Reno+Sparks Chamber, Eide Bailly partner to donate $3K to three entities

RENO, Nev. — The Reno+Sparks Chamber of Commerce and the Reno branch of accounting firm Eide Bailly teamed up in July to help three businesses and nonprofits.

The “Business Helping Business” Microgrant Campaign, which launched this spring due to the COVID-19 economic shutdown, was created to give the Chamber and its partners “a tangible way to address the immediate needs of its small business members and nonprofits,” according to an Aug. 10 press release.

To create the grants, the Chamber sets aside a portion of a participating partner’s investment in the Chamber. Applicants’ needs ranged from purchasing Personal Protective Equipment, to paying rent, to rewarding hardworking employees, among others.

“Though it’s easy to imagine the difficulty some businesses have faced through the pandemic, nothing really prepares you to see those stories, in black and white, on paper,” Kristine Brown, director of member engagement for the Chamber, said in a statement. “So many small businesses and nonprofits are struggling and it was striking to see the demand for help.”

Eide Bailly became a partner for the campaign in May.

“We are public accountants whose primary clients consists of small businesses,” said Lauren Sankovich, partner at Eide Bailly in Reno. “We have watched helplessly on the sidelines as these businesses struggle during this pandemic. When we heard about these microgrants, it was our chance to try and make a difference.”

The initial program received 35 total applicants, Brown said.

Ultimately, the choice of selecting initial recipients fell to Eide Bailly, and they chose Bella Grey Medical Spa and the For Kids Foundation as beneficiaries, each receiving $1,000.

Further, an anonymous donor reached out to the Chamber to provide an additional $1,000 to award to a third business. The donor selected Ferino Distillery.

“My hope in creating the ‘Business Helping Business’ Microgrant Campaign was to create a groundswell of generosity; and it’s happening,” Brown stated. “The community has shown up in a big way. I appreciate Eide Bailly and our other partners who have seen the need and worked with us to meet it.”

The “Business Helping Business” campaign will continue through the summer with Chamber partners Intuit and Google. Go to conta.cc/2Dh2h7Q to learn more.