First, Guilford County government offered financial help in the form of grants to local businesses hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic, and, this week, the county announced a similar program to help area nonprofits.

According to a press release from the county announcing the program, the objective is “to offer immediate financial assistance to nonprofit agencies in Guilford County to aid in maintaining their business, workforce, and residents.”

The county is offering specific information on when nonprofits can ask for the money. The online application, the only way to apply, will be available on Wednesday, June 10, at 3 p.m. That’s important because the county will award this money to qualifying nonprofits on a first-come, first-served basis.  

Representatives of nonprofit organizations can ask county officials their questions before the application process opens up.

Funding for the program is coming from a nearly $94-million federal grant that Guilford County received to help address the economic and social damage done by the restrictions put in place in an attempt to control the spread of COVID-19. The county has already allocated much of that money to the grant relief program for local businesses and the county has plans to use $2.5 million of the federal relief funds to support the nonprofit agencies. It will offer one-time grants of up to $50,000 to help offset the losses experienced by these groups due to the stay-at-home orders and other restrictions mandated by Gov. Roy Cooper in an attempt to control the spread of COVID-19.

The new program, officially known as the Guilford CARES Nonprofit Assistance Grant Program, is meant to provide targeted emergency financial support for nonprofit agencies in Guilford County that were adversely affected by the stay-at-home orders that were issued.

Information as to which nonprofits will qualify can be found on the front page of Guilford County’s website. Anyone who has additional questions can contact those administering the grant program at GuilfordCARESNonprofit@guilfordcountync.gov.