Fort Bend County Judge KP George today announced the recipients of the Fort Bend County American Rescue Plan Act Non-Profit Grant Program funds. This allocation, which is the first of its kind, will result in over $11 million in grant funds being dispersed to non-profit organizations that were impacted by the pandemic and those that address critical needs within the community.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many area nonprofits continue to struggle to keep their doors open during a time when the needs of the community exceed donations. Fundraising activities came to a halt during the pandemic due to public health precautions, making efforts to raise funds difficult. As a result, these monies will provide much-needed support to nonprofits. In addition to improving outcomes for local communities and residents, they will also enable non-profit organizations to provide critical services to our residents, especially where the needs are increasing in the county.

“Our non-profits are one of our greatest resources. They play a fundamental role here in Fort Bend County and this is an excellent opportunity for us to help them serve our residents,” Judge KP George stated. “Non-profits continue to be on the frontline, especially those who focus on health, education, and financial assistance. We have a shared responsibility to help the community.”

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provided financial assistance to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to be used for economic relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic for assistance to households, small businesses, and non-profits, or aid to impacted industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality.

This first round of the Fort Bend County allocations will award non-profit organizations with grants ranging from $5,000 to $500,000. Additionally, Judge George announced the second round of ARPA non-profit grant funds will be available in January. He encouraged those organizations who did not apply for funding to submit their applications by accessing the county’s website.

Judge George was joined today for the announcement by Fort Bend County Precinct 2 Commissioner Grady Prestage and Precinct 4 Commissioner Ken DeMerchant. Also in attendance were over 30 representatives from area non-profits including Attack Poverty CEO Brandon Boca, Family Life, And Community Resource Center Executive Director Dr. Eileen Harper, and the Eternal Gandhi Museum’s Trustee Atul Kothari