COVID-19 Response Resources
  • Rural Relief Small Business Grants – LISC: LISC is supporting entrepreneurs across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their next opportunity for businesses in rural communities will open soon. Applicants may apply for one business only and must be 18 years of age to apply. Priority will be given especially to entrepreneurs of color, women- and veteran-owned businesses and other enterprises in historically under-served places who don’t have access to flexible, affordable capital. Upcoming Rounds Open: November 26, December 29, and January 26. 

  • Small Business Grant – Nav: Nav is offering grants to their small business customers who share their story of perseverance in the face of COVID-19 challenges. Nav will award a $10,000 grand prize, $2,000 1st runner-up, and $1,000 2nd runner-up. Deadline: December 4, 2020.

  • Economic Injury Disaster Loan – U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on small businesses, Missouri has been granted a disaster declaration by the SBA. This makes low interest disaster loans available to small businesses and private non-profits severely impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19). SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans offer up to $2 million in assistance for each affected small business or non-profit. These loans can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. Deadline: December 21, 2020.

  • Business and Industry CARES Act Guaranteed Loan Program – USDA: The Rural Business Cooperative Service (RBCS), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces that in response to the national COVID–19 Public Health Emergency, USDA Rural Development was provided additional funding assistance of $20,500,000 in budget authority appropriated under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). This program offers loan guarantees to lenders for their loans to rural businesses and agricultural producers to supplement their working capital to prevent, prepare for and respond to the economic impacts of the coronavirus. Lenders need the legal authority, financial strength and sufficient experience to operate a successful lending program. This includes federal and state-chartered banks, savings and loans, farm credit banks, and credit unions. For-profit businesses, nonprofits, cooperatives, federally-recognized tribes, and public bodies may qualify for these guaranteed loans. Deadline: September 15, 2021. 

  • Kansas City Regional COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund: A coalition of charitable, business and government partners has joined together to create the Kansas City Regional COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund to address the needs of the Kansas City region's most vulnerable communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kansas City Regional COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund provides grants to nonprofit organizations that have experience supporting impacted communities – particularly those that are disproportionately affected by this global pandemic and its economic consequences. This program is available for Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte, and Ray counties in Missouri.

  • Small Business Relief Initiative - GoFundMe: GoFundMe has partnered with Yelp and Intuit QuickBooks to create a Small Business Relief Fund to help small businesses negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of these three companies has contributed $500,000 to the Fund, and it's receiving additional donations from the public. The fund will provide $500 grants to any small business that raises $500 on GoFundMe.

  • COVID-19 Nonprofit Response Fund – Community Foundation: This fund’s purpose is to support nonprofit organizations impacted by efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus, with a priority for those providing vital basic needs services and resources to disproportionately impacted individuals and families impacted by following public health recommendations. Grants may be made to nonprofit organizations, churches, schools, or units of government located in or significantly serving one or more of the following counties: Adams, Brown, Hancock & Pike in Illinois; and Clark, Knox, Lewis, Marion, Monroe, Pike, Ralls, and Shelby in Missouri. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Current Grant Opportunities
  • Community Change Grants – America Walks: America Walks and partner Active People, Health Nations announced another round of their popular Community Change Grant program. This program will award grantees $1,500 in community stipends for projects related to creating healthy, active, and engaged places to live, work, and play. The goal for this year’s grant awards is to knit together seemingly disparate threads too often considered in isolation, including, but not limited to; racism and the public sphere; climate and environmental justice; access and inclusion; walking and moving as a mechanism for bringing about political change; and how COVID-19, the need for economic recovery and a growing awakening around racial injustice might alter the landscape of our work. Deadline: November 9, 2020. 

  • NEW! Local Foods, Local Places – EPA and USDA: Local Foods, Local Places helps communities revitalize neighborhoods through development of local food systems. This technical assistance program aims to support projects that do all of the following: create livable, walkable, economically vibrant main streets and mixed-use neighborhoods, boost economic opportunities for local farmers and main street businesses, and improve access to healthy, local food, especially among disadvantaged populations. Deadline: November 13, 2020. 

  • Museums for America – Institute of Museum and Library Services: The Museums for America program supports projects that strengthen the ability of an individual museum to serve its public. Museums for America has three project categories: lifelong learning, community anchors, and collections stewardship and access. To be eligible for an award under this program you must be an organization that is either a unit of State, local, or tribal government or be a private, nonprofit organization that has tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code; be located in one of the 50 US states, District of Columbia, or appropriate US territory; and be either a permanent museum or public or private nonprofit agency responsible for the operation of a museum. Awards will range from $5,000 to $250,000 for grant periods up to three years. A Cost share of non-federal sources in the amount equal or greater that the request is required. Deadline: November 16, 2020. 

  • Inspire! Grants for Small Museums – Institute of Museum and Library Services: Inspire! Grants for Small Museums is a special initiative of the Museums for America program. It is designed to help small museums implement projects that address priorities identified in their strategic plans. Inspire! has three project categories: lifelong learning, build capacity, and increase public access. Awards will range from $5,000 to $50,000 and projects must begin on September 1, 2021. Cost sharing is encouraged, but not required for this opportunity. Deadline: November 16, 2020.

  • NEW! Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities – EPA: Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities provides quick, targeted technical assistance to selected communities using tools that are designed to address a variety of challenges in many different local contexts. The purpose of delivering these tools is to stimulate a discussion about growth and development and strengthen local capacity to implement sustainable approaches. Technical assistance is delivered by EPA staff and EPA-hired consultant teams. Each technical assistance project includes: Public engagement through a two-day workshop; Direct consultation with relevant decision-makers and potential partners; A memo outlining specific next steps generated during the workshop that the community could take to achieve its goals. Deadline: November 20, 2020. 

  • Community Connect Grant Program – USDA: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) agency of USDA has announced its Community Connect Grant Program application window for FY2021. The Community Connect Grant Program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants that will provide service at or above the Broadband Grant Speed to all premises in rural, economically-challenged communities where broadband service does not exist. The deployment of broadband services on a “community-oriented connectivity” basis stimulates economic development and provides enhanced educational and health care opportunities in rural areas. RUS will give priority to rural areas that demonstrate the greatest need for broadband services. Deadline: December 23, 2020.

  • Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) – Downtown Revitalization – Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED): The Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) offers grants to eligible Missouri communities to engage in revitalization efforts to renew downtown areas and restore them to their former prominence as a center of community activity. Eligible uses of funds include public infrastructure and improvements that will significantly contribute to the revitalization or redevelopment of the downtown. These improvements may include, but are not limited to, water, sewer, electric, gas, sidewalks, curb cuts, street paving, parking, lighting, etc. Professional services and administration activities are also eligible. Marketing costs are not eligible. This program requires a 1:1 match of CDBG funding with private for-profit investment. Application maximum is $500,000. Deadline: December 31, 2020. 

  • Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) – General Infrastructure – Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED): This program helps Missouri communities strengthen its local economy by improving local public infrastructure, streets, drainage, and bridges. Reliable and sustainable infrastructure helps support the business community as well as residents. This program does not fund the operation, maintenance or improvements related to fire flow. Eligible funds include, but are not limited to, bridge, street, drainage, broadband, and activities not addressed with an existing CDBG funding category. The projects must be CDBG-eligible publicly owned infrastructure activities and meet a CDBG national objective. This category allows the applicant to recognize and solve an infrastructure need particular to the community. Application maximum is $500,000. Deadline: December 31, 2020. 

  • Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) – Community Facilities – Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED): This program helps Missouri communities construct facilities that will serve a large portion of the public with a variety of services. With education and health/well-being programs taking priority, communities can utilize this program to construct senior centers, day care centers, rural health clinics, telecommunications, and 911 services, among others. This may include the infrastructure necessary to support the facility, as well. They must be owned by a local government or non-profit agency. It is the responsibility of the applicant to assure the non-profit status of the entity seeking assistance. Applications for community facilities must provide evidence of the ability to operate and maintain the facility for the purpose intended. CDBG funds proposed for the day-to-day operation of the facility are not eligible. Application maximum is $500,000 or $5,000 per family benefiting. Deadline: December 31, 2020.

  • Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) – FEMA: Funding is available to states, local communities, tribes, and territories for pre-disaster mitigation activities. BRIC priorities are to incentivize public infrastructure projects, projects that mitigate risk to one or more lifelines, projects that incorporate nature-based solutions, and adoption and enforcement of modern building codes. A cost share is required generally in the amount of 25% non-federal match. Eligible projects include capability and capacity building activities, mitigation projects, and management costs. Deadline: January 29, 2021. 
Highlighted Ongoing Grant Opportunities
  • Emergency/Intervention Funding – National Trust for Historic Preservation: Intervention funding from the National Trust is awarded in emergency situations when immediate and unanticipated work is needed to save a historic structure, such as when a fire or other natural disaster strikes. Funding is restricted to nonprofit organizations and public agencies. Emergency grants typically range from $1,000 to $5,000, but unlike the majority of our grant funding, a cash match is not required for intervention projects. Deadline: ongoing.

  • Jeffris Heartland Fund – Jeffris Family Foundation: The Jeffris Family Foundation invites applications for grants to support the development of important historic preservation projects in eight Midwestern states including Missouri. The decision to purse a grant from the fund must be made in consultation with a Director of the foundation to discuss your project and request an application form. Grants will be made in the range of $5,000 to $50,000 with a 1:1 match by the recipient. The grant will cover 50% of the cost of an historic structure report. Eligible sites must be owned and governed by 501(c)3 non-profit organizations or units of government, be located in small towns or cities outside of major metropolitan areas, and have statewide or national significance documented on their National Register of Historic Places nomination. Upon completion of a quality study in a timely manner, recipients may be invited to submit a proposal for a Capital Campaign Challenge Grant from the foundation. Deadline: ongoing. 

  • Community Facilities Fund– Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation: Rural LISC created the Community Facilities Fund to provide capital to help develop and improve essential community facilities in rural areas. Rural LISC utilizes this fund to provide permanent and construction-to- permanent financing for rural community facilities, including health care centers, hospitals, educational facilities, and other nonprofit and public facilities in rural communities with populations under 20,000. Deadline: ongoing.

  • Growing Rural Communities Fund – Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation: Rural LISC has developed an innovative new financing tool to provide low-interest loans to qualified commercial real estate projects in rural America. The Growing Rural Communities Fund will finance real estate acquisition and construction costs to spur job creation and economic revitalization in distressed communities. Deadline: ongoing.
Any Special Projects?
Do you have a special project in your historic district that we can keep in mind when researching funding resources? Email Katelyn at katelyn@momainstreet.org.
Share Your Success
We would love to share any grant success stories in a future issue of the Grant Resource Directory in order to provide ideas for how the funding has been used in Main Street communities. If you have any projects you would like to share, email Katelyn at katelyn@momainstreet.org.
How can MMSC assist your community?
Community Empowerment Grant Program
The Community Empowerment Grant (CEG) program is a two-year grant for services as a 60/40 matching grant. The community is responsible for 40% of the costs totaling $12,320. To be eligible for this program, a community representative must attend an CEG workshop. Check here for upcoming workshops.

The CEG program includes hands- on training and guidance to help the community establish a local Main Street program.
Strategic Teams Engaging People
Strategic Teams Engaging People (STEP) is a one-year grant for services as a 75/25 matching grant. The community is responsible for 25% of the costs totaling $5,000.

The STEP grant provides individualized training with a focus on initiatives for sustained revitalization and technical development to advance the Main Street organization's downtown development.
People Energizing Places
People Energizing Places (PEP) is a two-year grant for services as a 75/25 matching grant. The community is responsible for 25% of the costs totaling $9,600.

The PEP grant was developed to provide the next step for local Main Street programs with more advanced training and development customized for the community's needs.
The opportunities included in this email are not a complete list of possible funding resources. This list is not meant to take the place of an individual organization’s research. Not every opportunity will be applicable to each organization or community. This list may include grants for government entities, other non-profits, etc. whose work supplements that of a Main Street organization. 

The Grant Resource Directory is a benefit for Missouri Main Street Connection network members. Thank you for joining and supporting the work of MMSC and Main Streets in Missouri!
Missouri Main Street Connection
3044 Shepherd of the Hills Expy Suite 214
Branson, MO 65616
417-334-3014