BOZEMAN — The Bozeman City Commission is scheduled to review just over $2 million dollars in grant awards for nonprofits in the Bozeman area on Tuesday, February 2nd.
One local nonprofit says they’re grateful for the opportunity and community support.
“It’s been challenging with fundraising, with community integration and just getting by in general. Obviously, we got the grant because we need the money, it’s been financially challenging,” said Dee Metrick, Executive Director with Reach Inc. in Bozeman.
Reach Inc. is an organization dedicated to providing residential, vocational, and transportation services to adults with developmental disabilities in the community.
Metrick says without a doubt, the pandemic has made it a rough year.
Emotionally for clients and staff, as well as financially.
“There was about a half-million-dollar deficit in our just over $4 million dollar budget, and that can be really scary when you’re trying to get by. And then with really no end date in sight. We know that this isn’t over yet,” said Metrick.
Last fall, the Bozeman City Commission approved a resolution to distribute CARES Act COVID-19 relief funds to support small businesses, nonprofits, and city operations.
Bozeman’s City Manager says distributing the grant awards, like the over $200,000 grant Reach received, is a strategic way of helping to get money back into the community.
“It’s kind of a double whammy with the nonprofits. They have increased needs and decreasing opportunities to get access funds through donation,” said Jeff Mihelich.
“So they were just thrilled to have this grant program come forward and fill in those gaps.”
Seventy-five percent of the grant funds were pushed towards housing, medical and basic needs, and behavioral health.
48 of the 53 applications from nonprofits were approved by the city staff.
Metrick says clients and staff are looking forward to the return to normalcy.
But in the meantime, the financial and community support means a lot.
“I want to say thank you for this opportunity, I know it’s not official yet, it will be official next week. But the city is helping and members of our community are helping. It’s been really inspiring.”
