Explanation
Background: This ordinance authorizes the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with the Women’s Center for Economic Opportunity (Women’s CEO), a local nonprofit on a mission to advance economic equity and elevate women of color.
The mission of the Women’s Center for Economic Opportunity is to equip, elevate and empower African American and other women of color to access the knowledge and resources they need to create generational wealth and a legacy of economic impact while staying well. In doing so, the Center pursues the advancement of economic equity, inclusion, and justice.
This grant will support the Women’s CEO “Aspire” Small Business Accelerator program. Aspire is created for women of color entrepreneurs, providing resources to spark growth and deepen skills that support that backbone of a small business. This includes operations strategy and systems, business networking, access to funding, and culturally-specific mentoring and coaching. The Aspire Accelerator offers a comprehensive 12-week program of over 50 hours of assessment, hybrid master-class style instruction, business advising, coaching, and mentoring. The program culminates in a competitive pitch event with a $25,000 business grant to the winning entrepreneur. Council's support to the Women’s CEO will help make this pitch event possible.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the Job Growth subfund.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with the Women’s Center for Economic Opportunity (Women’s CEO) in support of their Aspire Accelerator program; to authorize an appropriation and expenditure of $5,000.00 within the Job Growth subfund. ($5,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council seeks to support diverse entrepreneurs in the city of Columbus who are on a pathway of growth and investing in their businesses through efforts to up-skill and seek mentorship and networking opportunities; and
WHEREAS, the Women’s Center for Economic Opportunity supports women of color entrepreneurs in key industries who have been in business for more than three years and have a minimum revenue of at least $50,000 by providing curriculum focused on helping these entrepreneurs grow their businesses by implementing a simple, repeatable business system that works at every stage of business; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with the Women’s Center for Economic Opportunity in support of their Aspire Accelerator program, in an amount not to exceed $5,000.00; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Clerk is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with the Women’s Center for Economic Opportunity in support of their Aspire Accelerator program, in an amount not to exceed $5,000.00.
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $5,000.00 in the Job Growth subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100015, to the City Clerk per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $5,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the action authorized in SECTION 1 of this ordinance, is hereby authorized in the Job Growth subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100015 per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.