BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Bethlehem’s Department of Community and Economic Development is gearing up to take applications for its second year of distributing Community Recovery Fund money, as part of a broader effort around post-pandemic aid.
That comes with an emphasis on “accessibility, equity and opportunity,” city Grant Administrator Maison Allen said Tuesday at a virtual information session with more than 25 people in attendance.
“The goal of the grant program is not only to further pandemic recovery in the short term but also help our community rebuild over the long term by providing systemic and sustainable solutions to the most pressing problems that our community is facing,” Allen said.
“So we’re trying to really improve and expand the ways in which we take care of each other through these local and public social services.”
“The goal of the grant program is not only to further pandemic recovery in the short term, but also help our community rebuild over the long term by providing systemic and sustainable solutions to the most pressing problems that our community is facing."Bethlehem Grant Administrator Maison Allen
The CRF application period will open March 1 and close April 30. Details are available on the city website.
In October, $760,000 was divided among 27 community organizations and their various projects.
During the application period, 56 organizations made their case for more than $2 million in total funding.
The future in mind
Allen said Bethlehem City Council in 2022 approved $3 million for CRF line items in the 2023 budget, with the money coming from the city's American Rescue Plan allocations.
Officials had the future in mind with that move, she said.
“Our vision from the beginning with this grant opportunity was to make this grant funding available over multiple years, and to allow many different organizations doing work in Bethlehem to seek out support for their programs,” Allen said.
Organizations with a 501(c)(3), 501(c)(6) or 501(c)(19) status and others are allowed to apply for anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 in funding.City of Bethlehem's Community Recovery Fund
“We Build Bethlehem,” an outreach and community engagement survey, helped officials and residents prioritize areas of need around the city to fit into the overall pandemic recovery plan.
The CRF funding is planned to support one or more of the following categories:
- Arts and Culture
- Child Care Support
- Climate Justice
- Community Center
- Economic Development
- Education and Literacy Programs
- Food Assistance
- High-Speed Internet
- Job Training
- Mental Health and Counseling Services
- Parks and Recreation
- Public Communication Tools
- Public Health
- Senior Services
- Utility Assistance
- Violence Prevention
Allen said those who decide on what organizations get the funding won’t show a preference for any one category over another, and they encourage those submitting to interpret the project areas broadly.
It’s a “non-exhaustive” list, Allen said, so even organizations with projects that don’t necessarily fall into any of the listed categories are still encouraged to apply.
Organizations with a 501(c)(3), 501(c)(6) or 501(c)(19) status are allowed to apply for anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 in funding.
Even if a group doesn’t have official nonprofit status, Allen said the city also wants those other active organizations to state their case for potential funding if they serve the needs of Bethlehem residents.
Officials also encouraged those with sub-$10,000 projects in mind to also apply, though none in that expense range were chosen last year.
Helping the public
Ineligible organizations would include for-profit entities, organizations established after March 2023 and religious groups that don’t offer secular programming.
“This does not exclude [all] religious organizations, because we know that there are anti-poverty organizations that are religious,” Allen said.
“Churches have food pantries, for example, but the programming or projects must be open to the public.”
Eligible uses of the funds include starting new projects or expanding existing ones, as well as paying for salaries, capital expenditure projects, supplies and materials.City of Bethlehem's Community Recovery Fund
Eligible uses of the funds include starting new projects or expanding existing ones, as well as paying for salaries, capital expenditure projects, supplies and materials.
The funding won’t be provided for projects involving an election campaign, if the proposed project exceeds half of the organization's projected annual expenses or if there’s non-secular programming involved from the applicant.
