Nevada City, CA – When the State announced the regional stay-at-home order last month to slow the spread of COVID-19, the Nevada County Relief Fund launched its “Small Business Winter Survival Campaign” to help the most impacted businesses survive. With the generous support of local residents and community leaders, the Nevada County Relief Fund raised $287,500 in the last four weeks, which will be awarded to 73 small businesses countywide.
“The County put up the $100,000 ‘challenge grant’ right before Christmas, and this amazing community of ours matched it with $112,000 in a matter of weeks,” said County Supervisor and Board Chair Dan Miller. “My wife and I ran a small business on Mill Street for years, so we know how hard it’s been for retailers, and how much these grants can help.”
Not only were the County funds matched by local donors, but the Town of Truckee allocated $75,000, and the City of Nevada City chipped in $1,000 to support these businesses and recognize their adherence to the necessary public health guidelines designed to protect their customers, staff, and the larger community.
“This is a challenging time for everyone, so I’m very pleased that we could support twenty-two Truckee businesses -- restaurants, bars, retailers, gyms, hair salons and barbers – who are the heart of our town,” said Truckee Mayor Anna Klovstad.
“We reached out to a lot of donors who were happy to help because they know, like I do, that we can’t afford to lose our vibrant, historic downtown merchants to this pandemic,” said Leo Granucci, Co-Chair of the Nevada County Relief Fund. “And together, our public-private partnership has raised and awarded $1,017,400 to date.”
The Relief Fund issued forty-two $5,000 micro-grants to businesses with employees, and thirty-one $2,500 micro-grants to sole proprietors without employees.
When informed of her award, Barbara Martinez, owner of The Tack Room in Penn Valley, said, "This will allow us to pay our rent and to go on until we can re-open again in the red tier. I'd like to thank everyone that's donated to the Nevada County Relief Fund to help businesses. What a relief!"
News of the grant came just in time according to Kevin Salas, owner of Copy Center in Truckee. "The timing is really perfect in terms of helping businesses. This definitely helps us pay the rent and the utilities to stay open and keep on moving forward.”
The Sierra Business Council (SBC) administered the grant application process with oversight provided by the Relief Fund’s Community Advisory Council. SBC received nearly 180 applications representing over $700,000 in requests. After evaluating each application for eligibility, staff generated a randomly selected list that was reviewed by the Relief Fund’s Small Business Team to ensure geographic and business type diversity. While the applicants certified they were following state and local public health guidelines, County and municipal staff verified they were in good standing and had no records of complaints.
The Nevada County Relief Fund was created through a partnership between the County of Nevada, Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation, Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, the Sierra Business Council, Center for Nonprofit Leadership, and the Economic Resource Council.
The Fund was established in April 2020 with a $100,000 “challenge grant” from the Nevada County Board of Supervisors to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis by directing vital resources to our most vulnerable neighbors and support our small businesses.
With Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation serving as the Relief Fund’s fiscal sponsor, donations may be made safely and are tax deductible. Please consider making a gift today. For more information, please visit: www.nevcorelief.org/donate
Alibi Ale Works, Truckee, $5,000
All Season Awards, Nevada City, $2,500
Aloha Healing Touch Massage, Grass Valley, $5,000
Aloha Massage, Truckee, $2,500
Alyssa Llach (stylist), Grass Valley, $2,500
Artists' Studio in the Foothills Art Center, Grass Valley, $2,500
Bless Nails and Spa, Grass Valley, $5,000
Blondies Salon, Grass Valley, $5,000
Bloom Salon, Grass Valley, 2,500
Bowenwork For Health and Wellness, Nevada City, $2,500
Choquiero Chocolate, Nevada City, $5,000
Cindy Yuk Ng (stylist), Nevada City, $2,500
Clock Tower Records, Grass Valley, $2,500
Coffee And, Truckee, $5,000
Copy Center, Truckee, $5,000
Crazy Horse Saloon and Grill, Nevada City, $5,000
Dragonfly Salon, Nevada City, $2,500
Embellish, Grass Valley, $2,500
Erin Sparhawk/Syn Salon, Grass Valley, $2,500
Baskin Robbins, Grass Valley, $5,000
Great Vibes Cleaning, Nevada City, $5,000
Heartwood Eatery, Nevada City, $5,000
His. A Gentleman's Sundry, Grass Valley, $5,000
India Oven, Grass Valley, $5,000
Kaido, Grass Valley, $5,000
KC Nails, Grass Valley, $5,000
Kristin Slade Hair, Grass Valley, $2,500
La Gastronomia, Grass Valley, $5,000
Little Truckee Ice Creamery, Truckee, $5,000
Loch Leven Lodge, Truckee, $5,000
Love and Lupines Floral Design, Truckee, $2,500
Madeline’s Nail Care, Grass Valley, $2,500
Mane Attraction, Truckee, $5,000
Mary Benham Nails, Grass Valley, $2,500
Mi Pueblo Taqueria, Nevada City, $5,000
Moms & Minis, Grass Valley, $5,000
NC Kombuchary, Grass Valley, $5,000
Nevada City Ballet Academy, Nevada City, $2,500
Nicola B. Hair Studio, Truckee, $2,500
Novak's Menswear, Nevada City, $5,000
Pastime Club, Truckee, $5,000
Pete's Pizza & Tap House, Grass Valley, $5,000
Radiance Healthcare, Nevada City, $2,500
Reflections Hair Studio, Truckee, $2,500
Reflections Skin Oasis, Grass Valley, $5,000
Remedy Garden, Nevada City, $2,500
Salsa Sierra, Nevada City, $2,500
Sammy Jay's Salon, Grass Valley, $2,500
Satellite Spirits, Grass Valley, $5,000
Shear Bliss, Nevada City, $2,500
Shear Madness, Auburn, $2,500
Sierra Symmetry, Truckee, $5,000
Snowy Mountain Tattoo Co, Truckee, $5,000
Squeeze In, Truckee, $5,000
Summer Wood Skin Care, Truckee, $2,500
T’s Nails, Grass Valley, $5,000
Tahoe Mountain Brewing Company, Truckee, $5,000
Terra Bella Salon, Grass Valley, $2,500
The Good Wolf Brewing Company, Truckee, $5,000
The Hairshaft, Grass Valley, $2,500
The Massage Room, Auburn, $2,500
The Tack Room, Penn Valley, $5,000
The Yoni Temple, Nevada City, $5,000
Thirsty Barrel Taphouse & Grille, Grass Valley, $5,000
Tomahawkers Barber Shop, Grass Valley, $2,500
Tourist Club, Truckee, $5,000
Truckee Dance Factory, Truckee, $5,000
Truckee Massage & Wellness Center, Truckee, $2,500
Twelve 28 Kitchen, Penn Valley, $5,000
Watershed at the Owl, Grass Valley, $5,000
Wes the Barber, Grass Valley, $2,500
Zoe Jane Salon, Truckee, $5,000
Zuri Coffee, Truckee, $5,000
