COVID-19 Response: Distributing Small Business Stabilization Grants in Gilliam County

The Challenge
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses all over Oregon are suffering from economic distress. The Condon Chamber of Commerce (a strategic planning client) approached A. Hart Associates for assistance with distributing stabilization and recovery assistance to small businesses and their employees. In collaboration with regional efforts, the county needed a convener to facilitate a grant program that would serve as a bridge until state and federal funding became available.

Our Solution
The Condon Chamber of Commerce was selected as the convener for businesses in Gilliam County. Strong leadership and a solid partnership between entities tied to the business community and economic development was important for rapid program mobilization. The Chamber’s role was to develop and facilitate a comprehensive, coordinated plan to leverage regional partnerships and assets on behalf of Gilliam County in order to provide immediate assistance to small businesses. A. Hart Associates assisted the Chamber with the structure for the parameters and process for the program.

Outcomes
Within four weeks of first being contacted by the County, the Gilliam County Small Business Stabilization Grant program was launched. By the third week of April, $94,000 of grant funding was disbursed to businesses countywide. A second round of funding is currently under consideration.

Partnerships
Key to making this program a success was having a strong group of partners with aligned purpose, vision and mission. As a part of the process the Chamber convened a Small Business Stabilization Committee made up of local community partners that including Gilliam County, Bank of Eastern Oregon, Columbia Basin Electric Cooperative, the City of Condon, the City of Arlington, and the Columbia Gorge Small Business Development Center. From the start the responsibilities of each of the partners were outlined to provide clarity around respective roles. A. Hart Associate guided the Chamber through creating a successful partner model and structure.

Program Elements
The Stabilization and Recovery Plan was designed to work in conjunction with local, state, and federal stabilization and recovery grants and loans. The Chamber provided small businesses in Gilliam County with resources and information to apply for a wide variety of recovery grants and loans. The Stabilization Committee was led through grant evaluation by the Chamber, which provided a structured process and criteria for assessing business needs on a case-by-case basis.

Additionally, utilizing their existing communication platform, the Chamber developed a comprehensive, coordinated communications plan incorporating relevant local and regional partners and assets. A website was launched with relevant information and grant application materials. A. Hart Associates provided communications strategy and content guidance.

The Chamber also performed outreach to small businesses to collect stories and identify ongoing challenges related to supply chain disruptions, regulatory challenges, and social distancing impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This information was shared with the collaborative partner group to enable follow-up with local, state, and federal partners as appropriate.

Value Proposition for the Chamber
As the convener for the Gilliam County Small Business Stabilization Grant program, the Chamber strengthened its relationship with businesses in the community as well as regional partners. Immediate action as well as strong and regular communications illustrated the Chamber’s value as an organization dedicated to business and economic prosperity. This was particularly evident as within a two-week period — during the COVID-19 crisis — the Chamber added twelve new members. The businesses cited that they wanted to show their support because of the impactful work of the organization. This program perfectly aligned with the Chamber’s two-year strategic plan drafted in 2019 with the guidance of A. Hart Associates. A main objective of the strategic plan was to enhance the Chamber’s value proposition.