Pandemic Resource Update 8-31-20
Dear clients,
Some updates below. As always, please let me know how I can be of assistance. And for all of you with children starting school this week – GOOD LUCK!
Grant Opportunities
Lowe's is offering $20,000 Grants - Apply Now
Across the United States, small businesses that form the economic backbone of our communities now face immediate – and oftentimes, crushing – financial pressure because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many small businesses that were forced to shut down temporarily now are at serious risk of never reopening. Even those small businesses that can operate remotely or with limited on-site hours face major revenue shortfalls. With little or no reserves to pay their expenses, many will have no choice but to lay off workers and close their doors forever. Thanks to a $55 million significant commitment grant from Lowe’s, LISC will provide the emergency grant assistance that small businesses desperately need to stay afloat. Applications are accepted starting TODAY August 31 - midnight, Sept 7.
https://www.lisc.org/covid-19/small-business-assistance/small-business-relief-grants/lowes/
[Per the SW WI Small Business Development Center]
Fundera Blog: Best Small Business Grants for 2020 (re-sharing)
I think it is worth checking Fundera’s guide periodically to see if anything has been added that you may qualify for. You may want to bookmark the link to it: https://www.fundera.com/blog/small-business-grants
FREE COVID-19 Response Guide
Created by the SBDC at UW-Madison. With COVID-19, business planning must happen more regularly and quickly as conditions change and new information arises. This planning process remains at the heart of this guide. In it, you will work through 3 stages - react, re-evaluate, and refocus - to redesign your business' goals and establish a way to move forward. Each page includes places for you to evaluate your experience and enter your plans for the future so that you can walk away with an actionable plan. Download the Guide.
The Governor's Office has released the following list of resources in Wisconsin:
If you are struggling to pay for groceries, you may qualify for the Department of Health Services’ FoodShare program.
If you are struggling to afford health insurance, you may be eligible for one or more programs offered through the DHS or the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance.
If you are struggling to pay your rent, you may be eligible for the Department of Administration’s Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program.
If you are a low-income parent or are pregnant and low income, you may be interested in the programs available through the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families.
For more general resources, please see the following list available under the 211 Program. You can also call 2-1-1 to be connected to resources over the phone.
If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) funds, you are not eligible under state law to also receive UI, but you may be eligible to receive Pandemic Unemployment Insurance (PUA). We encourage you to apply online for PUA. Our administration is also advocating for the state legislature to change state law to ensure SSDI recipients can qualify for UI in the future.
[Per the SW WI Small Business Development Center]
Be safe. Be well.