize their structures. After the lunch session, there will be breakout sessions tailored to non-profit organizations and small businesses and focused on specific funding areas including violence prevention, youth program, public health, community development and infrastructure.

Registration is required at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/joint-readiness-summit-tickets-253291671207.

The event will also be recorded and posted on city, county and state government websites.

“My administration is committed to doing everything we can to prevent violence before it happens – which is why we have prioritized investing $250 million in on-the-ground organizations with proven records,” Governor JB Pritzker said. “As we continue to support the efforts of local leaders across the state, I invite any organization interested in preventing violence to attend this informational summit and learn how to apply and manage the funding. We want to see these vital efforts up and running as soon as possible.”

“We are engaged in an unprecedented collaborative process as we plan to distribute this transformative and historic level of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said. “This collaboration, and our upcoming Readiness Summit, will ensure funding is granted in a strategic and equitable manner- where it can have the biggest impact in building safe and thriving communities for all.”

“Community organizations, nonprofits, and small businesses are what make our city thrive and they deserve every access to these once-in-a-generation funding opportunities,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. “This summit is our first step in ensuring that community stakeholders, especially those who have never received government grants, understand the requirements and can maximize the use of these funds. I’m grateful for the Biden Administration’s leadership in distributing this funding, as well as our partnership with the State and County to build the capacity of vital community groups.”