As developments continue to unfold in response to the spread of COVID-19, we know many small businesses have questions about implications in the workplace and funding options to help bolster their businesses during this difficult time. We are compiling relevant tips and resources and information on new funding opportunities and policy developments that we are sharing on our website and through online presentations. We will be posting daily updates to this page with useful information about the ways small businesses can prepare for the impact of COVID-19 on their business and community.
Businesses in the cities of Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco are eligible to join a grant program for up to $10,000. Grant recipients will be chosen by lottery. To be eligible, businesses must have revenue under $1M, have been in business since March 2019, and have a physical location that was open to the public as of March 1. Sole proprietors are eligible. Applications are accepted through Aug. 14, with the first lottery drawing on July 17.
Area served: Oakland, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, California Audience: Small Business Owners, Self-employed
To help businesses on their path to recovery, TMC Community Capital is offering grant support made possible by Signature Bank and TMC Financing. Complete applications will be entered into the lottery for selection. Ten businesses will be drawn every Monday, Wednesday and Friday until all funds are dispersed. View website for further eligibility requirements.
Area served: San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles, California Audience: Small Business Owners, Self-employed
The COVID-19 Business Assistance Program is administered by the County of Riverside and consists of two federally funded loan programs, including the US Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration (USEDA) to support small businesses in the County of Riverside.
Area served: County of Riverside, California Audience: Small Business Owners
The Cities of Redding, Shasta Lake, and Anderson, and the County of Shasta, in partnership with the Redding Chamber of Commerce, are excited to announce a special COVID-19 Relief Grant Program for Micro-Enterprise Businesses. The program is designed to provide $5,000 in grant funding to about 140 of the smallest businesses in the greater community – those that were likely hit the hardest during the pandemic.
Area served: Redding, Shasta Lake, Anderson, and the outlying areas of Shasta County, California Audience: Small Business Owners
Funds are available for Black-owned businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic and recent protests. Phase 1 will provide immediate response funds for repairing damages, providing storefront protection, and replacing equipment losses as a result of protests and looting.
Area served: Oakland, California Audience: Small Business Owners
This program will support our local small businesses by reimbursing and/or offsetting costs and impacts directly related to complying with COVID-19 related business protocols and providing support to all eligible County businesses who apply for the program. Prior to receiving funding, San Bernardino County small businesses must demonstrate compliance with State/County public health orders, and incorporate safety and social distancing practices and measures in their business operations.
Area served: San Bernardino, California Audience: Small Business Owners
South County EDC is offering a no-interest loan to eating establishments in South San Diego County. This small infusion of funds is intended to assist South County small restaurants to remain open and continue to provide meals during this national emergency.
Area served: San Diego, California Audience: Small Business Owners
The COVID-19 Relief Grant is a special program designed to help eligible for-profit micro-enterprise businesses with a grant up to $5,000 per brick and mortar business. Businesses that have received a PPP loan or other SBA funding, including an EIDL, during this COVID-19 crisis are not eligible to apply. View website for further eligibility criteria.
Area served: Redding, Shasta Lake, Trinity, California Audience: Small Business Owners
The Small Business Emergency Microloan Program provides 0-interest financing needed to strengthen small business enterprises that have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Area served: Los Angeles, California Audience: Small Business Owners
**Update** Interest-free loans can help residents of LA and Ventura get through the financial part of the Covid-19 crisis by offering loans without collateral, any interest, or fees. Interest free loans up to $18,000 are available for small businesses. No-fee, zero interest loans for business owners in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Area served: Los Angeles, Ventura counties, California Audience: Small Business Owners
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA) is a newly announced program that will provide Midwestern dairy farmers and dairy-related businesses with financial and technical support. This initiative, a joint effort coordinated by the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) and the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA), was designed to support and promote the diversification and addition of value-added products to the Midwest dairy industry.
Audience: Small Business Owners
USDA’s Farm Service Agency is accepting CFAP applications now through August 28, 2020.
USDA launched the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to help farmers and ranchers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of $16 billion will be available in direct payments to agricultural producers and $3 billion in food purchases.
Audience: Small Business Owners
Apply for grants up to $50,000 to support business growth, including $10,000 emergency COVID-19 Business for All Grants to help small businesses in crisis. Business for All is a national movement to lift up 100,000 small business owners to receive funding
Audience: Small Business Owners
Connect2Capital is an online marketplace of nonprofit lenders. Fill out a short form to get connected to a network of lenders that may be able to help.
Audience: Small Business Owners
325 U.S. community foundations in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, have created relief funds to support those affected by COVID-19, directing critical relief to local nonprofits and partnering with local governments and health organizations to help contain its spread.
Audience: Small Business Owners, Non-profits
The Amber Grants began in 1998. It was launched by WomensNet to honor the memory of a young woman, Amber Wigdahl, who died at the age of 19 – unable to fulfill her entrepreneurial dreams. In 2020, the Amber Grant has been doubled to $4,000. Earn any Amber Grant through November, 2020, and you’ll be eligible for an additional $25,000 grant at the end of this year.
Audience: Small Business Owners, Self-employed, Non-profits
* UPDATE - Congress on July 1 passed an extension to the Paycheck Protection Program, giving businesses until Aug. 8, 2020, to apply. *
The CARES Act and subsequent legislation include $659 billion for federally guaranteed loans for small businesses, sole proprietors, self-employed individuals and independent contractors affected by the COVID-19 crisis. These loans can be forgiven if the proceeds are spent on payroll, benefits, mortgage interest, rent and utilities. SBA has issued interim rules for both employer businesses as well as the self-employed that answer many questions on determining eligibility and other components of these programs.
Audience: Small Business Owners, Self-employed
A list of crowdfunding platforms that have created special COVID-19 relief initiatives for U.S.-based campaigns.
Audience: Small Business Owners, Self-employed
No current or previous farm ownership requirements and 100 percent financing available make FSA direct farm ownership loans a valuable resource to help farmers and ranchers become owner-operators of family farms, improve and expand current operations, increase agricultural productivity, and assist with land tenure to save farmland for future generations. FSA’s Direct Farm Ownership loans are used to: buy a farm or ranch, enlarge an existing farm or ranch, make a down payment on a farm, purchase of easements, construct, purchase or improve farm dwellings, service buildings or other facilities and improvements essential to the farm operation, promote soil and water conservation and protection, pay loan closing costs.
Audience: Small Business Owners, Self-employed
The SBA recently released its PPP Loan Forgiveness Application form. We are providing highlights and examples from the form below to help guide you through the process. If you have specific questions not covered here, please ask on our Community page where you can engage with business experts and other small business owners. The SBA has announced that it will begin accepting forgiveness application forms on August 10.
Audience: Small Business Owners, Self-employed, Non-profits
An alternative loan option for those seeking commercial lending assistance is the Guaranteed Farm Loan Program. Farm Service Agency works with USDA-approved banks and other commercial lenders. You apply for these loans through the approved lender and agree to their terms and conditions. Guaranteed Farm Loans are only available for family farmers or ranchers and must be used for farm ownership and operating expenses.
Audience: Small Business Owners, Self-employed
$5,000 grants available to women entrepreneurs to help alleviate immediate concerns.
Audience: Small Business Owners
With state-mandated lockdowns and business closures, small business owners across the country are struggling to pay employees, rent, overhead costs and more. Now more than ever, it is important to be wary of predatory lenders as you seek out capital to keep your business afloat. Our guide to avoiding predatory lending includes guidelines for applying for PPP and EIDL, a checklist to determine if a loan is predatory and an outline of the Small Business Borrowers' Bill of Rights.
This document has been translated into Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Burmese, Khmer, Hmong, Bangladeshi, Nepali, Bhutanese, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Thai, Lao, Tagalog, Samoan, Tongan and Marshallese in partnership with the National Coalition for Asian Pacific Americans Community Development with a grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
Audience: Small Business Owners, Self-employed, Non-profits
The maximum loan amount for this loan is $400,000. There is no down payment requirement. Interest rates are calculated monthly and are posted on the 1st of each month. The purpose of the loan must be essential to the success of the farming or ranching operation. The funds may be used to purchase equipment, seed, livestock, and other necessities. They can be used to refinance certain farm-related debts (excluding real estate). Repayment terms vary from 1 to 7 years. The length of the loan depends on the amount and purpose of the loan. Collateral is required. Collateral for farm operating loans may be required up to 150% of the value of the loan.
Audience: Small Business Owners, Self-employed
Intuit Aid Assist—a free service for everyone—helps U.S.-based businesses, self-employed, contractors, freelancers, and gig workers understand different business relief programs available due to the COVID-19 crisis. Start with a loan eligibility assessment or get an estimate with loan calculators.
Audience: Small Business Owners, Self-employed
To help address some of these challenges, Google is offering more than $400 million in Google Ad credits to small businesses.
Audience: Small Business Owners
The focus of Microloans is on the financing needs of small, beginning farmer, niche and non-traditional farm operations, such as truck farms, farms participating in direct marketing and sales such as farmers’ markets, CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture), restaurants and grocery stores, or those using hydroponic, aquaponic, organic and vertical growing methods.
Audience: Small Business Owners, Self-employed
Below is a list of lending institutions that we believe are accepting PPP applications from new clients. We advise checking with your existing bank to see if they are offering PPP, or using the SBA’s lender search feature to find a lender near you. We are updating this list daily; however, this list is not exhaustive, nor are we able to verify at this time that the institutions listed below are successfully processing PPP applications. We will update this list as we learn more. For any errors or omissions, please contact [email protected].
Nonprofit lenders
Audience: Small Business Owners, Self-employed
RCAC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides training, technical and financial resources and advocacy so rural communities can achieve their goals and visions. RCAC’s Small Business Loan Program assists businesses to retain or create jobs and thus improve the economic condition of rural communities. This program offers short-term loans (up to $250k) for working capital and lines of credit as well as long-term loans for real estate and equipment. Most small businesses rely on lenders to provide the capital they need for acquisitions, capital improvements, business expansions and to bridge cash flow gaps. Without loans, many small business owners would be unable to realize their dreams of running their own business or expanding their operations. RCAC’s business loans are tailored to the needs of the particular business with flexible terms and requirements.
Audience: Small Business Owners
The SBA has issued additional guidance around how self-employed individuals and independent contractors can qualify for the Paycheck Protection Program.
Audience: Small Business Owners
Round 5 application period is now closed. Register to be notified of the next round opening August 31st.
Grants to small business owners to help meet their most immediate needs. Eligible expenses include: paying rent and utilities, meeting payroll, paying outstanding debt to vendors, upgrading technology infrastructure and other immediate operational costs.
Audience: Small Business Owners
***Update*** The portal is reopen for all businesses. If you have previously applied and not heard a decision, do not reapply. This portal is for new applications only. Check the SBA website for more information.
Audience: Small Business Owners, Self-employed, Non-profits
As part of the Small Business Relief Initiative, GoFundMe, Intuit QuickBooks, Yelp, GoDaddy, and Bill.com have each donated to the Small Business Relief Fund. GoFundMe.org, the charitable and advocacy arm of GoFundMe, started the Small Business Relief Fund to benefit small businesses. Supporters can donate to the Small Business Relief Fund, which will issue $500 matching grants to qualifying businesses that raise at least $500 on GoFundMe. More partners will be announced in relation to this initiative at a later date.
Audience: Small Business Owners
Application opens and closes on a rolling basis. Next round opens on Aug 31. LISC is offering grants to help small businesses fill urgent financial gaps until they can resume normal operations or until other more permanent financing becomes available. The funding will go to make grants of up to $10,000, especially to entrepreneurs of color, women-owned businesses and other enterprises in historically under-served places who don’t have access to flexible, affordable capital.
Audience: Small Business Owners, Self-employed
Kiva is a non-profit that expands access to capital for entrepreneurs around the world. More than 2.5 million people have raised over $1 billion on Kiva.
0% interest loans up to $15,000 through crowdfunding
Audience: Small Business Owners
Applications will open in August!
Facebook is committing $100 million to the Black business community in the US. This includes $25 million in support of Black content creators and $75 million in grants of cash and ad credits to support Black-owned small businesses and nonprofits supporting the Black community.
Audience: Small Business Owners, Non-profits
*UPDATE - Applications closed* PayPal Empowerment Grants for Black Businesses Program, which will award up to $10,000 to more than 1,000 black-owned businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19 and civil unrest.
Audience: Small Business Owners
**Update** Salesforce is partnering with Ureeka to offer eligible small businesses the opportunity to receive a $10,000 grant to help them through the COVID-19 outbreak. Navigate below to see if you are eligible and how to continue with an application.
Salesforce will soon be offering $10,000 grants to U.S. small businesses to provide capital to help them weather this crisis. Applications open on April 24.
Audience: Small Business Owners
This fund provides over $1 Million for small minority and women of color-owned businesses. Shea has three different initiatives companies can apply for.
Audience: Small Business Owners
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is offering grants of $5,000 to small businesses impacted. The grant application opens on April 20. To qualify, you must: Employ between 3 and 20 people; be located in an economically vulnerable community; have been harmed financially by the COVID-19 pandemic
Audience: Small Business Owners
Up to 30,000 eligible small businesses will be able to receive a grant (cash and ad credits) from Facebook, which is allocating $100 million for the program. Applications open April 18 in New York and Seattle, April 20 in San Francisco and April 22 in other eligible cities.
Audience: Small Business Owners
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