The Small Business Relief Initiative was started by GoFundMe to help small businesses that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and empower their communities to rally behind them. GoFundMe has partnered with Yelp and Intuit QuickBooks to provide small business owners with the financial support and resources needed to continue running their businesses during and after the coronavirus crisis.
As part of the Small Business Relief Initiative, GoFundMe, Yelp, and Intuit QuickBooks have each donated $500,000 to the Small Business Relief Fund. GoFundMe.org, the company’s charitable and advocacy arm, started the Small Business Relief Fund to benefit small businesses. Supporters can donate to the Small Business Relief Fund and GoFundMe.org will provide grants to small businesses across the United States, starting with the hardest hit areas. The Small Business Relief Fund will be issuing $500 matching grants to qualifying businesses that raise at least $500 on GoFundMe. More partners will be announced in relation to this initiative at a later date.
To be eligible for a grant from the Small Business Relief Fund, the business needs to have been negatively impacted by a government mandate due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and needs to be independently owned and operated; and must not be nationally dominant in its field of operation; and must intend to use funds to either help (a) care for its employees/workers; or (b) pay ongoing business expenses; and must clear some social media vetting cues, namely (a) raise at least $500 for your business through the business’ own GoFundMe fundraiser, which fundraiser you started because of the COVID-19 pandemic; and (b) have no fraud reports made against your GoFundMe fundraiser. Only one grant per business. All business fundraisers and grant recipients must comply with GoFundMe’s terms of service. To read more see here our terms of service.
Franchises and chains are not eligible for these grants . All businesses must clear some social media vetting cues, namely (a) raise at least $500 through the business’ own GoFundMe, which fundraiser was started because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are the local restaurants that have set up fundraisers already:
