Wayne County Pulls Commitment Of $32M For New Small Business Fund

credit:

Michigan's Wayne County was supposed to pump $32 million into a fund that would help small businesses in areas affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead, it has pulled the plug, the Detroit Free Press reports.

"I mean, this is a $32 million infusion to underserved small businesses throughout the county," saysafa Dinaro, executive director of the New Economy Initiative, a philanthropic group that partnered with the county to create the Wayne County Small Business Hub.

"I really want to see the county continue to be committed to small businesses, especially in those BIPOC communities and those underserved communities."

Wayne County says it pulled the plug on the fund because of a leadership change and other factors.

The county had promised to use funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to help small businesses affected by the H1N1 virus, and Dinaro says she's "incredibly disappointed."

The $22 million fund, which was announced in June, was supposed to help small businesses in Inkster, River Rouge, Ecorse, and Romulus.

It still has support from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Ford Foundation, Hudson-Webber Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, the Kresge Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., and William Davidson Foundation.

Read the Entire Article

How's Your Community Doing?
Check Out it's
Community Vital Signs

Explore the
Social Progress Index
for the
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan

West Hartford Will Use State Grant to Improve Sidewalks Across Town

Pedestrians in West Hartford, Conn., will soon be able to cross more easily thanks to a $697,000 state grant. The Hartford Courant reports that the money from the Department of Transportation's...more

Social Enterprise and Training Center in Albany Celebrates State Grant

"I tried to get half and half the other day. I had to walk four city blocks, just to get a quart of half and half so I could have coffee. So to even get food around here is difficult," David...more

Spokane Businesses Owned by People of Color Awarded New State Grant Funds

People of color make up about 20% of Spokane County, Wash., but they own about 8% of the county's businesses, reports the Spokesman-Review. That's why the Spokane Workforce Council is...more

Video Production Company Signal Sing Praises of Aberdeen School Kids

More than 3,000 kids in Aberdeen, Scotland, sang "Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen" in front of thousands of family and friends over the weekend as part of the city's annual "Big Sing" event, the BBC...more

Academic Awards Presented at Cape Hatteras Secondary

North Carolina's Cape Hatteras Secondary School has named its top students for the 2023-24 school term. Here are the top 10, per the Daily News: Zion Aiken: Math Iadette Harris: English IZander...more

Fitchburg State Offering New Creative Degrees

Massachusetts' Fitchburg State University is adding two new majors this fallone in creative arts therapies and one in creative arts enterprisemaking it the first public institution in the state to...more

Nbta Survey to Shed Light on Parties' Stance on Education Ahead of Election

The New Brunswick Teachers Association is asking teachers and voters in the Canadian province to take a survey ahead of the next provincial election in September, the CBC reports. "We've seen a...more

Pratt Institute President Frances Bronet Elected Aicad Board Chair

Frances Bronet, president of New York's Pratt Institute, has been named chair of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design, a group "dedicated to strengthening creative institutions,...more

Press Release: Ok Arts Council Grants and Programs Offered for Fiscal Year 2025

The Oklahoma Arts Council has released its annual list of grant requests, and it's a doozy. This year's list includes a call for artists to "bring the arts to other statewide organizations," as...more

Assistant Coach/Director of Men'S Basketball Operations Creative Content

Northern Illinois University is looking for a full-time assistant coach for its men's basketball team, the Chicago Tribune reports. The ideal candidate will have at least three years' experience...more