Two organizations shared how Larimer County Immediate Needs Grants through the American Rescue Plan Act helped so many in our community weather the COVID pandemic in transformational ways.

Larimer County used Immediate Needs Grant Funding as a conduit to quickly get these urgently needed ARPA funds to organizations during COVID-19 to help fund transformational programs in our community. 

United Way of Larimer County and La Cocina both updated the Board of Larimer County Commissioners at their regular Administrative Matters meeting on the beneficial influence these grants had on their programs, especially for those in marginalized groups.

Larimer County United Way https://uwaylc.org/ received a $60,000 grant to help local nonprofit organizations in two ways: Grant Readiness Training, and Culture of Equity Training.

Grant Readiness Training enables small nonprofits in our community to refine their ability to apply and receive grant funding. An overview of the grant writing process, components of a grant, research, management of the funding, and program outcomes gave these organizations a long-lasting ability to secure funding to help our community now and in the future.

Several organizations participated in grant readiness --- BIPOC Alliance, Dance Express,  Queen’s Legacy Foundation, Servant’s Heart, The Latino Dream, The United Workforce, and the Yarrow Collective.

Some of the participants of the grant readiness group will also move to United Way of Larimer County’s Community Impact Center on Oak St. In Fort Collins this fall.  

The Culture of Equity Training goal is to strengthen equity in our community. Some of this training focused on establishing a culture of equity, social group membership and identity analysis, analysis of various stakeholder groups, diversity, inclusion, and justice that reinforces the dignity and value of all people.

La Cocina, https://www.lacocinahome.org/ the second organization, received an immediate needs grant of $100,000 to enhance the Latine community and to elevate and transform the lives and communities of those most impacted by inequity and trauma, especially in mental health areas.

The pandemic had a tremendous effect on the mental health of our community, and the funding provided psychotherapy, parenting groups, and neurodevelopmental evaluations geared toward clinical services.

Specifically, the Immediate Needs Grant funding supported their clinical team of bilingual and bicultural mental health providers.

La Cocina’s Spanish-speaking teams make it possible to support individuals whose primary language is Spanish and whose basic needs include healing their hearts and minds with support and resources.