$270,000 Grant Awarded to E3

The Sidney Community Donor-Advised Fund, an affiliated fund of Nebraska Community Foundation, has made a grant totaling $270,000 to Cheyenne County’s local e3 chapter (Energizing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems) to continue to foster local growth in entrepreneurship and economic development. The local chapter of e3 began last year as a pilot program in six communities through the Nebraska Community Foundation. The mission of the local e3 chapter is to develop a network of resources in Sidney & Cheyenne County to drive opportunity through sustained investments in entrepreneurship and community improvement.

The $270,000 grant is the first of many initiatives the group plans to leverage to continue to support Cheyenne County’s future health. The initial grant will provide salary and benefits for the county’s first Entrepreneurial Navigator. The purpose of the role is to provide resources to new and existing small business owners. “Ideally, this individual will be one of the first points of contact for someone who is interested in starting their own business. This position can overview all the incentives and programs Cheyenne County offers to help a business launch.” E3 team lead Sarah Sinnett stated. “This role is meant to partner with local small businesses to learn about their hurdles and then provide them with direction, programs, or resources to help overcome those obstacles and thrive in Cheyenne County.” noted e3 member Cory Keen. E3 plans to post and hire for the role in January with a starting salary of $60,000. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply. “We are looking for a candidate who is passionate about helping Cheyenne County grow and has a track record of building a successful program from the ground up.” Sinnett said.

Among other initiatives the team plans to fund in the next 5 years include:

• Hiring a technical/grant writer who can help business owners complete business plans and well as apply for grants for all of Cheyenne County

• Investing in Entrepreneurial education through formal partnerships with Sidney High School and WNCC

• Creating a local investment club to assist small business owners with gap financing

• Funding and mentoring new business owners

“We are so grateful to the Sidney Donor Advised fund for supporting our initiatives and we look forward to e3’s continued growth to support Sidney and Cheyenne County.” Team member Melissa Norgard commented. “E3 has been and will continue to be an impactful resource for our local businesses.”