The Neighborhood Mini-Grants

• On April 24, 2020, the Mayor of San Francisco, London Breed in union with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) announced about "$1 million in new funding for mini-grants to independently-owned and women-owned small businesses in underserved commercial corridors."
• The Neighborhood Mini-Grants is designed to provide funding in the range of $1,000 - $10,000 as urgent economic relief for small businesses and women-owned businesses serving the city who have been impacted by COVID-19.
• The grants will provide financial support to owner-operated businesses, family-run businesses, women-owned businesses, entrepreneurs of color, and other enterprises in historically underserved communities who may not have employees on payroll or have access to traditional capital.
• Businesses that will receive the funding include salons, flower shops, gift shops, barbershops, independent contractors, and many other businesses severely impacted by the stay-at-home order or reduced operations due to COVID-19.
• Neighborhoods included are Bayview, Excelsior, Fillmore, Ocean View-Merced Heights-Ingleside (OMI), and Tenderloin. Applications are already closed for Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, Mission Street, and Japan town.
• The grant is available for businesses with less than $2.5 million in gross annual receipts, closed/seen a 25% drop in revenue as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
• Other conditions include that the business must be a for-profit business, have a current SF business license, and must have been in full operation since at least September 16, 2019. A link to the application portal for the different neighborhoods is provided herein.

Women-Owned Small Business Mini-Grant

• The Office of Economic & Workforce Development San Francisco is also offering a $2,000 grant for women-owned small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The San Fransisco Women’s Entrepreneurship Fund team will review applications and hand out the available funding. Application for the funding is on until May 8, 2020, at 5 pm.
• Eligibility criteria include that the business must be 100% women-owned, have up to five employees, be a for-profit business, and must be a family child care business or a non-essential business.
• Other eligibility criteria are provided herein.
• Required documents during the application process include completed and signed W-9, SF business license, and registration, and business reopening or recovery plan.
• The city of San Fransisco reopening plan template and a link to the application portal is provided herein.

City of Oakland Small Business Emergency Grants

• On March 31st, 2020, the City of Oakland announced the availability of "emergency grants to help vulnerable small businesses weather the impacts of COVID-19. The grants will be administered by Working Solutions, a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI)."
• The SBE Grant Program will provide a rapid response working capital grants of $5,000 to low-income owned enterprise.
• The grant is designed to cover costs such as worker payroll, outstanding debt, rent and utilities, and other current operational costs.
• To qualify for the grant, a small business owner must "have an income below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), with priority given to very low and extremely low-income business owners (making at or below 50% of AMI). Businesses must be based in Oakland and demonstrate that they have suffered financial loss due to the COVID-19 crisis."
• Applications are made online at www.workingsolutions.org/oakland-grants. The application is available in English, Vietnamese, Spanish, and Chinese.
• Business owners can also access the application by visiting OaklandBusinessCenter.com. People with questions are advised to contact adgrants@workingsolutions.org or call (415) 780-1217.