By Robert Haugh
On Tuesday night, City Manager Deanna Santana gave a verbal update about the City’s Small Business Assistance Grant Program. It’s a great effort to help small businesses and nonprofits located in Santa Clara that have been financially impacted by COVID-19.
The City has awarded 101 grants for a total of $730,000. Here’s the current list of businesses and organizations that have received grants.
Santana said that City staff is currently reviewing applications and should spend another $70,000 in grant funds by next week. The council allocated $800,000 based on a recommendation by Mayor Lisa Gillmor.
Santana also surprised us with another announcement. She said that the NOT the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce had only raised $1,500 to help small businesses.
Say what?
The Chamber came to the Council’s April 8 meeting and said they wanted to be partners with the City on the program. Two weeks ago, Council members publicly asked why the Chamber wasn’t raising much money.
Since then, the Chamber recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to help raise additional money for the City’s grant program.
They’ve only received three contributions of $500 each. That’s not much, but we applaud the people who gave. Let’s hope the Chamber steps up its game and helps the many Mission City businesses who desperately need it now.
a huge kudos to the city of Santa Clara for helping out 101 small businesses, thats great help to our community and money well spent.
Major praise to Harbir Bhatia showing leadership with the Santa Clara Community Coalition and throwing in a big chunk to help the cause. Same for Ravinder Lal of The UPS Store and Nick Kaspar of the Chamber. Your efforts will not go unnoticed.
#CityofSantaClara #StaySantaClaraStrong #WeLoveSantaClara #SmallBusiness #SavingSantaClara #MissionCity #HarbirBhatia #SantaClaraCommunityCoalition