The 2022 ARPA Nonprofit Sustainability Grant assists nonprofits experiencing negative economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. Fairfax County has developed a grant opportunity for local nonprofits who provide critical safety net services using the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (ARPA Fiscal Recovery Funds). The federal government's interim final rule for this program allowed, and the final rule maintains the ability for, recipients to demonstrate a negative economic impact on a population or group, referred to as a "class," and to provide assistance to households. 87 Fed. Reg. 4338, 4343 (Jan. 27, 2022).
Social safety net nonprofits serving Fairfax County residents are considered an impacted class as specified in this legislation. In a survey conducted by the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services in the spring of 2022, 100 percent of Fairfax County nonprofits who provide critical social safety net services to vulnerable people experienced negative impact as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the form of decreased donations, fees, and other revenue; inability to hold fundraising events; unexpected expenses due to COVID mitigation; additional infrastructure costs; and/or staffing shortages.
Nonprofit providers remain a critical component of our community’s ability to support residents in need. This grant is intended to help nonprofit safety net providers remain sustainable by mitigating some of these financial burdens imposed by the pandemic. More details about the grant will be released as they become available.
