Wayne County Pulls Commitment Of $32M For New Small Business Fund

credit: Image courtesy of Lenton Parr Library via Melbourne Newsroom

Michigan's Wayne County was supposed to pump $32 million into a fund that would help small businesses in areas affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead, it has pulled the plug, the Detroit Free Press reports.

"I mean, this is a $32 million infusion to underserved small businesses throughout the county," saysafa Dinaro, executive director of the New Economy Initiative, a philanthropic group that partnered with the county to create the Wayne County Small Business Hub.

"I really want to see the county continue to be committed to small businesses, especially in those BIPOC communities and those underserved communities."

Wayne County says it pulled the plug on the fund because of a leadership change and other factors.

The county had promised to use funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to help small businesses affected by the H1N1 virus, and Dinaro says she's "incredibly disappointed."

The $22 million fund, which was announced in June, was supposed to help small businesses in Inkster, River Rouge, Ecorse, and Romulus.

It still has support from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Ford Foundation, Hudson-Webber Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, the Kresge Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., and William Davidson Foundation.

Read the Entire Article

How's Your Community Doing?
Check Out it's
Community Vital Signs

Explore the
Social Progress Index
for the
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan

Positioning Kenyan Livestock Sector for Impact Investment

It's no secret that Africa's livestock industry plays a big role in the region's economy. In fact, the demand for livestock products is expected to grow by 50% by 2030, notes Business...more

El Rito 2024 Spring Arts Festival May 18-19

The New Mexico town of El Rito has been named one of America's 10 most livable cities by Time. The honor goes to El Rito for the third year in a row, thanks in large part to the work of its...more

Undergraduate Research Week Poster Competition Winners Announced

"This research pushed me outside my comfort zone and forced me to interact first-hand with hard truths about what social media is being used for in the modern day," Daisy Rehbock writes in her...more

Decision Reversed: Fair Park Ceo Put on 45 Day Paid Leave as Board Evaluates Performance

The CEO of the nation's second-oldest civic monument has been ousted over allegations of financial impropriety at Dallas' Fair Park, the Dallas Morning News reports. On May 1, Brian Luallen...more

An Evening Worth Its Weight in Art!

Quebec City's Mus ? 'e des beaux-arts du Qu'bec museum is getting a major boost from a single man. Michael Audain, chairman of the Jean Paul Riopelle Foundation, has pledged $10 million toward...more

Hasbro Teen'S Prom

It's not every day that a Rhode Island hospital hosts a prom for its teen patients, but that's exactly what happened at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence on Friday, the Providence Journal...more

Ford Fund Rebrands as Ford Philanthropy
Foundation: Ford Motor Company Fund

The Ford Motor Company's philanthropic arm is getting a new name: Ford Philanthropy. The rebranding reflects Ford's 75-year legacy of "driving impact in Ford communities around the world," says...more

Philanthropic Cause Takes Center Stage with Apo

Grace Reynolds, 17, sang "Landslide" in the style of Fleetwood Mac, while 11-year-old Rylee Campbell performed "Once Upon a December" in the style of Liz Callaway, but it was Reynolds who took home...more

Communications Officer Job with University Of Western Australia

Western Australia's University of Western Australia is looking for a new director of alumni relations, and the ideal candidate will be a woman with at least five years' experience in donor...more

P.B. Scott Named Ey'S Master Entrepreneur of the Year for Ja

"It's very nice to be recognized. It's an honor to be a part of something that's global." So says P.B. Scott, president and CEO of the Musson Group, after being named the Master...more