Stanislaus County’s popular pandemic relief program RAD Card expands to new county
The RAD Card is getting even radder, especially if you live in San Joaquin County.
The gift card app that launched in downtown Modesto has since spread throughout Stanislaus County and is now expanding to San Joaquin County cities. The mobile phone-based app has become a popular pandemic program as a way to support local businesses and give shoppers some free money courtesy of large infusions of federal COVID-19 relief dollars.
New San Joaquin County cities added to the app last week include Ripon, Tracy, Manteca, Stockton, Lodi and Woodbridge. Users can select any of the cities (or split between cities) and receive up to $100 in matching funds when loading money into the app.
The expansion into neighboring San Joaquin County is being funded by $1 million from county’s budget reserves, as the county’s federal COVID-relief money from the American Rescue Plan is not available yet, said Josh Bridegroom, president and CEO of the Downtown Modesto Partnership.
He said increasing the card’s reach outside of Stanislaus County will still help the county.
“The longer the app is around, the more (municipalities) are saying they want to be a part of it,” he said. “It also benefits our district of downtown Modesto by just continuing to exist and have more people find out about it.”
First launched last August, the RAD Card (which stands for Relief Across Downtown) started as a privately funded program through the Downtown Modesto Partnership. The initial round of $150,000 matching funds was provided by donors.
But by November of last year, the program got a massive upgrade in funding from Stanislaus County. The county gave $1 million of its federal coronavirus-relief money from the CARES Act as matching funds, which then broadened the program’s scope outside of its downtown Modesto origins.
That was followed in December by another $1 million infusion of CARES Act money from Stanislaus County. That latest round of funding ran out in March.
Now the program is awaiting the transfer of $650,000 from the city of Modesto to expand the program in the city beyond its downtown. The city will use money from the most recent federal relief program, the American Rescue Plan. Bridegroom said he expects those funds to be available in the next couple of weeks.
If you’ve already received the maximum $100 in matching funds from the RAD Card in the past, you should be eligible for another match in either San Joaquin County or Modesto (when the city’s money comes through). Bridegroom said people can receive the match with each new donor round of funding.
So, theoretically, someone who has loaded money onto the card with each donor round in the past could have gotten up to $300 in matching funds by this point. Who said there’s no such thing as a free lunch?
But the matching funds aren’t retroactive, so if you missed a donor round you can’t go back and apply. Instead you’ll have to wait for the next one. And once the relief money is depleted, the matching funds aren’t available anymore to anyone. So if you want to take advantage, sign up as soon as new donor matches are available.
Time is, as always, of the essence – especially when it comes to free money.
It could extend beyond Stanislaus, San Joaquin counties
San Joaquin County is currently in the soft launch of its program. Bridegroom said he’s had interest from several communities about either joining the RAD Card or launching their own. So far, a little over 200 businesses across the two counties are participating, but more San Joaquin places should soon join the program.
Bridegroom said he has been talking with El Dorado County, Placerville and Bakersfield officials about administering Rad Card programs for their regions as well. So the card app, and its matching funds, could be seen in places much farther from home soon.
He was also heartened by people using the app to pay at local establishments without the matching funds. The RAD Card does not charge any processing or service fees, another perk and way to get money directly to businesses and consumers during the pandemic.
He said some $70,000 to $80,000 dollars has been loaded into the app without matching funds so far, and hopes that’s a sign of the program’s staying power. So far, $2.5 million in funds have been spent with the card at area businesses.
As a RAD Card user I can confirm the app is easy to use and a quick, contactless way to pay for meals or shopping in the region. The app is free and easy to download from the Apple App Store or Google Play onto your phone. And you pay by pulling up your QR code in the app and having the business scan it.
As the program grows beyond its roots, may many more people continue to experience its raddness. I mean, who doesn’t like free money?
For more on the RAD Card call the DoMo Partnership at 209-303-0411 or visit www.theradcard.com.
This story was originally published June 16, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
