WORCESTER — Nonprofit leaders of color in Worcester are raising concerns about how the city distributed nearly $3 million in federal COVID-19 recovery funds, claiming the process favored large cultural institutions while placing burdensome requirements on smaller, minority-led organizations. According to the Telegram & Gazette, several community advocates addressed these concerns during the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 1, calling the allocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money racially inequitable.
The Telegram & Gazette reported that the largest recipients of ARPA funds—including the EcoTarium, Hanover Theatre, Mechanics Hall, Worcester Art Museum, and Mass. Symphony Orchestra—each received $125,000. In contrast, smaller nonprofits faced significant barriers to accessing funds, such as strict reimbursement requirements and the need for fiscal agents, which created difficulties for many minority-led organizations.
“Why are we creating so many barriers to impacted and disproportionately impacted families in our communities in order for them to benefit from these funds?” asked local community advocate Maydeé Morales, who urged City Manager Eric Batista to designate more ARPA funds to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-led organizations.
Charles Luster, head of the nonprofit 2Gether We Eat, voiced his frustration, drawing a historical parallel. “Here I am, a Black, nonprofit leader in my community giving away free food and I can’t get funds to operate in the city… It’s a shame. This is the same thing that they did in the 1800s, not giving Black people 40 acres and a mule.”
City Manager Eric Batista acknowledged the challenges that smaller organizations face but emphasized that the city followed federal guidelines for ARPA funds. The Telegram & Gazette reported that Batista indicated up to $1 million could be redirected to communities in greatest need, although the city must comply with federal regulations.
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Councilor-at-Large Khrystian King expressed frustration over the recurring challenges BIPOC-led organizations encounter in accessing funds. “On the face of it, it’s not acceptable,” King said, advocating for any available ARPA funds to be directed toward these groups.
The City of Worcester received $146 million in ARPA funds, which must be fully allocated by the end of the year.
