Small Business Relief Fund

Local businesses are the heart and soul of our communities. And they are facing a crisis. Social distancing and government-mandated shutdowns are disproportionately affecting businesses that need foot traffic to survive. Whether it’s the local bakery, pizzeria or nail salon–they need us. According to the US Chamber of Commerce, 43% of small businesses surveyed believe that they have less than six months until a permanent shutdown is unavoidable

The GoFundMe.org Small Business Relief Fund will provide micro-grants to qualifying small businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Small Business Relief Fund is part of the Small Business Relief Initiative: a program supported by GoFundMe and our partners. The Small Business Relief Initiative will supply financial assistance and support to businesses across the country by providing grants, tools, and resources to help during the crisis.

The GoFundMe community and the Small Business Relief Initiative partners have currently donated millions of dollars in donations into the GoFundMe.org Small Business Relief Fund. As of August 31, more than $2.5 million has been granted to over 4,000 small businesses in the United States.

By sharing the fundraiser and donating, you can help us reach our goal of supporting as many small businesses across the country as possible. Until that Fund is depleted, GoFundMe.org will continue issuing $500 matching grants to qualifying businesses.

We will be posting frequent updates, and highlighting stories of grant recipients so that you can see the direct impact of your donation. Thank you for helping small businesses and their employees. When united, we can make all the difference. 

Important information for small business owners:
The Small Business Relief Fund will provide one-time matching grants to qualifying small businesses to help alleviate the financial burdens during these pressing times. Donations to the relief fund will be paid out as grants to businesses that qualify, and which businesses have created a fundraiser through the Small Business Relief Initiative or had an existing GoFundMe. For small business fundraisers started prior to March 24, or outside of the Small Business Relief Initiative partnerships, the organizer can update their fundraiser description with the hashtag #SmallBusinessRelief to be considered for a grant from this fund.

To qualify for a matching grant from the Small Business Relief Fund, the GoFundMe fundraiser must raise at least $500 and verify that your small business has been negatively impacted by a government mandate due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Your small business must be independently owned and operated, and must not be nationally dominant in your field of operation. Each recipient of the matching grant must intend on using the funds to help care for your employees or pay ongoing business expenses. 

If you meet the above criteria, please complete the following steps to be approved for a matching grant: 

1) Be sure the business owner is set up to receive the funds from the fundraiser, if you’re not raising money for your own business. Select the “Withdraw” option in the GoFundMe dashboard to make sure this is set up
2) Fill out this form to confirm your small business

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UPDATE as of 9/17/2020:
New Partnership to Support Small Businesses

We are excited to announce new partnerships with not one, but two organizations to fight for the survival of small businesses amidst COVID-19:

Capital One Business: Small Unites is a new national advocacy program designed to rally consumers and communities across the country to champion small businesses and help them re-emerge and thrive in the new normal. Through the Small Unites initiative, Capital One Business will be directing donations to the Small Business Relief Fund, to ensure continued financial support and grants for local businesses. Read more about the partnership here: https://bit.ly/3gKVosM

Express: Express established the Dream Big Project—an ongoing fundraising initiative created to champion organizations that stand for love, equality, and unity. To kick off the Dream Big Project, Express is supporting GoFundMe’s Small Business Relief Fund by encouraging donations and generating support for small businesses across the country. Read more about the partnership here: https://bit.ly/32DOMsw

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Small Business Relief Initiative Partners: 

We can’t do it alone. Thanks to you and our partners, we are able to amplify our efforts to help small businesses across the country. 

Yelp: 
Together, Yelp and GoFundMe are making it easy for people to donate directly to the businesses they love and support their communities. By leveraging Yelp’s opt-in program, business owners claim their GoFundMe fundraiser with the click of a button. It will be displayed on the business’s Yelp page, giving more visibility to the fundraiser. Read more about the partnership here: https://bit.ly/2Rk8CDa

Intuit QuickBooks:
Small businesses are feeling the effect of social distancing measures. Intuit QuickBooks is offering comprehensive resources to help business owners ensure as few financial losses as possible during the pandemic. Read more about the partnership here: https://bwnews.pr/2wmgPzo

GoDaddy:
Through this partnership, all GoDaddy Websites + Marketing customers can quickly share their GoFundMe fundraiser on their website by using the new Fundraising widget. With a few clicks, Websites + Marketing owners can simply add a new section on their website for visitors to donate to their GoFundMe. Read more about the partnership here: https://bit.ly/2Xg4Y14

Bill.com: 
While many businesses face a significant decline in revenue, Bill.com aims to support the small business community. They are waiving the first three months of subscription fees for new customers, extending support hours and offering resources to help business owners navigate these unprecedented times. Read more about the partnership here: https://bwnews.pr/39JJvjD

Important information for businesses wanting to donate:

If you are a corporation looking to donate to this fund and providing a matching incentive, please email [email redacted] for more details. 

The 501(c)(3) charity will issue grants to coronavirus-related fundraisers that concentrate on helping small businesses. Each GoFundMe fundraiser is verified in order to assure that your donation is going towards the specific cause.  Any funds which can not be granted out to fundraisers will be granted to other charitable organizations serving the same purposes stated here. 

GoFundMe.Org, an independent, registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has partnered with GoFundMe to deliver tax-deductible donations to support those in need.  Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.