New Survey to Gauge Local Impact of COVID-19
The 95th Street Beverly Hills Business Association and the MPBHBA have partnered to create a brief survey for our local businesses. Our goal is to gather information for our advocacy efforts and to share it with local elected officials and government agencies working on future financial aid packages for small businesses.
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Beverly Bakery Installs Protective Shields for Customers, Employees
Keyser Chicago, a digital signage company in Evergreen Park, recently supplied Beverly Bakery and Cafe with protective shields inside their retail store. These clear barriers allow customers to safely interact with bakery employees to purchase coffee beans, baked goods, and other menu items.
Keyser is a family-owned small business operating in Evergreen Park for nearly 60 years. They were founded in 1962 under the name “Florida Plastics” and manufactured McDonald’s first indoor menu board. Their protective shields of acrylic or glass are an ideal solution for businesses seeking to make their public spaces safer for employees and customers alike. To learn more about their protective shields, please send an email to Keyser.
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Apply Now for These Grant Opportunities
Most businesses are experiencing disruptions resulting from the pandemic, and we know that a little financial support can go a long way. Below are some grants offered by private businesses to assist local businesses during the current crisis.
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Facebook | Facebook Small Business Grants Program
Timeframe: Opens | Apr. 20, 2020, 10:00 AM (EDT); Deadline | May 6, 2020 11:59 PM (EDT)
Amount: Offering a $4000 grant for the recipients in the US; $2500 cash, and $1500 in optional ads credits
Eligibility: (1) Be a for-profit company; (2) Have between 2 and 50 employees; (3) Have been in business for over a year; (4) Have experienced challenges from COVID-19; (5) Be in or near one of the 27 locations where Facebook operates [Chicago/Cook County is one of their locations]
Other Info: (A) Applicants don’t have to have Facebook or Instagram accounts; (B) Emphasis on Minority, Women and Veteran-owned businesses; (C) Also offering gift card and fundraising tools; (D) Applications are decisioned within a month, and are not first come-first served; (E) To complete your application, you’ll need at least one of the following documents: FEIN, Official Business Registration, Business License
For additional resources about how you can help your business prepare for and manage through disruptions like COVID-19, visit their recently-launched Business Resource Hub.
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Hello Alice | Business for All Grants
Hello Alice is a free, predictive technology, multi-channel platform that guides business owners by providing access to funding, networks and services. They have launched a funding and mentorship program for entrepreneurs that is open to anyone but that has a special focus on women, people of color, LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs with disabilities, and those affiliated with the military. Business owners may apply for grants of up to $50,000 to support business growth, including $10,000 emergency COVID-19 Business for All Grants to help small businesses in crisis. In addition to funding, grant recipients will receive ongoing support from the Hello Alice community.
Timeframe: General Business for All Grant applications are due September 25, 2020 at 12:00 am PT. $10,000 COVID-19 Business for All Grants are awarded on a rolling basis.
Amount: $250,000 in growth grants will be awarded to Business for All applicants; One grand prize winner will receive a $50,000 business grant, Two runners up will each receive a $25,000 business grant, Twelve finalists will each receive a $10,000 business grant, Three business / entrepreneur support organizations (nominated by you!) will each receive a $10,000 grant to continue their work in supporting business owners; Hello Alice is also offering $10,000 COVID-19 Business for All Grants being distributed immediately to small business owners impacted by coronavirus.
Eligibility: (1) Must be a legal resident of the U.S., excluding Puerto Rico; (2) At least 18 years of age or older; (3)Must be a legal for-profit business entity based in the U.S.; (4) Applicant must be the business owner who is the Founder and/or leading executive (President, CEO, CFO, COO, or any such other similar title.)
As an additional resource, Hello Alice has also launched their COVID-19 Business Resource Center which is updated daily, with real-world funding, resources, and support for small business owners adapting to the impacts of coronavirus.
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LISC | Verizon Small Business Recovery Fund
Small businesses across the country are confronting extreme economic challenges as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Financial support at this critical time can make the difference between staying in business or closing permanently, leading to lost income, jobs and economic stability. Thanks to a $2.5 million investment from Verizon, we are offering grants to help small businesses fill urgent financial gaps until they can resume normal operations or until other more permanent financing becomes available.
Timeframe: Applications must be submitted by Tuesday, April 28 at 11:59PM EST. Applications are being accepted in “rounds”. A round is open for one week and then closed. Dates for each round are posted on the LISC website.
Amount: Grants will be made in the amounts of $5,000, $7,500, and $10,000.
Eligibility: Applicants may apply for one business only and must be 18 years of age to apply. For business owners with multiple businesses, please complete this application based on your largest business owned. Each grant is limited to one grant per individual and business tax ID.
Awards will be made to qualified businesses, and eligibility is based on accurate and complete submission. Priority will be given to minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses.
All awardees will have to certify that they are promoting the best interests of the community and are negatively impacted by the Covid-19 crisis.
Non-profit organizations are ineligible for this funding. Be sure to check LISC’s Covid-19 Resource Page: https://www.lisc.org/covid-19/covid-resources/ for the latest resources available to non-profit organizations and individuals.
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The Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation and GlobalGiving | The Red Backpack Fund
Since its inception, Spanx and The Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation have been dedicated to elevating and supporting women through entrepreneurship. Knowing the ripple effect that empowering women can have to strengthen neighborhoods, cities and countries, The Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation donated $5 million to support female entrepreneurs in the wake of COVID-19 and teamed up with GlobalGiving to establish The Red Backpack Fund. GlobalGiving will be overseeing the fund, making 1,000 grants of $5,000 each to female entrepreneurs in the U.S. to help alleviate the immediate needs and support the long-term recovery of those impacted by this crisis.
Timeframe: Between May and September 2020; The first round of applications was open from April 6 at 12pm ET through April 12 at 11:59pm ET. Final grant recipients will be notified by the week of May 11. Each month, we will accept additional applications. The portal will open for applications again on May 4, June 1, July 6, and August 3.
Amount: GlobalGiving, via The Red Backpack Fund, will award at least 1,000 emergency assistance grants to majority women-owned businesses and nonprofits in the U.S. Each grant will be $5,000.
Eligibility: Majority women-owned businesses and nonprofits with annual revenues less than $5M, at least one additional paid employee and fewer than 50 individuals on staff. Sole proprietors are not currently eligible to apply. Businesses must be in good standing and incorporated as a legal entity, and be able to demonstrate that the Covid-19 pandemic is causing hardship.
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Yelp and GoFundMe | Small Business Relief Fund
Together, Yelp and GoFundMe are making it easy for people to donate directly to the businesses they love and support their communities. By leveraging Yelp’s opt-in program, business owners claim their GoFundMe fundraiser with the click of a button. It will be displayed on the business’s Yelp page, giving more visibility to the fundraiser.
The Yelp Foundation and GoFundMe have pledged to match up to $1 million in total donations from matching grants made possible by the Small Business Relief Fund. The Fund is managed by GoFundme.org and will make a $500 matching grant for the first 2,000 eligible businesses that claim or otherwise start their fundraising page on GoFundMe and raise $500.
Timeframe: Started on March 24; Ends when fund is depleted.
Amount: Through the Small Business Relief Fund, qualifying businesses that have raised at least $500 on GoFundMe can receive a matching $500 grant.
Eligibility: To be eligible to join the matching initiative, businesses must: (a) be in the United States, (b) have claimed their business on Yelp by March 22, 2020, and (c) have five or fewer locations. Additionally, businesses must (d) be listed in at least one of the following categories: Restaurants, Food, Nightlife, Beauty/Spas/Salons, or Active, though some exceptions apply; (d) have been negatively impacted by a government mandate due to the COVID-19 pandemic, (e) be independently owned and operated and not nationally dominant in their field, and (f) intend to use funds to either to help care for their employees / workers or pay ongoing business expenses.
To start your fundraiser with Yelp and GoFundMe, log in to your Yelp for Business account, and if you’re eligible, beginning April 8 you will see a pop-up window allowing you to create a fundraiser on GoFundMe. After you complete the process on GoFundMe, the fundraiser will appear on your Yelp Business Page. Your fundraiser could be eligible for matching funds.
The $500 matching grant program is in addition to a $25 million relief program, which Yelp announced on March 20, primarily focused on supporting independent, local restaurant and nightlife businesses, in the form of waived advertising fees and free advertising, products, and services during this period. On April 23, Yelp extended this relief program through May 25, 2020.
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