Three organizations thanked the Board of Larimer County Commissioners at their regular Administrative Matters meeting on Tuesday for the Immediate Needs Grants they received to help them endure the effects of the COVID pandemic.

The grants were a lifeline to many nonprofits which enabled them to continue their operations and offer transformational programs to our community. Larimer County used Immediate Needs Grant Funding [ING] as a conduit to quickly get these urgently needed ARPA funds to organizations to help fund transformational programs in our community. 

BIPOC Alliance, https://www.bipocalliance.org/ the first group, brings Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in Larimer County to build relationships among many groups in our community.

BIPOC used its funding in a variety of ways to help very small businesses get a start and thrive to serve our community through their WIN Program. They also used some of the funding toward enhancing child care.

The WIN program funded grant opportunities in many areas, supporting economic opportunities and leaders in our community.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Larimer County https://www.begreatlarimer.org/ our second group, also highlighted the benefits of their grant, which included addressing the increased need for child care, field trips, and other activities they provide, and providing the many services they do for kids.

Over 2,000 students are served each year by the Boys and Girls Clubs in Larimer County. Out of a total of 17 clubs, there are 9 clubs in Loveland, 2 clubs in Fort Collins, and 1 club each in Wellington and Estes Park.

The funds also went to transportation, and summer programs serving a total of 850 kids in ten clubs.

In addition, a new childcare facility for youth 0 – 18  will be opening in Loveland, which will serve 350 kids per day when it is at capacity. The new facility, slated to open in early 2024, is a partnership between United Way of Larimer County, Teaching Tree, Early Childhood Council of Larimer County, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Larimer County.

Alianza-NORCO https://alianzanorco.org/ rounded out the third and final grant recipient. This organization focuses on immigrants to our nation and fosters an environment where they are valued, recognized, and have access to resources to empower our communities.

They worked with over 965 clients in 2021 and 2022 and provided direct financial assistance to over 400 immigrants. By far the biggest use of the ING was in the Bilingual Navigation Program, in the area of salary reimbursement.

The grant also helped Alianza grow and launch new programming targeted at reaching more people in Larimer County and contributing to the cultural enrichment of our community, too.