The Cobb County Board of Commissioners has approved a $2M grant funding opportunity for Cobb’s not-for-profit organizations adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Through this funding opportunity, eligible not-for-profits could receive between $2,500 and $25,000 to use toward rehiring and retaining personnel and other expenses. The not-for-profit grant applications will open on August 27 at 10 a.m. and close on Sept. 11 at 5 p.m.

The Not-For-Profit Grant program has been established to assist not-for-profits of up to 100 employees with various personnel and operational expenses. The program will be funded by way of a portion of the County’s disbursement of funding via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. These funds are intended to be used by communities to deal with the impacts of COVID-19. The Cobb County Board of Commissioners has allocated $2 million to be disbursed by SelectCobb to Cobb-based not-for-profits impacted by the pandemic. The information below will assist organizations in learning about the grant tiers, eligible uses of funds, eligibility criteria, the application process, the required memorandum of understanding, and details on how grant monies will be disbursed.

Any additional questions will be answered by the SelectCobb team at grants@selectcobb.com or 770-859-2364.

Funding will be available in five different tiers based upon the number of full-time W2 employees at the not-for-profit organization as of March 12, 2020. For the purposes of this grant, full-time is defined as 30+ hours/week or 120+ hours/month. Eligibility will be verified via the submitted payroll documentation and the 941 IRS Form, Employers Quarterly Federal Tax Return. The tiers are as follows:

• 1 employee – up to $2,500
• 2 to 5 employees – up to $10,000
• 6 to 20 employees – up to $15,000
• 21 to 50 employees – up to $20,000
• 51 to 100 employees – up to $25,000

A detailed description of how the funds will be used must be included with each application submittal. Grant funds may be used for the following:

• No less than 60% of the grant funds must be spent on personnel for rehiring and/or maintaining full time employees and
• 40% of the grant funds may be used on other COVID-19 business related impacts and costs, including, but not limited to;
  • • Rent/leases/equipment rental;
    • Utility payments;
    • Inventory purchases;
    • Marketing;
    • PPE and other supplies/costs to ensure employee and customer safety.

The following are the basic eligibility requirements for applicants to be considered for grant funding through the Not-For-Profit Small Business Relief Grants. SelectCobb staff will review each application to ensure that all eligibility requirements are met. All eligible applications will be reviewed by an independent selection committee. It is vital for all applicants to submit the required accompanying documentation to ensure a complete application submittal. The eligibility requirements are as follows:

• Not-for-profit organization must be a 501(c)(3) organization that files a 990, 990N or 990-EZ form with the IRS;
• Not-for-profit organization must have 100 or fewer full-time, W-2 employees, i.e., employees working at least 30 hours per week or 130 hours per month;
• Not-for-profit organization headquarters or primary location must be in Cobb County,
• Not-for-profit organization may be home-based or located in commercial space;
• Not-for-profit organization must have been in continuous operation for a minimum of 1 year as of July 28, 2020;
• Not-for-profit organization must have current registration with the Secretary of State’s office and be current on all required 990 filings, and;
• Not-for-profit organization must certify if they have received PPP and/or CARES Act SBA loans funds as of time of application submittal.

The online application portal will open on Thursday, August 27 at 10:00 a.m. and close on Friday, September 11 at 5:00 pm. Applications will require the following information:

• Completed online digitally signed Grant Application Form;
• Most recent 990 filing – Forms accepted include 990, 990EZ or 990N (2019 is preferred, however if 2019 has not been filed, 2018 is acceptable);
• 2018 & 2019 statements of financial position (also referred to as a Balance Sheet);
• 2019 & 2020 YTD statement of activity (also referred to as a Profit & Loss or Income Statement);
• 2020 original budget and 2020 budget adjusted for pandemic, if applicable;
• Payroll register for 3/1/2020 that includes: pay period dates, check run dates, number of hours per pay period that each employee worked, Gross wages, withholdings, etc.;
• A detailed description of how the funds are to be used including a timeline for rehiring employees;
• 4th Quarter 2019, 1st & 2nd Quarter 2020 941 Internal Revenue Service forms;
• Proof of 2019 & 2020 Annual Registration from the Georgia Secretary of State

Once the application period closes, an independent selection committee will review each eligible application and decide which not-for-profit organizations will receive grant funds and how much will be provided, up to the maximum allowed by each tier. A scoring matrix will be used to review each application so that it is a fair and equitable process. The committee will be comprised of five individuals from all areas of Cobb and will include a diverse group of industries.

The committee will review all applications as expeditiously as possible. Once determinations are made, a public announcement of grants funds will be made by representatives of the selection committee, SelectCobb, Cobb Chamber, and Cobb County Government. Our goal is to notify grant recipients within thirty days of the application deadline.

• Grant awardees will be required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with SelectCobb to ensure accountability of grant monies. The memorandum will include:
  • • The total grant amount;
    • How the funds will be disbursed;
    • Requirements for how the funds are to be used;
    • Requirements for how the funds are to be used – 60% of the grant monies must be spent on personnel for rehiring and/or maintaining employees;
    • Accountability measures such as expense reporting and proof of rehiring/retaining employees;
• The funds will be provided on a reimbursement basis. Once the not-for-profit organization is selected for funding and signs the MOU with SelectCobb, they will then be able to provide documentation on the proper use of the funds. Documentation can be provided with dates as far back as April 1. Once documentation is provided and reviewed a disbursement can be made to the entity; and
• Not-for-profit organizations that do not provide the proof of rehiring/maintaining their workforce will be subject to the claw back provision of the Memorandum of Agreement.