November and December 2020
San Francisco Latino Small Business Fund provides zero percent interest rate loans to Latino owned businesses in the city and county. This means the interest rate will be 0% APR. The principal will need to be repair over time. As many as 100 small Latino owned businesses will be provided financial assistance, and this is part of the larger San Francisco Hardship Emergency Loan Program. Apply here https://medasf.org/fondolatinosf/
Monterey County small businesses can get microloans that can provide a few thousand dollars up to $25,000. The California Coastal Rural Development Corporation is running this service in the Salinas as well as County. Latino and Hispanic businesses are given priority. The federal government is also offering funds as part of the CARES program. Learn more. https://www.calcoastal.org/
November 2020
Small businesses in San Francisco can apply for interest free loans from a program known as HELP. Each qualified business, including minority, veteran, LBGTQ, or female can be given up to $50,000. The loan, which as zero percent interest, will need to be repaid within six years. No collateral or no personal guarantee is needed from the borrower either. The city is using state and federal funds as part of the San Francisco Hardship and Emergency Loan Program, or HELP. Apply here. https://oewd.org/sf-help-highlights
September 2020 and October 2020
Downtown Long Beach Alliance (DLBA) as well as the Woman-Owned Business Accelerator (WOBA) and local banks are working to help female owned businesses in Long Beach. Grants, mentoring, advice, budgeting tips, sales help, and more of this “technical assistance”. There will only be a few winners, and each will be giving several thousands dollars (as a free grant) in total. They also need to sign up for a 4 part workshop session to cover social media, financial management, and other tools. Apply here. https://downtownlongbeach.org/invest/grants/woman-owned-%20business-accelerator-grant/
$15,000 grants are being offered from the Santa Cruz County Cares Recovery Program. A focus is on businesses hard hit by COVID, including restaurants, hair dressers, retail and others. Latinos, Black business owners, Asians, women and anyone can apply – there are no restrictions based on age or gender. The free government grants can pay for rent, utilities, inventory, working capital, salaries and other bills. More data here. https://www.sccvitality.org/Business/CARESGrant.aspx
Antioch small businesses can apply for grants of up to $5,000. The funds are coming from government assistance as part of the CARES Act. Up to 60 businesses can get financial help from the free grants, with a majority of the funds to minority and female owned companies in Anticoch. To apply, or learn more, the email address is admin@antiochbusinessgrant.com.
Latina owned small businesses in Los Angeles County can get free grants from a program created by El Pollo Loco, Inc. Up to $500,000 will be provided, with a focus on helping Latino owned food and restaurant small businesses. Learn more. https://www.gofundme.com/f/eplgrants
Santa Barbara Better Together Fund Small Business Grant Program and the city of Santa Maria are offering grants of up to $7500 for small businesses. They are funding businesses and non-profits such as the Women’s Economic Ventures to help small minority as well as female owned businesses in the county. There are applications to the free grants in Spanish as well, and Latino businesses can also apply here. SBFoundation.org/covid-19-business-community-resources/sbbt-small-business-grant-program-guidelines-santa-maria/
Los Angeles County small businesses can apply for grants between $5,000 to $75,000. As many as 6,000 startups, small businesses, and companies will be given financial assistance, with as much as half of the funds going to immigrants, Latino, Black, disabled and female owned companies in Los Angeles. The LA Regional Fund will also give grants to businesses in low income communities. The business, whether a micro company, non-profit, or other organization needs to have been operating for at least one year. More information. https://www.lacovidfund.org/grants
Black owned businesses (male and female) in San Diego County can get help. The Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce is providing grants to small, black owned businesses. A number of child care providers and restaurants have receive assistance. Not only will free grants, funds, and maybe even loans by given to San Diego County businesses (including sole-proprietorship) but the San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce has help minorities get other support. Free advice, consultants, tips on growing their company and more. Find details. https://sdblackchamber.org/
August 2020
LISC San Diego will be providing grants of up to $20,000 to businesses that lack other access to capital. There is will be financial help to businesses of color, Latinos/Hispanics/immigrants and other disadvantaged companies and entrepreneurs. Lowes Home Improvement and LISC San Diego are partnering to get the free grants to small businesses in need. Apply and more information here. https://www.lisc.org/san-diego/
San Joaquin and Sacramento County African American owned businesses can get help from the Juneteenth Capital Initiative. The program uses donations to help minorities, in particular black business owners. African American Chamber of Commerce as well as the Stockton California National Association for the Advancement of Colored People are partnering together to provide free grants. Dial (209) 227-5413 or find details and information. https://www.stocktonstrong.org/?_ga=2.110977925.1880734337.1597961786-2130885511.1597961786
City of San Francisco has several financial assistance programs for small to mid sizes businesses, sole proprietors as well as start up companies. There is the African American Small Business Revolving Loan Fund, which gives up to $50,000. Some of the loan be be “forgiven” as well. There are mini-grants and the Self-Help fund as well. All of these assistance programs can pay various bills, such as rent, inventory, utilities, and more. Whether Black, Asian or Chinese, or some other ethnicity, help is offered. More information. https://oewd.org/businesses-impacted-covid-19
Black-owned restaurants in both Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire can get financial help in the form of grants from the SoCal Gas Restaurant Recovery Program. Grantees can use the funds for payroll, rent, equipment (including safety or hygiene) and other bills. More details are here. https://www.socalgas.com/coronavirus
AmPac Business Capital is offering up to $50,000 loans. The lender a faith based lender. Loans of up to $50,000 will be issued under-served communities, including women and minority owned businesses, to help cover costs associated with inventory, equipment, personnel and related expenses. Of its $4.6 million in direct loans as of 2019, 41% went to women; 24% to African American-owned businesses and 13% to Latino business owners. Seventy-three percent of the loans went to low- and moderate-income borrowers. https://ampac.com/
The Finli Free Grant will support Black-owned businesses in education and enrichment that have long been an integral part of our community. These small businesses teach our children, energize our seniors, illuminate our world through education, art, dance, language and enable all of us to be better. https://blm.finli.com/
July 2020
California Endowment Pledges $225 Million for Black-Led Activism (Grants) – https://www.philanthropy.com/article/California-Endowment-Pledges/249236
San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher encourages minority business owners to apply for $3.4 million in grants – https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/minority-business-owners-grants-san-diego/509-5bf77759-168b-4ae3-a9d6-9eaa0e748e79
By Jon McNamara