Miami Valley Urban League Awards Micro-Grants to Help Black and Brown Businesses in Dayton

By Ngozi Cole, WYSO 

The Miami Valley Urban League has announced its first round of resiliency fund awards. The micro-grants are part of the City of Dayton's recovery plan to help black and brown businesses. Over $135,000 has been awarded to 23 small businesses in Dayton in the industries of food, healthcare, and construction.

The Miami Valley Urban League is a nonprofit organization that has been in the Dayton area since 1948. The organization's main goals are financial empowerment and economic self-sufficiency for minority communities.

Nicole Miller, the executive director, said establishing the resilience fund after the COVID-19 pandemic was important to revive black businesses in Dayton.

“We know that a barrier for minority businesses to be successful is access to capital,” Miller said.

The city says these grants will help these businesses to make capital investments and expand their operations.

“It is important for us to look at how we provide these different mini grants to those companies who are struggling, but trying to make the pathway a little brighter,” said the Mayor of Dayton, Jeff Mims.

 

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