Recovery | For Businesses

2021 Citywide Robust Retail Grants

The Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) is excited to announce that we will be accepting applications for the 2021 Robust Retail: Citywide grants starting December 7, 2020 and closing January 28, 2021 at 2:00 PM EST.

• Learn More About the 2021 Robust Retail Grants

Small Business Resiliency Fund

• Learn More and Apply Today

Additional Resources for Small Businesses & Non-Profits

LISC-Verizon Small Business Recovery Fund
The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and Verizon are teaming up to provide grants of up to $10,000 to businesses affected by COVID-19—especially entrepreneurs of color, women-owned businesses and other enterprises in historically underserved communities who don’t have access to flexible, affordable capital. The fifth round of applications opens July 27 and runs through Aug. 3. Click here for more information.

Greater Washington Community Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund
The Community Foundation established the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to support local nonprofits leading emergency preparedness and response efforts to help mitigate the impact on disproportionately affected communities in our region. Through this fund, we are focused on addressing lost wages, providing relief for small businesses and gig economy workers, expanding access to medical services, and meeting the unique needs of people experiencing homelessness, among other needs. Learn more about the emergency response fund.

National Restaurant Association Restaurant Employee Relief Fund
The National Restaurant Association Restaurant Employee Relief Fund was created to help restaurant industry employees experiencing extraordinary hardship in the wake of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. Through this fund, grants will be made to restaurant industry employees who have been impacted by COVID-19, including a decrease in wages or loss of employment. More information: https://rerf.us/.

Facebook Small Business Grant Program
Facebook announced a $100 million grant for small businesses impacted by COVID-19 and launched the Business Resource Hub, which features recommendations to help small businesses stay connected to customers and stay on track. More information: https://www.facebook.com/business/boost/grants.

Applying for FEMA Public Assistance (PA) – Private Nonprofit Organizations:

Public Assistance (PA) is FEMA’s largest grant program supporting communities responding to and recovering from major disasters or emergencies. PA funds support recovery from major disasters by providing grant assistance for debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures, and the restoration of public infrastructure. Eligible applicants include local governments, states, tribes, territories and certain private nonprofit organizations.

Unlike other grants that fund proposed projects, Public Assistance is a 75/25 cost share reimbursement process and requires supporting documentation, such as invoices and receipts. PA is not meant to recover lost revenue.

For the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the District of Columbia has been approved for Public Assistance Category B – Emergency Protective Measures funding. The following categories are examples of what may be considered eligible:

• Management, control and reduction of immediate threats to public health and safety;

• Emergency medical care;

• Medical sheltering;

• Household pet sheltering and containment actions, in accordance with CDC guidelines;

• Purchase and distribution of food, water, ice, medicine, and other consumable supplies, to include personal protective equipment and hazardous material suits and movement of supplies and persons;

• Security and law enforcement;

• Communication strategies to provide general health and safety information to the public;

• Search and rescue efforts to locate and recover members of the public.

Prior to signing up for Public Assistance, please contact DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency for additional guidance. The Public Assistance Program Manager for DC is Russell Gardner ([email protected]).  

FEMA must screen and approve Private Non-Profit (PNP) organizations to participate in the Public Assistance program. For specifics, please visit: https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2020/04/02/coronavirus-covid19-pandemic-private-nonprofit-organizations

For additional information, please visit:

• Applicant Briefing provided by DC HSEMA on May 22, 2020

• Emergency Protective Measures

• COVID-19 FACT sheets and guidance

• Procurement

• Grants Portal

• Grants Portal video series

Resources for the Arts and Creative Community

• Americans for the Arts is providing up-to-date COVID-19 news and resources for the arts and culture field. 

• The American Alliance of Museums has compiled a guide to help museums prepare internally and externally for outbreaks in their communities.

• ArtsReady, an online emergency preparedness service by and for arts/cultural nonprofits, is adding updates daily.

• The Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) has pulled together resources to help you and your team prepare for and respond to the potential impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

• Billboard has a state-by-state listing of resources for professional musicians.

• This COVID-19 & Freelance Artists list contains general resources, advocacy links, and a growing list of funding opportunities.

• Creative Capital has a comprehensive list for artists working in all disciplines, organizations trying to steady the boat, and anyone working to create the new normal.

• DC’s Capital Bop has posted a list of resources for DC jazz artists and audiences.

• The DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland is offering pro bono consultations to any US-based non-profit arts or culture organization, between March and June 2020, as a response to the mounting effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

• The Joan Mitchell Foundation has posted a COVID-19 Emergency Resources for Visual Artists listing that breaks opportunities out by regions, as well as nationally.

• NAPAMA (North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents) has posted a list of resources, including information related to airfare refund and/or cancellation policies, emergency fund and relief programs, sample communications, and more.

DC Included in $100 Million Starbucks Equity Fund

Starbucks will invest $100 million in a newly established Community Resilience Fund (CRF) to support small businesses and community development projects in Black, Indigenous, and People-of-Color (BIPOC) communities over the next five (5) years. The investments will initially focus on 12 US metros and their surrounding regions, including Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Washington DC. The Community Resilience Fund is expanding our 2019 program that invested $10 million into Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) in Chicago.  

We are excited that one of our focus cities includes DC. As the Community Resilience Fund gets up and running, Starbucks will work with CDFIs and other impact-focused financial institutions to reach the neighborhoods and borrowers we want to serve. Our intent behind this sustained investment is to support BIPOC-owned small businesses and community development projects that create more jobs and desired services, drive economic vitality, and advance racial equity in historically underserved communities. Additionally, we hope that this initiative will complement existing local initiatives focused on supporting CDFIs in Washington, DC, and the communities that they serve. We welcome your thoughts, ideas, and feedback as we continue to build out this work.

More information will be posted soon.