COVID-19 Resources for You

Stimulus Bill

This is what we know to be included in the recently passed bill: 

• Unemployment Insurance Increases: An extra $600 per week for up to four months, on top of state unemployment benefits to make up for 100 percent of lost wages. Self-employed people would be newly eligible for unemployment benefits.
• Refundable Tax Credits: Single adults with Social Security numbers who are United States residents and have an adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less would get $1,200. The checks that will be sent now are actually just advanced payments of a new refundable tax credit for the 2020 tax year. Married couples with no children earning $150,000 or less would receive a total of $2,400. And taxpayers filing as head of household would get the full payment if they earned $112,500 or less. Above those income figures, the payment decreases until it stops altogether for single people earning $99,000 or married people who have no children and earn $198,000. According to the Senate Finance Committee, a family with two children would no longer be eligible for any payments if its income surpassed $218,000.
• Student Loans: Until Sept. 30, there will be automatic payment suspensions for any student loan held by the federal government directly (not third parties). If you are in a loan forgiveness program, your payment count will still go up by one payment each month during the six-month suspension, even though you will not actually be making any payments. This is true for all forgiveness or loan-rehabilitation programs. Wage garnishment that resulted from being behind on my loan payments is suspended during this six-month period, as is the seizure of tax refunds, the reduction of any other federal benefit payments and other involuntary collection efforts. Some employers repay student loans as an employee benefit. Between the date the bill is signed and the end of 2020, they can offer up to $5,250 of assistance without that money counting as part of the employee’s income. If the employer pays tuition for classes an employee is taking, that money will also count toward the $5,250.
• Retirement: For the calendar year 2020, no one would have to take a required minimum distribution from any individual retirement accounts or workplace retirement savings plans, like a 401(k). This does not apply to pensions. You could withdraw up to $100,000 this year without the usual 10 percent penalty, as long as it’s because of the outbreak.
• Charitable Giving: A new deduction is available going forward for up to $300 in annual charitable contributions. It’s available only to people who don’t itemize their deductions, and you calculate this new one by subtracting the amount you give from your gross income. To qualify, you would have to give cash to a qualified charity and not to a donor-advised fund.
• Large Donations: Donors can deduct 100 percent of their gift against their 2020 adjusted gross income. The new deduction is only for cash gifts that go to a public charity. You do not get the higher deduction for donating cash to your donor-advised fund.
• Credit Reports: Lenders and others should mark your credit file as current, even if you avail yourself of payment modifications.
• Rent Relief: A temporary, nationwide eviction moratorium is in place for any renters whose landlords have mortgages backed or owned by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and other federal entities. This will last for 120 days after the bill passes, and landlords also can’t charge any fees or penalties for nonpayment of rent.
• Health Spending: Menstrual products are now eligible to be counted in Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts. 

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National Resources

• Thryv Foundation: Grants of $2500-5000 for small businesses affected by COVID-19.
• Bumble Community Grants: Grants of $5,000 focused on women-led small businesses. 
• Small Business Association: Low-interest loans for small businesses.
• CASEatDuke COVID19 Capital Relief: A searchable database for global, national and regional capital sources for for profit and nonprofit entrepreneurs at risk due to COVID-19.
• Facebook Small Business Grants Program: Grants for 30,000 small businesses in 30 different countries 
• Opportunity Fund: Loans for businesses owned by women, immigrants, and people of color.
• JP Morgan Chase: Grants to Black, Hispanic and Asian Pacific Islander owned businesses, as well as vulnerable, underserved and underrepresented entrepreneurs and small businesses across Europe and China. 
• Kerby Jean-Reymond: Grants for minority and women-owned small creative businesses to cover payroll and pressing costs.
• GoFundMe: $500 matching grant for small businesses that launch a GoFundMe campaign. 
• Freelancers Union: Grants of up to $1000 for freelancers 
• LMHQ: Remote and freelancing jobs. 
• Lantern: Free, step-by-step guidance for navigating life before and after death. You can complete a free end of life plan at lantern.co.
• Summer: Free student loan advice to anyone confused by the new federal relief programs.
• James Beard Foundation: Micro-grants to independent food and beverage small businesses in need.
• Anonymous Was A Woman and the New York Foundation for the Arts: Grants up to $2,500 for women-identifying visual artists over the age of 40 in the U.S.
• Vogue and CFDA: Support for those in the American fashion community who have been impacted by COVID-19.
• Hello Alice: Grants up to $50,000 to support business growth, including $10,000 emergency COVID-19 Business for All.
• The Soze Agency, Taskforce, and Invisible Hand: $250 grants for artists and activists who are impacted by COVID-19. All Grants
• Lowe’s: $3 million fund to support local small businesses, particularly skilled trade professionals, to continue to operate.
• MainVest: $2,000, zero-interest, 120-day loans for restaurants or other brick and mortars affected by COVID-19.
• Truist Cares: Grants ranging from $5,000 - $25,000 for small businesses in the states of Alabama, Arkansas (Crittenden County), Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri (Desoto County), Tennessee and Texas, and Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio (Brown, Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren Counties), Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.
• Bartender Emergency Assistance Program: Grants for bartenders affected by COVID.
• Spotify: Resources and fundraising assistance for musicians.
• United Way: State resources vary but many have financial assistance available.
• International Women's Media Foundation: Financial assistance for female journalists affected by COVID.
• Verizon and Local Initiatives Support Corporation: Grants of up to $10,000 to businesses facing immediate financial pressure because of COVID-19, especially entrepreneurs of color, women-owned businesses and other enterprises that don’t have access to flexible, affordable capital in historically underserved communities.
• Neighborhood Small Business Relief Fund: Grants to service or retail small businesses in Seattle (South Lake Union and Regrade neighborhoods) and Bellevue with fewer than 50 employees or less than $7 million in annual revenue.
• Arts Leaders of Color Emergency Fund: Grants for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) artists AND administrators (consultants, facilitators, box office staff, seasonal/temporary employees, etc.) who have been financially impacted due to COVID-19.
• Equal Sound: Grants for musicians who lost gigs due to COVID.
• MusiCares: Grants up to $1000 for musicians who have lost work due to COVID.
• ICareIfYouListen: Listing of resources for artists and musicians.
• Southern Smoke Emergency Relief Program: Grants for restaurants and restaurant employees facing immediate needs.
• Accion Serving the East Coast COVID-19 Relief Program: Low-interest loans for small businesses in need.
• Lance COVID-19 Freelancers Resources: Resources listed out statewide for freelancers.
• Format Photographer Fund: $500 grants for photographers affected by COVID.
• National Geographic Emergency Fund for Journalists: Grants for journalists and photographers for local coverage of COVID.
• CIBC Entrepreneur Loan Program: Loans for startup or early-stage small businesses that have completed a CIBC-approved entrepreneur training program with important working capital.
• Next Wave Impact: Resources for Latino business owners that provides an overview of the different kinds of financing, a list of capital providers, especially those that are focused on funding Latino entrepreneurs, and other resources to support Latino companies in raising funds.
• LiftFund: Grants and loans for small businesses in 13 states (Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico).
• El Paso Food and Beverage Workers Fund: Grants for food and beverage workers in El Paso, Sunland Park, and Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
• Red Backpack Fund: $5000 grants to women entrepreneurs.
• Venturize: Resources broken down by state.
• SheaMoisture's $1Million Fund: Three funding opportunities for small minority and women of color-owned businesses.
• NYFA: Resources and emergency grant listings for artists.
• The Actors Fund Emergency Fund: Emergency financial assistance to union and non-union workers in entertainment and the performing arts in immediate financial need.
• Artist Relief: $5000 grants for artists to cover emergency needs.
• Professional Beauty Association: $500 grants to licensed beauty professionals who are unable to work due to COVID-19. The funding, if awarded to you, is intended to be emergency aid for short-term immediate needs such as food and bills.
• FINIMPACT: Listing of state and federal small business grants.
• ShareAble For Hires: Free pre-employment background checks for SMB's until July 31, 2020.

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NYC Resources

• NYS Office of Mental Health Emotional Support Line (1-844-863-9314): Free and confidential support, helping callers experiencing increased anxiety due to the coronavirus emergency. 
• New York City Trust: Grants for NYC focused nonprofits, with extra grants for services for COVID. 
• NYC Hospitality Alliance: Grants and loans for those in the food/service industry. 
• Hebrew Free Loan Society: Loans to cover emergency needs for individuals making less than $84,000 a year. 
• One Fair Wage: Grants for tipped employees in the food industry. 
• NYC Small Business Services: Grants and loans for small businesses in NYC. For businesses with 1-4 employees showing a 25% reduction in revenue for two months, grants up to 40% of payroll are available. For businesses with 5-100 employees, interest-free loans are available.
• ROAR: $500 grants for workers in the hospitality industry.
• Rethink Restaurant Response Program: $40k grants to 30 selected NYC restaurants to become local food distribution centers.
• Plentiful: App to assist with local food pantry reservations.

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State & City Resources

• San Francisco COVID-19 Small Business Resiliency Fund: Grants up to $10,000 for SF businesses with between one and five employees to help cover rent and employee salaries.
• City of Los Angeles Small Business Emergency Microloan Program: Zero to low-interest microloans for LA businesses and microenterprises responsible for providing low-income jobs.
• Denver Small Business Emergency Relief: Grants of $7500 for small business unable to operate.
• Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program: Loans from $50,000-100,000 for Florida small businesses with 2-50 employees
• Chicago Small Business Resiliency Fund: Low-interest loans for small businesses in Chicago with a 25% drop in revenue.
• Michigan Small Business Relief Program: Grants up to $10,000 and loans up to $200,000 to small businesses with less than 50 employees (for grants) or fewer than 100 employees (for loans) with business loss.
• Beaverton Emergency Business Assistance Program: Grants for small businesses in Beaverton, Oregon with fewer than 50 employees that were ordered to close, equal up to $2500 per month for rent.
• Hillsboro Small Business Emergency Relief Program: $5000 grants for businesses in Hillsboro, Oregon with fewer than 10 employees, with priority to restaurants, bars, and education facilities.
• Seattle Foundation: A list of grantees that is distributing aid to those in the Seattle area.
• New Jersey Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant: Grants up to $5,000 to NJ-based SMEs that have between 1–10 full time equivalent employees.
• Birmingham Strong Emergency Loan Fund: Zero-interest, 180-day loans up to $25,000 to small businesses (less than 50 employees) to pay employees or offset losses due to COVID.
• New Mexico COVID-19 Business Loan Guarantee Program: Loans or lines of credit for small businesses. The program can guarantee a portion of a loan or line of credit up to 80% of principal or $50,000.
• Invest Atlanta: No interest loans to small businesses (Under 50 people, in business over a year) in Atlanta from $5k to $30k per business who have been impacted by COVID.
• Boston Small Business Relief Fund: Grants ranging from $2500-10,000 for SMBs in Boston with fewer than 35 employees and $1.5M in revenue.
• New Orleans Business Alliance Relief Fund: Grants from $500-1000 to gig workers who have lost their primary source of income due to COVID.
• One Louisville COVID Response Fund: Grants to Louisville residents disproportionately impacted by this outbreak.
• Memphis Medical District Collaborative: Resources for Memphis residents.
• Ethnic & Diverse Business Coalition COVID-19 Small Business Impact Grant: Grants up to $500 small ethnic and diverse businesses of any industry that are a member of Wisconsin's Chamber of Commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Los Angeles City Small Business Emergency Micro-loan Program: Micro-loans for small businesses in LA.
• Chattanooga City Resources: Resources for both businesses and individuals affected by COVID.
• Oakland Business Assistance Center: Resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
• Philadelphia COVID-19 Small Business Relief Fund: Grants and loans for small businesses in Philadelphia.
• Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh: Resources for individuals and small businesses affected by COVID.
• Utah Leads Together Small Business Bridge Loan Program: Bridge loans from $5000-60,000 to Utah-based small businesses with 50 or fewer employees impacted by COVID.
• City of Rochester: Loans and grants available to businesses in Rochester, NY.
• Richmond Strong: Resources for residents and small businesses of Richmond, VA.
• Prosper Portland: Resources for small businesses in Portland, Oregon, including grants to businesses with Asian/Pacific Islander (API) ownership who have seen revenue drop 60%.
• San Diego Women’s Empowerment Loan Fund: Loans from $5000-25,000 for women-owned businesses in San Diego County.
• San Diego Foundation: Resources for individuals, businesses, and nonprofits in San Diego.

Nonprofits

• Beth Kantar has pulled together a comprehensive list of resources for NGO’s here. 
• Google has a list of productivity and resources here.

Bank Information

The Helm has pulled together some great info on how banks are assisting by offering deferment and forbearance to business loan customers on a ‘case-by-case’ basis to overcome financial difficulties. (The Helm also has some state specific resources, as well)

• American Express: Waiving interest on late fees on accounts that are requesting COVID-19 relief.  
• Bank of America: Committed to giving relief on a ‘case-by-case’ basis for small business loans, mortgages, deposit accounts, credit cards, etc.
• Capital One: Have pledged that they are working with customers that experience financial difficulties.
• Chase Bank: call the number on the back of your credit or debit card for direct assistance with your payments or account.
• Citi: For 30 days, small business customers are eligible to have their monthly service fees waived. They’re also waiving the fees on early CD withdrawals.
• U.S. Bank: Reach out to customer service if you’re a customer that has been impacted by coronavirus to discuss individual solutions.
• Wells Fargo: Has donated $6.25 million to help the public relief effort and are encouraging customers that are experiencing financial hardships to contact customer service.
• Eastern Bank: Grants for SMB's bank customers and fees waived for other customers.

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Discounted or Free Business Platforms, Apps and Services

• Business Warrior: Free online marketing and SEO services until December.
• Hootsuite: Free professional level access until July 1.
• MOZ Academy: Free online marketing classes until May 31.
• Shopify: Extended 90-day trial of their e-commerce platform.
• box: Extended 90-day trial of their digital storage platform.
• workhuman: Free access to their employee social recognition platform for a year.
• 15Five: Free access to 15Five to teams, departments, and organizations of up to 50 people, valid until June 15, 2020.
• Adobe Connect: 90-day free access to their web conferencing platform.
• Cisco Webex: At least 30-days free access to their web conferencing platform.
• Jamm: Four months free access to their voice and video collaboration tool.
• Cloudflare: Free access to its web-security platform to access internal applications remotely without a VPN until September 1.
• 1Password:  Six months free access for its password sharing platform.
• DNSFilter: Free access to its advanced DNS security service until July 1.
• PandaDoc: Free eSign plan.
• Ping Identity: Six months free cloud single sign-on (SSO) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) for unlimited apps and identities.
• Panopto Cloud: Three months of free access video recording and distribution service.
• Apple: 90-day access for Final Cut Pro X for video editing and Logic Pro X to create music.
• Yelp: $25 million relief fund for independent, local restaurants and nightlife businesses in the form of waived advertising fees, and free advertising, products, and services.
• Google: Ad credits for SMB's.
• Clarity Wave: 90-day free access to their continuous performance management employee engagement online platform.
• Sparkhouse: Free promotional marketing videos for small shops and entrepreneurs to get important information out to the local community about what they offer and how people can currently access their valuable products and services.

Do you have an additional opportunity to share?

We would love to add it to the list. Please email Nicky or send us a message on Facebook.