Fort Dodge businesses can now apply for a grant to help them recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Ogden Newspapers Inc., the parent company of The Messenger, has established a $1 million fund to help local businesses get back to full strength by subsidizing local marketing efforts through matching advertising dollars.

”We know businesses and workers here are hurting,” said Terry Christensen, publisher of The Messenger. ”We’re hurting, too. But if we can pull together as a community, we can weather this. Here at The Messenger, we want to do everything we can to help everyone get through the pandemic and get back to work. With these matching grants, we can help local businesses tell their story as they rebuild.”

Businesses operating in the Fort Dodge market can apply for a grant of up to $15,000 today at ogdennews.com/community-grant. Applicants will receive a response to their application within one to two business days.

The fund is open to all locally owned and operated businesses impacted by the coronavirus, Christensen said, whether or not they are Messenger advertisers. Grant money can be used for local print and online advertising in The Messenger and on www.messengernews.net between April 1 and June 30, 2020.

”I commend The Messenger for their engagement and recognition that it is important to reverse the economic effects of the pandemic as quickly as possible,” said Dennis Plautz, chief executive officer of the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance. ”They truly recognize the value that they and all of us play in developing and maintaining a vibrant economy. So again, thank you Ogden Newspapers and Fort Dodge Messenger for your contribution with this effort to help local businesses recover from the coronavirus.”

”A community newspaper is only as strong as the community it serves,” said Robert Nutting, chief executive officer of Ogden Newspapers. ”As a family-owned business operating for almost 130 years, we have learned that the only way to pull through the hard times is to stand with your partners and customers. We are proud to offer this assistance to the local businesses that form the backbone of the communities where we publish.”

For more information and to apply, visit ogdennews.com/community-grant.

Ogden Newspapers operates more than 40 daily newspapers across the country, plus a number of weekly newspapers and a magazine division.