RESOURCES FOR STARTUPS & SMALL BUSINESSES
Fundraising
Grants
Alice's Business for All Grant: $10K to 100,000 businesses who have been affected by COVID.
Sarah Blakely's Red Backpack Fund: $5K to 1,000 women-owned businesses who have been affected by COVID.
Note: The Red Backpack Fund will be accepting applications again each moth. The portal will open for applications again on May 4, June 1, July 6, and August 3.
JP Morgan has announced an $8M fund to go to small businesses affected by COVID. Details are pending.
Facebook has announced a small business grant fund that is offering $100 million in cash grants. More information about eligibility is to be announced, but it will be available to 30,000 businesses in over 30 areas where Facebook currently operates.
Note: for Utah Companies: Utah County is on the list because of the Eagle Mountain facility
Wells Fargo is donating $5M at the local level, and although it's not clear exactly how these funds will be allocated, much of it is supposed to help small businesses stability through expedited grants at the local level.
Salesforce will be offering $10,000 grants to U.S. small businesses to help them weather this crisis, for a total financial commitment of $5 million. Applications will open in 2 phases, based on location.
Verizon Small Business Recovery Fund: offering grants to help small businesses fill urgent financial gaps until they can resume normal operations or until other more permanent financing becomes available.
FinImpact: 88 Small Business Grants for 2020 (Best & Active Grants Only!)
Loans
Utah-specific
GOED is opening up a second round of their Small Business Bridge Loan Program ($5K to $20K). Applications are being accepted April 13th-16th.
General
The Opportunity Fund, which specializes in money lending to small businesses owned by women, immigrants, and people of color, is going to be launching a COVID relief fund to provide grants and low-interest rate loans to business owners. Details pending.
Venture Capital
NFX is offering FAST investments in the form of a $1-$2M SAFE. Initial response is within 3 business days and a decision will be made within 9 days
Note: FAST investments begin April 14 and are first come, first served. $20M has been allocated. The first window is April 14 to May 22.
Lifesaver is hosting a FREE webinar on Fundraising as a Female Founder during the Pandemic on Monday May 4th
Chicago:Blend is offering office hours for underrepresented founders to give them the chance to virtually meet with VCs to ask advice, practice pitches and get other helpful tips for sustaining a business through the COVID-19 crisis
Crowdfunding
Republic is offering eligible founders from the SheWorx community a $1k on-boarding credit towards launching their Republic campaign to raise up to $1 million from the crowd
Covid-Specifc
Differential Ventures (Grant): providing $10,000-$25,000 grants to support activities that apply or adapt their existing product to help manage the social impacts of the crisis and/or to help bring this crisis to an end
New Media Ventures (Equity Investment): expanding their Open Call to surface additional projects advancing democracy in the face of COVID-19. The focus of the funding is on protecting vulnerable communities and defending democracy through progressive technology and media. They are making $25K to $250K in investments in for-profits (most often via convertible notes) and issuing grants to non-profits.
Emergent Ventures Fast Grants: $10K-$500K grants available to scientists at academic institutions currently working on a COVID-19 related projects Decisions are made in under 48 hours.
Note: Fast Grant applications are currently closed but they may reopen them in the future. You can sign up to receive alerts.
Resource Hubs
Women-Specific
Ellevest: an overview of Federal loan options, other loan and grant options, unemployment resources and more.
The Tory Burch Foundation: a collection of articles, webinars and interviews and resource libraries all focused on helping women entrepreneurs get through the pandemic.