September 2021
Executive Summary
When Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in March, it was anticipated that funds would flow quickly, as had occurred in the previous two stimulus packages. Communities and organizations moved quickly to make sure they were positioned to receive funding for needed programs. While a substantial amount of money, notably individual stimulus checks and other direct aid, has been distributed, federal agencies have been slower than expected in developing detailed guidance for other programs. Fortunately, in contrast to the previous two stimulus packages, ARPA generally allows more time for expenditure of the funds. Because the State of Missouri has not yet agreed to receive and budget ARPA funds, little guidance for state grants and programs has been forthcoming from state agencies.
The City of Springfield and Greene County will collectively receive nearly $100 million in direct funding. The City and County are currently developing plans for allocation of these funds. Funds will not be distributed until these plans are approved by the City Council and County Commission. Approval of these plans is anticipated later this fall.
Thus, while there is a great deal of anticipation and speculation among organizations hoping to receive funding through ARPA, there is a lack of detailed guidance available at the present time. This guidance is expected over the next few months. Unfortunately, there is no single comprehensive reference available for ARPA funds. To stay abreast of information as it becomes available, interested parties should closely monitor federal and state and websites, as well as websites for professional and public-interest organizations in their fields of service.
To assist our nonprofit agency partners, the Community Foundation of the Ozarks has compiled the reference database contained in Appendix B of this report.
“Funding Opportunities in the American Rescue Plan Act” was produced for the Community Foundation of the Ozarks by Tim Smith, ARP Recovery Funds Coordinator, with assistance from Schuyler Crawford, Missouri State University graduate intern.
