Nevada City, CA April 9, 2020 – Faced with hardships that have left no one untouched, Supervisors Heidi Hall and Dan Miller are co-sponsoring a recommendation to allocate $100,000 to the newly formed “Nevada County Relief Fund” to support emergency response efforts across the county.
With this catalytic funding, the County hopes to inspire countywide fundraising in partnership with the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation, Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, and the Sierra Business Council. By partnering with three established organizations, newly raised funds will be streamlined, flexible, and address business and community needs.
“It is our hope that the County’s investment will inspire widespread community giving now when so many of our residents and business owners are really struggling,” said County Executive Officer Alison Lehman.
Targeted recipients will include those front-line nonprofit organizations providing direct “safety net” services to the elderly, people with disabilities, and families with access to food, shelter, childcare, and other critically-needed support.
Small business owners (such as restaurants, retailers, arts and entertainment venues ordered to shut down) will also be able to apply for resilience micro-grants managed by the Sierra Business Council, which are intended to help them cover some of their expenses until they can reopen.
“Our goal is to help small business survive, especially those who might not be able to access other state and federal programs,” said Kristin York, Vice President of the Sierra Business Council.
The Nevada County Relief Fund team will next establish a community-based advisory council to collaborate on engaging partners, articulating community needs, and leading fundraising efforts.