A new grant program launched this week by the East Bay Community Foundation aims to help small businesses in Oakland that are facing economic or other challenges.
The Oakland Small Business Resilience Fund is now accepting applications for grants of between $5,000 and $25,000 to help qualified businesses whose survival is threatened by increased costs, crime or lack of access to low-cost capital.
“Oakland’s small businesses … provide gathering spaces, increase foot traffic and community-building opportunities, and create a sense of belonging, contributing to the culture and health of Oakland’s diverse neighborhoods,” said East Bay Community Foundation CEO Brandi Howard. “But they also face significant challenges that limit their growth and threaten their survival. This new fund will help small businesses in Oakland not just survive, but thrive, building a stronger and more vibrant Oakland as they do.”
Eligibility requirements include:
- Small businesses with at least $50,000 in gross receipts annually.
- Provide goods or services at a storefront, pop-up, or other physical location in a priority neighborhood in Oakland for two years or more. Priority neighborhoods, selected based on OaklandDOT’s Geographic Equity Toolbox, include commercial districts in East Oakland, Eastlake, Fruitvale, West Oakland, and parts of Downtown.
- Ownership represents the diversity of Oakland, including Black, Indigenous, Latine, Asian and Pacific Islander, South Asian, Southwest Asian, and North African, women, transgender, and non-binary people.
- Experiencing financial hardship due to community safety issues, such as vandalism; have difficulty accessing financing or repaying debt; are facing increased costs of doing business, or other economic challenges.
People can apply for the grants at EBCF’s website.
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