Mayor Todd Gloria announced an additional $6 million in grants Tuesday as part of the city’s Small Business and Nonprofit Relief Fund program to assist businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the program began, the city and The San Diego Foundation have provided $11.2 million in grants to 1,514 small businesses and 166 nonprofit organizations.
“This program was intended to help small businesses build back their livelihoods in the aftermath of the pandemic,” Gloria said. “Thanks to the collaboration of our community partners and The San Diego Foundation, these grants are making a huge difference for our city’s nonprofit and small business owners who need it most.”
Gloria’s budget earmarked $10 million for small business and nonprofit COVID-19 relief and in historically underinvested communities. The San Diego Foundation provided an additional $2 million to support nonprofits.
The program is closed to new applications, however, some existing applicants may still receive grants.
“This infusion of funding into our local nonprofits and small businesses will help them continue to serve their communities and provide much- needed services to San Diegans as our region continues to recover from the pandemic,” said Mark Stuart, president and CEO of The San Diego Foundation.
Relief grants to nonprofit organizations ranged from $5,000 to $100,000. Ten nonprofit organizations received $100,000 grants: Casa Familiar, ElderHelp of San Diego, Elementary Institute of Science, Media Arts Center San Diego, Monarch School Project, New Americans Museum and Immigrant Learning Center, Nile Sisters Development Initiative, Urban Corps of San Diego County, Wesley House Student Residence and the Women’s History Reclamation Project with the Women’s Museum of California.
“Our local small businesses owners and nonprofit organizations are the backbone of our economy and serve communities throughout our city,” said City Councilwoman Jennifer Campbell, co-chair of the city’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Committee. “These grants will bolster their resilience and ensure they can continue to overcome the ongoing economic impacts of the pandemic.”
Relief grants awarded to small businesses were prioritized based on several criteria such as having received no prior COVID relief funding, being located in a low-to-moderate income geographic area, operating in a highly impacted industry and being owned by historically underrepresented populations like people of color and women.
According to city data, more than 82% of the small business relief grants were awarded to businesses owned by people of color: 18% Asian-Pacific Islander, 31% Black and 37% Hispanic/Latino. Nearly 60% of small business grants were awarded to female business owners, and 65% of businesses that were awarded grants are located in the Promise Zone and Community Development Block Grant areas.
–City News Service, Inc.
