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Jefferson County approves $150,000 grants for two small-business support organizations
Summary
The Jefferson County Commission approved two $150,000 awards to small-business support organizations — a renewal for Jica and a grant to the Central Alabama Redevelopment Alliance (Kara) — after presentations from program staff and a participant testimonial.
At its meeting, the Jefferson County Commission voted to approve two funding proposals to support small-business services in the county, granting $150,000 to each organization under the county's economic development fund.
Carlo Allaman, who the commission introduced as overseeing Jica, summarized Jica’s recent activity and said the program helps identify entrepreneurs who can succeed with lending support. "We have a 98% repayment rate," Allaman told the commission, adding that the program has "deployed over $1 million." Samuel Kelly, chief operating officer at Saber Finance, spoke on behalf of the Central Alabama Redevelopment Alliance (Kara), outlining Kara’s recent metrics: the organization served more than 383 small businesses, provided more intensive mentorship for 43 businesses, produced a reported $3 million in revenue impact and supported more than 20 job placements.
Tiffany Strayhorn, a Jefferson County small-business owner and Kara participant, gave a personal account of how the program affected her business. "Kara treats business owners like people and not just numbers," she said, describing how mentorship and connections helped her scale a wedding-cake business and land a three-year contract with the City of Hoover. She also said she will open a café to the public on June 10.
The commission moved and seconded the combined motion to fund both items. The clerk recorded a voice vote; members answered "aye" and the motion passed. The county will add the awards to the commission agenda and staff said they would publicize eligibility and application details on the county website and social media.
Why it matters: The awards direct a portion of Jefferson County’s economic development funding to intermediaries that provide training, loan-feasibility screening and mentorship — services county officials said help small businesses scale and create jobs. Staff described the funding as part of the county’s annual allocation (roughly 10% of the economic development fund used for these purposes).
Next steps: Staff will post details for the funded programs and incorporate the awards into grant reporting and the commission’s agenda materials.
