The Perry Chamber Foundation was one of four recipients of grants from the Iowa Rural Development Council for a pilot Rural Business Initiative. The effort is intended to provide support to rural small businesses and is funded through the Wells Fargo Foundation. The $30,000 local grant fund has been doubled, thanks to matching support from the City of Perry and Perry Economic Development.
The Perry Chamber of Commerce Foundation reminds Perry businesses that applications for the Perry Business Support Grant will be accepted until Tuesday, December 31.
“It is a busy time of year to be working on an additional project, such as writing a grant application,” said Lynsi Pasutti, executive director of the Perry Chamber of Commerce, “but the committee felt it was of utmost importance to “We should have an earlier deadline, so that companies could receive financial support much earlier.”
With financial support and educational resources from the Wells Fargo Foundation and the Iowa Rural Development Council, the Perry Chamber of Commerce Foundation – along with local partners including the Perry Chamber of Commerce and Perry Economic Development – will facilitate a grant program to help Perry businesses in need of working capital support, and provides valuable connections to skills-building resources and networking with the Small Business Development Center and The Iowa Center.
“Thanks to the Wells Fargo Foundation, this is an excellent opportunity for targeted support for small businesses in small towns,” said Mark Reinig, Chairman of the IRDC Board of Directors. “These four pilot sites – Perry, Minden, West Branch and Pathfinders RC&D Region – have creative concepts to meet existing needs and ultimately impact the viability of local businesses and economies.”
Grant applications will be accepted at the Perry Chamber of Commerce until 5:00 PM on Tuesday, December 31 and will be reviewed by the Perry Business Support Task Force. Grant applications must be for $2,500 – $7,500, with a minimum of 10% matching funds. Applicants are also required to demonstrate participation in at least one educational opportunity, including but not limited to a consultation with the Small Business Development Center or The Iowa Center, enrollment in a class or workshop, or similar efforts. Eligible expenses include working capital for products, equipment, services, marketing, physical improvements, educational courses, network memberships or new personnel. Applicants will be informed of the awarded subsidies no later than Tuesday, January 28.
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“This grant program comes at an opportune time for Perry,” said city manager Sven Peterson. “It has been a difficult year for our community and Perry businesses have been affected, in addition to challenges since the pandemic with staffing, supply chains, rising costs and declining sales.”
The total funding currently available for the local grant program is $68,500, thanks to the $15,000 pledged from both the City of Perry and Perry Economic Development, and the remaining funds from the 2021 Business Modernization & Protection Grant. Applications are expected to exceed available funding, but fundraising efforts will continue, allowing for additional grant capacity, if available.
“This grant provides an opportunity for our community to build momentum toward promoting economic growth,” said Jeff Huitt, president of Perry Economic Development. “Perry is a small community with a strong history of resilience and innovation, and this initiative will enable entrepreneurs and small businesses in Perry to expand their operations, create jobs and contribute to the overall economic vitality of our community. ”
In addition to seeking other grant sources, the Perry Chamber Foundation is accepting donations to the Perry Business Support Fund – large and small – which can be directed to the Perry Chamber Foundation, online at GiveButter.com/Perry-Chamber-Foundation, or by mail. mail Memo: Grant Donation to PO Box 472, Perry, IA 50220 until the end of January.
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“Ultimately, the overall scope and capacity of the grant program will be determined by the overall fundraising efforts, but the overall success of the program will be determined by the individual companies,” Pasutti added. financial support to a dozen companies, but with additional educational support and development resources we hope that the total investment will last a long time.”
Additional information and the Perry Business Support Grant application form are available at forms.gle/1TDbQZefxMCcWTtE6 or by contacting the Perry Chamber of Commerce at (515)465-4601 orLynsi@PerryIAChamber.org.
This article originally appeared in the Des Moines Register: Matching support doubles the Perry Business Support Grant program
