November 1, 2021 – El Paso County is accepting applications for its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to help non-profit organizations assist individuals and households adversely impacted by the COVID-19. Funds may be used to create or expand programs meant to provide a wide range of services that respond to the pandemic while addressing the public health and economic challenges associated with such.

“As a mother to an at-risk child, I know how difficult this pandemic has been for parents and their children’s mental health resiliency. This grant is near and dear to my heart, and we have been looking for the right solution to assist families,” said Board of County Commissioners Vice-Chair Cami Bremer. “In addition to allowing children to participate in various extracurricular activities, this grant will have an exponential impact by providing a wide variety of assistance from mental health to financial counseling.”

The application opens today, November 1, 2021, and will remain open through November 19, at 5:00 PM.

Organizational Eligibility:

  • Entity must hold a non-profit status 501 (c)(3)
  • Entity must be able to document how the proposed program / service will address an identified negative impact resulting from the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Organization must be located in El Paso County

Eligible Uses of Funding:

  • Establish / expand programs in the following areas:
    • Counseling
    • Substance Abuse
    • Mental Health
    • Behavioral Health
    • Suicide Prevention
    • Employment Assistance
    • Financial and Debt Counseling or Budgeting
    • Legal Aid to prevent eviction or homelessness
  • Hire and pay staff that provide a wide range of case worker services for the above-mentioned programs.
  • Provide sports, music and club scholarships meant to cover the cost of enrollment and registration fees to youth residing in El Paso County. Youth must be in a family financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic (unemployed or loss of hours).
  • Expenditures covered by Community Services Block Grant dollars are not eligible for funding.

For more information about the ARPA grant assistance and how to apply, please visit https://admin.elpasoco.com/arpa/. Completed applications and required financial documents must be submitted by November 19, 2021, at 5:00 PM.