Events DC, Washington D.C.'s official convention and sports authority, finalized its programs for the $5 million undocumented workers relief fund through the DC Cares Program and the $10 million Cultural Institutions Grant Program.
The DC Cares Program will provide financial assistance to workers in the District of Columbia who have been excluded from federal stimulus efforts and are experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. This program is in partnership with the executive office of the mayor and the Greater Washington Community Foundation.
The Cultural Institutions Grant Program is designed to provide funding to help further enhance Washington, D.C.'s resident and visitor experience. Both the DC Cares Program and the grant awardees were approved by Events DC's Board of Directors and represent an important component of the organization's commitment to building an ever-stronger city.
The DC Cares Program
The distribution for the $5 million undocumented workers relief funds will be managed through the Greater Washington Community Foundation with the purchase of pre-paid debit cards in the amount of $1,000 per card. The Community Foundation will then disseminate the pre-paid debit cards to designated community-based organizations in collaboration with the executive office of the mayor. The identified community-based organizations will issue the pre-paid debit cards to eligible undocumented workers determined by criteria set forth by the Mayor's Office.
The Community Foundation is a tax-exempt public charity that manages hundreds of charitable giving funds on behalf of generous individuals, families, and businesses in the Washington, DC metro area. The community-based organization currently designated by the Mayor's Office to receive the pre-paid debit cards include the following:
- Bread for the City
- The Central American Resource Center
- CentroNía
- Latin American Youth Center
- Mary's Center
Events DC will continue to work with the Community Foundation to implement ongoing efforts surrounding the DC Cares program to provide future financial assistance to DC workers who by reason of their status do not have access to other COVID-19-related public relief programs. The DC CARES program will be administered by the Community Foundation through its Greater Washington Workforce Collaborative, an initiative with the mission of enabling people to increase their skills, credentials, employment and wages with an emphasis on systems change that eliminates income gaps based on race, ethnicity and gender.
Cultural Institutions Grant Program
The Events DC Cultural Institutions Grant Program is a competitive grant program that offers financial assistance to qualified non-profit cultural institutions based in the District of Columbia that engage in the conservation, interpretation, and dissemination of cultural and artistic knowledge and offer and promote activities meant to inform, educate and attract residents and visitors alike to the District of Columbia. A cultural institution is defined as a non-profit organization that supports or promotes the arts, including a museum or theater, incorporated under the laws of the District. Traditional examples of cultural institutions include museums, libraries, art galleries and studios, theaters, performing arts associations or societies.
In 2019, Events DC issued an RFP seeking proposals from cultural institutions that fit the measures set forth for the grant program. Events DC received 43 applications, of which 30 met the eligibility criteria. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating impact on cultural institutions across the District, Events DC will implement an inclusive and equitable distribution of the grant funding, dividing all eligible applicants into three tiers, and each tier will receive the same amount. As a result, every cultural institution that submitted a proposal and met the eligibility criteria will receive some level of funding, maximizing the overall impact of the grant program.
Visit www.eventsdc.com.
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