Nevada will distribute $30M in pandemic aid to non-profits

CARSON CITY – Nevada is making $30 million in federal pandemic assistance available to non-profits throughout the state to expedite aid to communities and populations in need via organizations that already serve them.

Non-profits can apply for the so-called Community Recovery Grants through Jan. 3 via a new website, NevadaRecovers.com. The initiative was outlined to the Legislature’s Interim Finance Committee Thursday. Individual grant awards will come back to the committee in February for approval.

State officials “heard loud and clear” about community needs during a recently-concluded statewide listening tour undertaken to identify uses for the $6.7 billion windfall of federal pandemic aid Nevada received under the American Rescue Plan, Gov. Steve Sisolak said Thursday in a statement touting the program.

“This grant will allow us to use the existing expertise and networks of some of the incredible non-profits in the State to meet the needs of Nevadans,” he said.

Documents submitted to IFC Thursday said the grants “will seek to provide services and programs to rural, Tribal, and underserved urban communities by providing community partners with project funds to enhance needed services due to the pandemic.”

Applications from non-profits will be evaluated based on greatest need, with priority given to those that help Nevada’s most vulnerable communities recover from pandemic hardships. Priority subject areas include schools, health, jobs, child care and housing.

A panel will evaluate and score applications taking into account their urgency, purpose and effectiveness, number of people served, where and how services will be provided, and whether the grant complies with federal guidelines for distributing pandemic aid.

The program “will quickly get funding into the hands of non-profits who serve critical roles on the ground in Nevada’s communities, delivering services that our residents rely on,” committee chair Sen. Chris Brooks, D-Las Vegas, said in a statement.

Contact Capital Bureau reporter Bill Dentzer at bdentzer@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DentzerNews on Twitter.