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Partner Tulsa reports 69 small businesses trained and $30,000 distributed through microgrant program
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Summary
Staff reported that three rounds of microgrant workshops and resource fairs trained 69 businesses and distributed $30,000 in small grants; staff recommended regular quarterly funding and partnerships with local nonprofits and CDFIs to scale reach.
Partner Tulsa staff reported the results of a small-business microgrant program that has conducted three rounds of training and distributed about $30,000 in microgrants to 69 businesses, many of them Hispanic-owned and immigrant-run enterprises.
Jonah presented the program summary, saying the project began with grant funding from Results for America (affiliated with Bloomberg) and partnerships with Avanzando Juntos to provide bilingual training and referrals for attorneys, licensing professionals and other services. The microgrants—typically $275 to $500—were used largely for business registration, point-of-sale systems, food-truck permits and marketing; staff said 40 of the businesses used funds specifically to obtain licenses or register their LLCs.
Staff described three rounds of trainings and a recent resource fair; program partners included Avanzando Juntos and the National League of Cities. Presenters said 69 businesses have been trained and awarded microgrants totaling $30,000, and there is ongoing demand with roughly 60 additional businesses seeking assistance.
Trustees and staff discussed possible next steps, including establishing a regular quarterly microgrant round, partnering with neighborhood organizations and other community development financial institutions (CDFIs), and exploring a small revolving loan product to extend the program’s reach. Staff said Avanzando Juntos is pursuing CDFI status; staff also noted referrals to Tulsa Development Corporation (TDC) and other local capital sources to help businesses scale beyond microgrants. Trustees asked for ongoing outcome tracking and follow-up with grantees.
The board expressed support for continuing and expanding the program, and staff said they will follow up with metrics, additional partnerships and a plan for quarterly funding.
