DuPage County approves Small Agency Grant awards

The DuPage County Human Services Committee recently approved $659,517 in grants to assist small DuPage County nonprofit organizations.

The Small Agency Grant Program provided grants up to $25,000 for 38 county agencies that provide programs and services in the areas of economic development (including job readiness and literacy), education and mentoring, housing and shelter, behavioral health services, substance use disorder treatment or food assistance.

“We are pleased to provide this crucial assistance to our county’s smaller nonprofits delivering important services to our residents most in need,”Human Services Committee Chairman Greg Schwarze said in a news release. “Board members felt strongly that as the county continues to recover from the pandemic, we needed to reach into the community and ensure that these smaller agencies, which don’t often qualify for larger grant programs, could apply for and receive assistance so they could build on and expand initiatives making a real impact.”

The agencies awarded had to be a 501(c)(3) organization in good standing, have annual revenue under $300,000 and complete an application detailing the specific activities and outcomes to be supported by county funds.

The DuPage County Board allocated more than $1 million to the program at its May 9 meeting. Funding for the program came from investment earnings from the American Rescue Plan Act. Funds were distributed equally among the six County Board districts, with each district receiving no more than $175,000.