Downtown Lansing Inc. fundraiser hits halfway mark with 11 days left

THURSDAY, April 30 — Downtown Lansing, Inc. has 11 days left to reach its $30,000 fundraising goal for its “Downtown Lansing Has HEART” crowdfunding campaign with partners Patronicity and Lake Trust Credit Union.

The campaign, which has already received $14,495 from donors, is designed to help create a mortgage and rent assistance fund for Lansing businesses as they hold out for the end of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The more we raise, the more businesses we can help,” said Cathleen Edgerly, executive director of Downtown Lansing Inc.

The fund will be doled in the form of $3,000 grants. Local businesses interested in applying for the grant must meet the following criteria:

- Located in within District A of the downtown.

- Based around face-to-face/in-person contact (i.e. salons, barbershops, storefront retailers, restaurants.)

- Have 20 or fewer employees (with a preference toward businesses with fewer than 10 employees and sole proprietors.)

Downtown Lansing Inc. says the fund is designed to supplement resources currently available to local businesses, such as the programs sponsored by Lansing Economic Area Partnership and Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Downtown Lansing Inc. is also organizing a weeklong grand reopening celebration for downtown businesses once shelter-in-place orders are lifted. Edgerly said if you cannot make a monetary donation, something as simple as liking a Facebook page can be a great help.

“COVID has crippled many local businesses that serve as the heart and soul of our community. It’s been heartening to see all of the people that are focused on supporting their small local businesses,” Edgerly said. “We see the heart, and that’s what really inspired ‘Downtown Lansing Has Heart.’”