Our Impact
Since 2020, the CASFFA has demonstrated a consistent commitment to collaboration with government entities, community partners, and small businesses. Together, we advocate for recognizing the vital and distinctive contributions that fitness, health, and wellness facilities make to community development and statewide public health improvement.
Our Results
2020: As fitness, health & wellness-based facilities in California were disproportionally affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic & restrictions/shutdowns, CASFFA Founders, Erica and Maria, relentlessly advocated for grant funding specific to fitness, health & wellness-based facilities.
In December 2020, The CASFFA secured $100,000 in CARES Act funding (in partnership with the City of Sacramento) to administer one-time COVID-19 Relief Small Fitness Facility micro-grants to qualifying small fitness facilities located within the City of Sacramento.
2021: The CASFFA (in partnership with the City of Sacramento) awarded 35 small fitness facilities a one-time COVID-19 Relief Small Fitness Facilities microgrant for $2,500 per business to use toward operating costs. Grants were awarded to small fitness facilities that experienced the most hardship, with an emphasis on facilities located in underserved communities.
See the full list of Grant Recipients here.
Infographic summary of our work here.
In December 2021, The CASFFA secured sponsorship from Sutter Health to administer community health micro-grants to fitness, health, and wellness-based businesses that serve underserved groups and communities in Northern and Central CA.
2022:
In March 2022, The CASFFA awarded three fitness, health, and wellness-based small businesses the CASFFA community health micro-grant that are committed to serving underserved groups and communities in Northern CA. Read a summary of each grantee here. Thanks to Sutter Heath for being a valued sponsor!
Between June-December 2022, The CASFFA partnered with the Sacramento Metro Chamber & MetroBusiness Center , City of Sacramento, Sacramento County, and the Sacramento Inclusive Economic Development Collaborative (SacIEDC) to provide technical assistance and expertise to small business owners and entrepreneurs on various topics including:
Commercial Lease Best Practices Webinar-Part 1 (Held July 13, 2022)
Commercial Lease Best Practices Webinar-Part 2 (Held Sept 14, 2022)
Adapting to AB5 Webinar (Held October 5, 2022)
Confidently Resolve your Top 3 Employee Issues (Held November 16, 2022)
Growing your Business in 2023: How to attract and retain high qualify staff (Held December 21, 2022)
Stay tuned for more impact updates!
—
Sincerely,
Erica & Maria
CASFFA Co-Founders & Co-Directors
The California Small Fitness Facilities Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
CASFFA Technical Assistance and Grant Programs
What Studio Owners Are Saying
“Over the course of the pandemic, both Erica and Maria with the California Small Fitness Facilities Association have helped us here at Fitness Rangers, as well as many more small studios up and down the State, with their advocacy towards small fitness and the importance of fitness in people's everyday lives. From the start of the pandemic, Erica reached out to me immediately to do an interview and I knew right then that she had the small fitness associations backs all through California. Erica and Maria then worked very hard to get us a grant as well as many more small studios within the area that helped tremendously. Since then we have been able to keep our doors open as well as keep our staff. We even built an outdoor gym here at fitness Rangers. Without their help and their constant support over the course of this past year in the pandemic, I think that we would have definitely been lost and had a much more challenging time that we've had. Thank you so much, Erica and Maria, you guys are rock stars! Hoorah!”
— Adam Attia, Fitness Rangers (East Sacramento)
“The California Small Fitness Facilities Association has been a great help to us here at Power Pack Fitness! With the help of a grant that they advocated for us to receive, we were able to purchase heavy bags for our outdoor classes as well as the gain the ability to create an outdoor facility with a staged floor, turf, and high ceiling carport to protect us from the rain. We genuinely appreciate any and all help we have received! Thank you Small Fitness Facilities Association!”
— Brandon and Sofia Ferrante, Power Pack Fitness (Land Park)
“All aspects of our business began to shut down at the end of March. As we scaled back we also experienced the need for costs required to adjust our technology for online services which is quite expensive. We have been operating at the lowest budget we possibly can, and have had to spend significant time, money, and energy recalibrating our business model and navigating the chronically fluctuating requirements and risk assessments. The Small Fitness Grant was a breath of fresh air. Closing in on a year of business hardship these funds gave us a bit of cushion at the perfect time. Since receiving the grant, I have been able to pay our utilities and insurance with ease for the last two months. Small businesses offering fitness services are essential to the health and well being of our communities. I appreciate the effort behind supporting the entire small fitness industry and look forward to more opportunities to keep us thriving in 2021.”
—Amy Nielsen, Center Seven (Oak Park)
“I am extremely thankful for the CA Small Fitness Facilities Association. The funds I received from their program paid for one month's rent and two utility bills. With this help, I found some relief during a time where the bills were much larger than the income. I appreciate the work they are doing in not only providing financial assistance, but also informative with the ever changing tier status and rules of gyms in California in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. Thankful for Erica + Maria for their endless efforts to support a much needed and essential group of small businesses in California.”
— Katie Blomberg, HER Elevated (Midtown)
“The COVID pandemic completely upended my business and created an extreme amount of stress and uncertainty. Erica and Maria with the CA Small Fitness Facilities Association provided me with information, guidance and perhaps most importantly, hope. Over the months, Erica and Maria advocated for small gyms and gave us a voice. I am so grateful for their updates on the closures, assistance in applying for grants and timely responsiveness when I had questions. The CA Small Fitness Facilities Association was an important resource to help my business survive through the closures thus far.”
— Keba Arnold, 9Round (Natomas)
““Erica and Maria from CASFFA provided assistance to my business Breathing Space via webinars and one on one assistance. During webinars, The conversations and contacts with other fitness business owners and real estate attorneys and code enforcement clarified issues unanswered by other sources.” Jill Weston, Breathing Space.”
— Jill Weston, Breathing Space (Elk Grove)
“Erica and Maria have been and continue to be incredible ambassadors fighting for our community of fitness studios as we battle through this unprecedented time. The resources and communication Erica and Maria have provided this past year makes small fitness studios like ours feel like we have someone fighting for us. The grant program that was established and awarded has been invaluable during the financial challenges that COVID and county mandated closures have presented. We are grateful to have Erica and Maria on our side as we look forward to re-opening and providing an exciting new fitness and wellness offering to the Sacramento community.”
— Ramsey Nijem, TrueClmb (Downtown)
“Just a short note to thank you both for your efforts and follow through in establishing the SFFA. When I think back to the very beginning and your willingness to take on this thankless job I watch with admiration as you stayed the course. Your webinars, updates on grants and restrictions our industry had to deal with over the past year have been very helpful and informative…your emails are ones I ALWAYS open. From all of us at Leap Yoga… Thank you.
— Butch Mitchell, Leap Yoga (Folsom)
Since the pandemic, vital fitness, health and wellness programs and services have been disproportionally affected, if not totally eliminated. The CASFFA is here to help.
Since the pandemic, Fitness, Health & Wellness small businesses have experienced industry-specific challenges in continuing to provide our communities with essential fitness, health, and wellness programs and services-especially businesses within their first 5 years. For example, fitness, health, and wellness-based studios have seen: significantly reduced class attendance, a reduction in monthly revenue, lease debts from loss revenue during pandemic shutdowns & restrictions, limited access to small business funding, difficulty with long-term workforce retention, as well as access to professional and technical services needed to stay viable.
The CASFFA’s mission is as follows:
Collaborate with government entities, healthcare providers & community partners to support community fitness, health, and wellness initiatives - and identify communities throughout the state that need it most.
Develop & Administer Grants, Programs & Resources to Small Fitness, Health & Wellness Facilities in California.
Collaborate with & support small business owners/professionals in health, wellness, and fitness spaces, so they can continue to provide inclusive, diverse, accessible, and affordable classes.