Business grant program

REOPEN Downtown Dayton grant program partners the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Dayton Partnership (DDP) recently announced that more than $719,000 has been invested in downtown Dayton’s small businesses.

Less than one month after closing the application window for the REOPEN Downtown Dayton grant program, award checks are in the mail for 119 small businesses located downtown.

“This is a significant investment in downtown’s small businesses that were forced to close their doors to customers during the COVID-19 crisis. We’re hopeful that this money will alleviate some of the pressures they’ve felt during this time and will bridge the gap to a brighter future,” said Chris Kershner, executive vice president, Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce.

The grant program issued individual awards between $1,000 and $10,000 to downtown Dayton businesses as a form of gap funding. Of the small businesses receiving grant funding, 29.5% are minority-owned and 49.1% are woman-owned. The awards are intended to cover operational expenses and help businesses keep their doors open and lights on until their revenue sources recover.

The CareSource Foundation kick-started the REOPEN Downtown Dayton Grant program with a generous donation of $500,000, and the Downtown Dayton Partnership contributed $200,000 to the fund. In addition, after the grant program was introduced, other area businesses pitched in with checks of their own. The fund grew to a total $719,000 thanks to donations from Dayton Phoenix, St. Anne the Tart, Enterprise Rent a Car of Cincinnati, and CareSource Board Members and employees.

REOPEN Downtown Dayton Grant applications were reviewed by a panel of Dayton-area business leaders.

CONTRIBUTED