COVID-19 Support & Sustainability for CHARLOTTE Small Business
supportCLT is dedicated to supporting small business owners and community members throughout the Charlotte region. With COVID-19 cases and restrictions on business operation within Mecklenburg County increasing, it is imperative that the business community comes together to provide resources and enforce strategies to protect employees, patrons and community members while continuing operations. The Charlotte LGBT Chamber of Commerce is proud to lead this effort!
Actions you can take now to help your own business or fellow businesses
You can do these things now to help ensure the stability of your business or help fellow business owners with their business.
Local business, government and organization initiatives for businesses
A collection of what local businesses, government entities and organizations are doing to help local small businesses.
A collection of verified source articles and materials
We've vetted this information for accuracy and timeliness. You can safely share these links and materials with anyone.
What You Should Do
Applications, forms and links to valuable information, loans and grants. Also take a moment and see how you can assist those who have been unemployed, furloughed or had their hours reduced.
MeckCounty CARES Small Business Relief Grant
Applications will be accepted for the MeckCounty CARES Small Business Relief Grant beginning on Monday, September 14, 2020.
The grant is made possible thanks to CARES Act funding awarded to the County. The County has allocated $1.25 million to continue financial support to small businesses during the pandemic.The MeckCounty CARES Small Business Relief Grant will provide up to $25,000 per business located in the any of the six towns or unincorporated areas of the County.
Small businesses in Charlotte Center City will be able to apply for grants from the fund. Applicants will outline their adaptations and innovations that have or will enable them to advance their business. Applicants will detail costs and an ability to implement as well as agree to share their lessons so others may learn from their experience. Grants will be prioritized to storefront businesses in Uptown, South End, Midtown, and Historic West End that create unique experiences. Priority will be shown to minority, women or veteran-owned businesses. Adaptations and innovations with the potential to replicate, scale, or foster collaboration will be prioritized in the review process. The application will open on June 26th, 2020.
The Open for Business public dashboard and application creates a comprehensive and easily accessible avenue to connect our residents with small businesses in Charlotte while the Mecklenburg County Stay at Home Order is in effect and throughout the COVID-19 recovery.
The MBRF is a $1,000,000 fund that was created to enable grants and/or loans to be deployed to small businesses for their most urgent needs, including operational costs like payroll, vendors, and rent. The Fund will target the following entities:
- Women- and minority-led small businesses that provide vital goods, services, and jobs in communities most in danger of permanent closure with 5 employees or less.
- Entities in priority corridors as identified by the City of Charlotte in its current development and revitalization plan.
- Grants and/or loans will be up to $10,000 per small business.
LISC Small Business Relief Grants - Lowes Partnership
LISC will support small businesses and enterprises affected the Covid-19 across the country, especially those in underserved communities, including entrepreneurs of color, women- and veteran-owned businesses that often lack access to flexible, affordable capital. Applications will be reviewed based on criteria designed to prioritize particularly challenged businesses, and the final grantees will be randomly selected from the top scoring applicants.
Lowe’s-LISC Partnership will begin accepting applications on July 27, 2020.
The fund, provided by Mecklenburg County government, seeks to assist small businesses in the county who have been adversely impacted by COVID-19. Funding is available for loans in the amount of $5,000 to $35,000.
To mitigate the economic impacts caused by COVID-19 for Mecklenburg County's most vulnerable businesses, the County has committed $1,000,000 of readily available, federal CDBG funds to create the Microbusiness Stabilization Fund. Note: Limited to businesses with 5 affected employees or less.
Small business owners and small non-profits in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories are currently eligible to apply for a long-term, low-interest loan due to Coronavirus (COVID-19).
NOTE: Businesses who qualify to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) may be eligible to request a $10,000 advance against their future loan which can be used for specific business purposes, which does not have to be repaid if the loan is later denied. Please read more here (B. Emergency Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Grants)
Current list of SBA loans and SBA Guidance for businesses looking to participate in various loan programs.
SBA "Payroll Protection Loans" (Payroll Forgiveness Loans)
These loans may have all or part forgiven when used for payroll purposes. See this guide created by the US Chamber of Commerce for info. Candidates for this loan need to submit the necessary paperwork via an authorized SBA lender. You cannot start this loan type online yourself with the SBA.
If you can't find a bank to accept your PPP application, you may consider these other options:
Salesforce will be offering Salesforce Care Small Business Grants of $10,000 to provide capital to help keep businesses afloat. These grants will support small businesses as they work to replenish materials, pay salaries, or adapt their business model to overcome these challenging times. The grant application will be available to US businesses in mid-April and we will be providing additional details on financial support to international small businesses in the near future, for a total financial commitment of $5 million.
The Southern Equality Fund provides a pipeline of resources – including direct funding and training – to Southern LGBTQ folks doing heroic organizing in their hometowns.
Hello Alice is offering $10,000 grants being distributed immediately to small business owners impacted by coronavirus, as part of our broader mission to ensure Business for All. In addition to funding, grant recipients will receive ongoing support from the Hello Alice community.
Hello Alice maintained list of ways to get help with small business reponse to COVID-19
Since its inception, Spanx and the Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation have been dedicated to elevating and supporting women through entrepreneurship. And now, with the impact of COVID-19, meaningful relief in female-owned businesses can have a tremendous difference in the lives of women, their families and their communities. GlobalGiving is managing the Red Backpack Fund to help support community leaders like you.
The Mecklenburg Creatives Resiliency Fund helps creative practitioners in Mecklenburg County recover from personal emergencies by helping pay an unanticipated, emergency expense or by augmenting lost income due to the cancellation of a specific, scheduled gig or opportunity (i.e. commissions, performances, contracts) due to Coronavirus/COVID-19 precautionary measures.
The fund offers grants to LGBTIQ organizations, registered and not-registered, between 2,500 and 10,000 USD. The grants can be used for any emergency that has occurred as a result of the COVID-19 health crisis, such as immediate support to community members to buy food or medicine, provide shelter, or pay rent and utilities for LGBTIQ organizations. OutRight recognizes that needs are different from community to community, and that local organizations know best what the immediate needs are.
As the world responds to the threats of COVID-19, many nonprofits and their boards are wrestling with difficult questions and decisions. In these uncertain times, as the situation rapidly changes, the board needs to provide steady and adaptive leadership in partnership with and in support of the CEO.
The COVID 19 Response Fund is a partnership comprising Mecklenburg County, the City of Charlotte, corporations, houses of faith and others. The Fund’s goal is to help those individuals and families in Mecklenburg County most impacted by the pandemic, with a special emphasis on providing for the basic human needs of our community’s most vulnerable residents. The Fund will issue grants to eligible nonprofits able to meet existing needs.
So far they have completed 2 funding cycles. The next cycle opens April 20th and closes May 1st.
Notes: 1) For cross-border employees/employers, you should file for unemployment insurance in the state where you worked - not the state in which you live. 2) Teleworkers generally file for unemployment insurance where their home office is located. NOTE: NC Unemployment does not expect to be able to take applications for self-employed workers until after April 25th.
HAVING TROUBLE WITH NC UNEMPLOYMENT?
If you have an account and you're having trouble using it you can reach out to this email: NCDESPASSWORDHELP@NCCOMMERCE.COM
If you have general unemployment questions you can text UI to 336-882-4141 to get answers from the department.NOTE: After filing a claim, it will take about 14 days to receive first payment.
The additional $600 in federal benefits will be for weeks ending April 4 – July 31. DES is still awaiting guidance for issuing those payments. Benefits owed will be paid retroactively. They do not yet know exactly how to qualify people for or pay out the new federal benefits and they cannot yet answer questions about it.
NC Unemployment does not expect to be able to take applications for self-employed workers until after April 25th.
Call hold times are super long due to call volume and DES suggests anyone with a question use the contact form (https://des.nc.gov/customer-contact-form) or email address above if at all possible.
Notes: 1) For cross-border employees/employers, you should file for unemployment insurance in the state where you worked - not the state in which you live. 2) Teleworkers generally file for unemployment insurance where their home office is located.
Do you own a bar, venue or restaurant that can not serve liquor due to the new mandates and orders? As of March 31st, an executive resolution and order is in place to allow ABC to "buy back" your unopened liquor. Local ABC boards are directed by the state to buy back any excess liquor purchased since Jan 1, 2020 at its current retail price minus the mixed beverage tax. Contact your local ABC Board for details.
Mecklenburg ABC Board - https://www.meckabc.com/
Income-gap loans for Mecklenburg County residents employed in the restaurant, food service and hospitality industries who have been laid off, furloughed or had hours reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Loans have 0% interest and a 12-month repayment term, AFTER a 6-month no-payment-due grace period. (A loan on April 10 would not have a first payment due until October 10.) Clients receive extensive follow-up financial counseling at no cost, and repayment of the loan (once employment is re-established) can have a positive effect on credit scores. If you qualify or know someone who does, text the word FINANCES to 474747 or submit the web form for a follow-up call.
The PBA COVID-19 Relief Fund will provide $500 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.
A large collection of curated links and resources for restaurants and restaurant workers.
Note: They "are actively raising money for this emergency fund and will be making temporary cash gifts to workers as funding becomes available."
Through the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, we will provide grants to restaurant industry employees who have been adversely impacted by COVID-19 financially, whether through a decrease in wages or loss of employment that results in a lack of resources to pay for essential expenses. Each approved grant is $500, one per person only
April 25th Update: "Due to an overwhelming response of 60,000 applicants to date, the Fund is not currently accepting new applications. Our team is working hard to respond to applicants and process applications. We are also happy to report that we have begun sending out grant awards." Check back periodically to see if the grant has been reopened.
Resource list maintained by Freedom Corridor Community Collaborative for residents on the West Side of Charlotte NC
Community maintained list of ways to get help and be of help in the Charlotte area.
Facebook is offering $100M in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in over 30 countries where we operate. We’ll share more details as they become available.
Note: These are only available in localities where Facebook has active operations. Presently there are no grants available in NC or SC. They may offer then in Forest City/RutherfordCounty, NC later this year however timing is presently unknown.
What We Are Doing
Click and find out how the Charlotte LGBT Chamber of Commerce and their corporate and strategic partners are responding and assisting during COVID-19.
Adding a six month extension to all memberships as of April 1 to avoid sending invoices to members working to maintain their businesses and financial stability during the pandemic.
All programming will move to virtual engagement through webinars as of April 1 through September 30.
LGBTBE® Webinars available through the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
https://www.nglcc.org/nglcc-webinars-lgbt-business-ownersJoint Letter to City, County & State Leaders with Affinity Chambers
Collecting Landlord, leaseholder information to assist with arrangements
What they Are Saying
The North Carolina Department of Commerce offers a page of resources to help you navigate common issues you may encounter, as you help your company weather the unusual circumstances COVID-19 has brought to our state.
Congress & The President:
The first of the three bills, this Act focuses on vaccine research, state government aid, and telehealth access, among other things. The bill, passed March 4, allocates $8.3 billion to begin addressing needs across the country, including:
- $3 billion will go to research and development on treatment, tests, and vaccines. $826 million of that goes to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
- $100 million will go to community health centers.
- $300 million will ensure that any vaccine developed in the US will be provided free of charge to Americans who are unable to pay for it.
- $2.2 billion will go to the CDC to help orchestrate preparedness efforts. $950 million of that will go to support state and local health response efforts.
- $400 million will go to state and local governments, with each state guaranteed at least $4 million.
- $490 million will help get medicare beneficiaries free telehealth access, with the hope of keeping sick people out of waiting rooms where more could become infected.
- $20 million will assist the Small Business Administration (SBA), with the promise of another $136 million to come.
- $1.3 billion will move to the State Department and to the US Agency for International Development, raising the cap on emergency evacuations from $10 million to $100 million.
Congress & The President:
This bill, which originated in the House, was signed into law March 18. It provides guidance on response efforts, loosens regulatory hurdles, and allocates another $104 billion to response and preparedness. This bill contains a compromise over tax credits for employers. Some legislators argued that many emergency benefits would have had to be paid by the employer up front - forcing them to shell out money months before they could have it reimbursed through quarterly federal tax credits. Some were of the opinion that those up-front costs could sink many small businesses. The compromise allows for businesses that employ less than 50 people to have the option to apply for hardship waivers so they do not have to pay for sick and family leave out of pocket. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin made it clear that some businesses will be eligible for an advance to help with cash flow. The bill contains a number of other appropriations and regulatory changes, and provides for:
- Paid sick leave - the compromise capped it at up to $511 per day for up to two weeks.
- Paid family leave - gives workers 2/3 of their pay for up to ten weeks if their children's schools are closed. The compromise capped that pay at $200 per day.
- Free coronavirus testing.
- Expanded food assistance.
- Expanded unemployment benefits and grants to states for processing and paying claims.
- Required protections for healthcare workers.
- Supplemental appropriations to USDA for nutrition and food assistance programs.
- Appropriations to DHHS for elderly nutrition assistance programs.
- Waivers for school meal programs.
- Suspension of work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
- Protection of healthcare workers by requiring the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to develop and implement an infectious disease control plan.
- Establishment and funding of a paid leave benefits program for employees taking unpaid leave.
- Temporary increases to the Medicaid federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP).
Congress & The President:
This third piece of proposed legislation announced by Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) yesterday, if passed, will be the largest of the three aid packages, coming in at over $1 trillion. Senate Democrats have expressed their displeasure with the proposal, particularly regarding the industry bailouts. Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has said the money should be guaranteed to go to workers in the struggling industries first, not to business executives or corporate shareholders. As negotiations commence and bill language starts to solidify, we will keep you posed on what provisions will be included in the final bill. For now, some of the proposed provisions in the over 250-page bill include:
- Direct payments to Americans called “recovery rebates,” of $1,200 per person or $2,400 for couples who file jointly if the taxpayers make less than $75,000 annually individually. The bill would provide an additional $500 per child in the household. Some Republican senators think this money should go to small businesses instead, allowing them to keep their employees and maintain operations. Others think the money should instead go directly to supplement state unemployment systems.
- $208 billion in loans for airlines and other major industries that are hardest hit. Some see this loan as a bailout, but Senate Appropriations Chair Richard Shelby (R-AL) is billing the appropriation as a collateralized loan to jeopardized industries.
- $300 billion in forgivable small business bridge loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA), with restrictions on how those loans can be spent. Salaries, mortgages, debts, payroll support, medical and family leave, and healthcare are all accepted expenses.
- A delay in the federal tax filing deadline from April 15 to July 15.
Congress & The President:
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act: Guide to the CARES Act
Download the guide here.
Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU)
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