Local nonprofit organizations, sports teams and churches recently received more than $476,000 in federal funding to help offset some of the losses and expenses they suffered because of the pandemic last year. In February, Park County commissioners awarded the CARES Act dollars to 21 local entities that were impacted by COVID-19 and eligible for the funding.

The largest recipient, by far, was the Northwest College Foundation, which received $284,857 to support programs and scholarships at the college that are targeted toward students impacted by the pandemic.

The next-largest recipient, at $36,484.39, was First Presbyterian Church of Cody. The church helped organize an interfaith relief fund that paid rent, utility bills and medical expenses for local residents who lost jobs, fell ill or were otherwise hurt by COVID-19.

County commissioners tried to award as many dollars as possible under the state’s Community Charitable Relief Program.

“I’m on board to approving just about everything that comes in front of our desks,” Commissioner Scott Mangold said at an early February meeting, saying that local groups are hurting and “need the money right now.”

However, commissioners still left $124,000 of the available $600,388 on the table, feeling obligated to reduce some requests and entirely reject those from six entities.

There was plenty of need: More than two dozen applicants outlined large losses in donations and other revenue in 2020 that could have easily used up all of the Park County funds. However, Gov. Mark Gordon’s administration set very specific rules for eligibility.

Organizations could receive reimbursement for providing free goods and services amid the pandemic. They could also recoup their general losses — but only if they spent the CARES Act dollars on COVID-19-related items in the future. That requirement forced commissioners to sort through what kind of expenses qualified and which did not, often leading the board into some “gray areas.”

For instance, was a new van for Powell’s American Legion baseball team COVID-related if it’s intended to keep the players in smaller groups? (Yes, commissioners decided.) Or how about a Cody church that didn’t specify how it would spend the money, but certified it would be COVID-related? (Also yes.) And what about $30,000 to purchase land for a more spacious and socially distanced senior citizens center in Powell that would offer a telehealth room? (No.)

On several applicants they were unsure about, commissioners gave the groups a second chance to explain how they could spend the funds in a way related to the pandemic. They deliberated on both Feb. 2 and 16, often going back and forth as they tried to figure out where to draw the line. For instance, although commissioners decided the Powell Senior Citizens Center could not receive funds for a new facility, Commissioner Lloyd Thiel said the Youth Clubs of Park County should have requested some funding to construct an expanded facility in Powell.

“I think every one of these nonprofits is eligible and ought to receive as much as we can give them based upon the amount of money that was shoveled out the door for the Business Relief grants with very little oversight,” Commission Chairman Lee Livingston said Feb. 16, criticizing another state program that distributed hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses across Wyoming.

“I think if they come to us, and they’re saying they’re going to spend it on COVID-related ...,” Livingston said.

“Give them the money,” finished Commissioner Joe Tilden.

Still, commissioners found a few groups — ranging from a Cody theater troupe to a local charity that operates in Africa — did not qualify for the dollars.

How they split the money

Northwest College Foundation — $284,857

The pandemic had a substantial impact on the Northwest College Foundation, according to the nonprofit’s financial statements, with 2020 donations dropping by more than 40% from the prior year. Some traditional fundraising events were canceled amid the pandemic, Executive Director Shelby Wetzel said, while donors were less responsive to mailings, phone calls and emails. According to NWC Foundation data, more than 420 people who donated to the foundation in 2019 did not do so last year.

From mid-March through December 2020, the foundation’s revenue dipped roughly $337,000 from 2019 — even after a federal PPP loan helped make up some of the shortfall.

Roughly half of the nearly $285,000 commissioners allocated to the NWC Foundation — $140,000 — will be used to boost career and technical education at the college. It will go to scholarships, equipment and supplies for offerings in plumbing, HVAC and electrical certification, the meat industry, heavy equipment operation and maintenance and the medical profession, such as EMTs.

Wetzel noted the pandemic put people out of work, which makes now an opportune time for students to seek additional education and improve their ability to advance their careers.

Another $75,000, she said, will be used to provide scholarships to pandemic-impacted students seeking the college’s new bachelor of applied science degree in professional studies; the program is intended for students looking to “become successful managers and leaders” in their careers.

Commissioner Lloyd Thiel said he thought the scholarships and equipment purchases would be an allowable use of the CARES Act funds — “as long as you can prove that the majority of those students enrolled in that class fit the bill of needing [a new] career due to COVID.”

“Now, if you have 10 students that are non-COVID-related and one that [is], I struggle with it,” added Commission Chairman Lee Livingston.

If it turns out that most of the enrollment was unrelated to the pandemic, “We’re relying on you guys to shoot square with us and come back to go back and say, ‘Well, this is how much we’re going to give back to you,’” Livingston said.

Wetzel said the foundation would do that and accept the responsibility of spending the money correctly.

She initially suggested putting $250,000 worth of the funds into an endowment to support workforce training, but commissioners nixed the idea, believing it wouldn’t qualify.

The foundation was also reimbursed for the $34,857 it spent to underwrite a freshman seminar course last summer. Worth three college credits, the free course gave 76 students a chance to check out NWC’s online instruction. The intent, Wetzel explained, was to help them become familiar and comfortable with remote learning and encourage them to take classes last fall. The foundation plans to sponsor a similar course this spring, using more CARES funding to cover the roughly $30,000 cost.

Wetzel had put together a broad proposal, hoping to ensure all of the county’s $600,388 was used. She said she hated to see any of the funds go unspent at a time when NWC “is working so hard to build new programs [to] meet community demand for workforce training.”

“And given the huge budget cuts we are facing, this support is especially important,” Wetzel added; a pending $2.6 million reduction from the state is expected to result in layoffs at NWC.

Local churches — $59,239.28

As the pandemic began upending lives last year, First Presbyterian Church of Cody set up the Cody Interfaith COVID-19 Relief Fund. It assisted 55 individuals and families, primarily in Cody and Powell. Most of the $36,484.39 from the fund went to help people pay rent or deposits, but the church also assisted with utilities and a couple medical bills.

While seeking to provide “as much support as quickly as possible,” organizer Ole Sondeno said the First Presbyterian Church vetted the applications and wound up rejecting 44 of the 99 submitted.

“When we are unable to provide assistance, we do our best to point the individual to another community group who may be able to help with their unique circumstances so that no individual nor family is left out,” Sondeno added.

Three other Park County churches also received CARES dollars from the county. 

St. Barbara’s Catholic Church of Powell was reimbursed $9,499 for rent, food, gas and utility payments it made to assist residents who experienced difficulties amid the pandemic last year. Similarly, Hope Lutheran Church in Powell was reimbursed $1,783 for assistance it provided and for cleaning supplies and masks it purchased.

Meanwhile, the Cody House of Prayer Evangelical Church received $9,882 to cover losses it suffered last year; due to a drop in contributions and mandatory closures at its daycare, True North Academy, the organization went from a net income of nearly $48,000 in 2019 to a roughly $11,500 loss last year.

“We are not sure what all we will qualify for, but we sure appreciate you taking the time to review our application,” wrote Pastor Ben Bogardus.

Commissioner Joe Tilden pointed out that the Cody House of Prayer Evangelical’s application had “no explanation of how they’re going to spend these funds moving forward.”

However, “If they get the money, I’m sure it’ll be used for beneficial things,” Tilden said. “If they have people in their congregation that are sick with COVID-19 and they need some food, I’m sure they’ll give them some food.”

Livingston also noted that “they’ve signed on the bottom line that the funds .. are going to be expended, COVID-related.”

“There seems to be some gray area,” offered Commissioner Scott Mangold before the vote to approve.

“Dark gray,” said Commissioner Dossie Overfield.

Cody Medical Foundation — $27,000

The pandemic forced the Cody Medical Foundation to scrap an annual fundraiser, that typically brings in $30,000-$40,000, said President H.R. Coe.

Commissioners wondered how the foundation would spend the CARES funds, but Tilden, who sits on the nonprofit’s board, said all the money would eventually be spent on COVID-19-related issues. The Cody foundation spent $32,000 last year to purchase masks for Powell, Cody and Meeteetse and to help buy ventilators for West Park Hospital.

Baseball, hockey and recreation — $24,686

Although American Legion baseball was canceled on the national level, Wyoming pressed forward with a modified season last year.

Still, the pandemic forced the Powell Pioneers to change the annual taco dinner from a large indoor event to a smaller outdoor one, and the squad raised only about half of what it had in 2019.

“We cannot do what we do for the kids and this program without financial support from our community,” Board President Cayde O’Brien wrote to commissioners, “and with your help we can offset the impacts [COVID-19] continues to have.”

Commissioners awarded $24,686 to cover: the purchase of a van to transport players to out-of-town tournaments and games (O’Brien said it would keep players separated and create more social distancing); automated soap dispensers in all four bathrooms and the two concession stands; plexiglass panels for the concession stands; and $1,600 worth of sanitizing supplies purchased last season.

Commissioners had some discussion about whether the van — expected to cost between $16,000 and $22,000 — qualified as COVID-related, but agreed it did.

“If that’s how they’re justifying it, I guess I’m not going to argue with them,” Livingston said.

Meanwhile, commissioners awarded the Yellowstone Quake hockey team $14,225. Between canceled games, limited attendance and an altered schedule, revenue from tickets, beer and raffles tickets were effectively halved, Quake President Chris Hatfield said, resulting in roughly $13,235 in losses. Added cleaning supplies, PPE for players and coaches and limits on the numbers of players who can stay in one motel room added $6,225 in expenses.

Hatfield called it an “extremely difficult year.”

The Quake organization will use the CARES funding to replace 30 sets of gloves, face shields and helmets, plus 60 water bottles and an air purifier.

Commissioners also awarded $4,817 to the Cody Recreation Foundation, which was unable to hold its regular Spin Cody Fundraiser last year. The foundation plans to spend the money on chemicals needed to operate the Splash Park at Cody’s Mentock Park, as the chemicals have been in higher demand amid the pandemic and therefore pricier.

Youth Clubs of Park County — $17,675

Despite receiving more than $312,000 in other CARES Act funding distributed by the federal and state governments, the Youth Clubs of Park County’s revenue in 2020 still fell $123,400 short of the same period in 2019, Executive Director Tina Bernard told commissioners.

Bernard initially asked the county to consider covering the Youth Clubs’ entire $123,393.25 “shortfall,” saying the organization would waive membership fees to all families until the money was used up. However, after commissioners balked, she revised the request to $17,675, representing the revenue the Powell and Cody clubs lost while they were closed in 2020, and during a month they offered free admission.

The Youth Clubs said they would use the money to temporarily waive all membership fees again this year, although commissioners questioned whether that was COVID-related.

“I’m not sure this passes the smell test,” Livingston said, noting that not every family was financially impacted by the novel coronavirus; he suggested it would make more sense to waive fees when a family demonstrated pandemic-related need.

However, commissioners ultimately approved the Youth Clubs’ $17,675 request, with Livingston saying they should distribute as much funding as possible. Thiel suggested the clubs should have requested more, potentially by claiming the demolition of an old building in Powell as COVID-related.

”Why in the hell are they leaving so much damn money out on the table?” Thiel said. “They could take every bit of our money left, as far as I’m concerned ...”

Additional recipients

Though it did not receive $30,000 to buy land for a new senior center, the Powell Senior Citizens’ Center did receive an $8,880 reimbursement to cover meals it provided free of charge last year. Meanwhile the Powell Elks Club and American Legion Post received $10,341 and $5,586, respectively, for providing similar assistance. The Mannahouse Food Pantry in Cody, which reported a significant increase in demand, received $2,676 to help cover additional food purchases, hand sanitizer, masks and gloves.

Additionally, Crisis Intervention received $8,000 to cover overtime that staffers had to work when volunteers were sidelined by COVID restrictions. And Soroptimist International of Powell received $2,500 after pledging to award the funding to people who are facing needs because of COVID.

Northwest Wyoming Family Planning, Dano Youth Camp, the Cody Senior Center and Powell Valley Recycling also received funds to help offset personal protective equipment they had to purchase. 

Commissioners did reject a few requests: from Mountain Spirit Habitat for Humanity and Cody Community Theater (failing to see how their spending would be related to COVID), The Allen Foundation of Cody (because it works in Africa), the Muley Fanatic Foundation and Sleep in Heavenly Peace (they’re headquartered outside Park County) and from Gottsche Rehab & Wellness (feeling the organization didn’t qualify for the aid since it charges for its services).