$860k supports projects aimed at sustainable growth for Covid-affected industries; see list of amounts below
UPDATED Sept. 28: Twenty-two nonprofit organizations and small businesses in Arlington have been selected to receive a total of $860,900 in grants.
The town's Transformative Growth Grants Program, funded by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and administered by the Department of Planning and Community Development, helps those affected by Covid-19 bring to life their vision for future growth.
The town announced the awards in a news release. Small-businesses and nonprofit organizations representing a variety of industries received grants for place-making, programming, facilities and infrastructure, news reporting, personnel or planning projects. Here are the recipients how much each received:
Arlington Boys & Girls Club: $31,000
Arlington Center for the Arts: $17,500
Arlington Children's Theatre: $60,000
Arlington Commission for Arts & Culture: $50,000
Kickstand Cafe: $21,000
BroadBand Collaborative: $15,000
Bubble Nation: $2,500
Butternut Bakehouse: $35,000
Cyrus Dallin Art Museum: $34,000
Helena's: $10,000
J.R. Burke Salon: $120,900
Lamplight Women's Literacy Center: $12,000
Lotus Yoga Studio: $20,000
Menotomy Grill & Tavern: $50,000
Morningside Music Studio: $20,000
Magic Bites: $39,000
Thai Moon: $110,000
The Object of Stories Gallery: $10,000
Regent Theatre: $85,000
Schwamb Mill Preservation Trust: $47,000
Thrive Cafe: $56,000
YourArlington: $15,000
The news release did not report the grant amounts, but YourArlington requested them. The website announced its allocation in a display at its Town Day booth. The award covers lost advertising during the height of Covid, and the largest share of the amount is to support in-depth reporting in the next two years.
The largest allocations are for town business hit by fire -- Thai Moon, J.R. Burke and Thrive Cafe.
Claire Ricker, the new director of planning and community development, said in a statement: “The Transformative Growth Grants Program was created to be intentionally flexible in order to maximize impact. By providing support to Arlington’s creative and determined nonprofit and business community, this program is contributing to the long-term economic recovery and resiliency of Arlington.”
44 applicants
The Transformative Growth Grants program application process was competitive, with 44 applications submitted. This program follows a series of previous economic-recovery programs in Arlington.
The Small Business and Nonprofit Working Capital Grant Fund supported 81 businesses, with nearly $640,000 in ARPA grants. The Town of Arlington also awarded over $430,000 in Covid-relief funds to 46 small businesses in 2020-2021 through additional allocations of Community Development Block Grants made possible by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
These grant programs benefited from the many volunteers who assisted with outreach efforts to the nonprofit and business communities, helping to inform them of grant opportunities that help sustain operations and revitalize the local economy.
The program is administered by the Town of Arlington Department of Planning and Community Development. For more information about this fund, contact
About American Rescue Plan Act
Municipalities across the nation are the beneficiaries of a significant influx of federal funds via the act. ARPA is intended to address the negative health and economic impacts caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Arlington expects to receive more than $35 million from ARPA. The Select Board voted to endorse Arlington’s ARPA framework at its Oct. 25, 2021, meeting. See that framework at arlingtonma.gov/arpa.
This news announcement was published Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, based on information from Joan Roman, Town of Arlington public-information officer, and Bob Sprague. It was updated Sept. 28, to correct a subheadline to reflect the dollar amount.
