The City of Austin’s Office of Resilience piloted a mini-grant program, funded through a Council budget amendment in 2023, to support local community organizers, small businesses, and organizations that build resilience and serve racially and economically diverse Austinites. These grants support applicants’ capacity to meet the needs of Austinites as they prepare for, respond to, and recover from shocks (climate and man-made disasters) and stresses.
The awards provide resources for preparedness training, supplies, workforce development opportunities, and more. As a pilot, the program has also provided key information that will be utilized by the City to further develop Austin’s Resilience Hub Network. It falls within the Resilience Office’s efforts to strengthen partnerships with community organizations and local businesses that play an important role in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery to serve all Austinites.
Laura Patiño, Austin’s Chief Resilience Officer said, “We all have a role to play in building the resilience of our City. Small businesses, community organizers, and grassroots organizations are often the first to identify community needs during and after disasters, as they are closely connected with their neighbors. It is important that we work together and integrate our capacity for action and service to ensure all Austinites are prepared to face the challenges of the 21st century.”
The Resilience Office will continue to collect best practices and learnings from this program to shape future programs, integrate community services within the Resilience Hub Network, and continue to demonstrate the benefits of collaborative approaches between City of Austin, Austin City Council, and partner organizations.
The City congratulates the twenty-six 2023 mini-grant recipients. Some of the awardees of the mini-grants include:
- Asian Texans for Justice
- Black Women Who
- Central Texas Mycology
- CooperationEngine
- Fruitful Commons
- Jail to Jobs
- Keep Austin Fed
- KT Klean Energy Consultant
- Red Heart CPR
- Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center
- The Healing Project
- YWCA Austin
For information on how to get involved with community workshops and find additional resources, please visit the Office of Resilience’s Get Involved Page.
