Bringing Back the ‘Burg

In case you missed it: A couple of weeks ago, the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce announced their Bringing Back the ‘Burg Small Business Fund.

The Spartanburg Chamber’s Bringing Back the ‘Burg Business Recovery Task Force has created the Bringing Back the ‘Burg Small Business Fund to help Spartanburg County’s businesses recover from the economic impact of COVID-19.

The Bringing Back the Burg Small Business Fund is designed to disperse funds to businesses demonstrating a need for financial assistance, as determined by a committee of Task Force representatives. The goal is to raise $500,000 in funds from private and public entities. CommunityWorks, a statewide community development financial institution, will act as the fund manager. Current contributions amount to $453,000, including contributions by Spartanburg County, the City of Spartanburg, the Mary Black Foundation, South State Bank and OneSpartanburg. 76% of those funds are restricted to small/minority businesses located in low and moderate income areas. Businesses can view eligibility requirements and apply at www.bringingbacktheburg.com. The public is encouraged to donate to the fund in support of local small businesses.

“The Mary Black Foundation is pleased to support efforts that address the current health and economic challenges we are facing. Our commitment to “Bring Back the ‘Burg” will provide small businesses and nonprofit organizations access to financial planning, education, and resources through the Chamber and Community Works.” – Molly Talbot-Metz, President & CEO, Mary Black Foundation

Local Funds in Response to COVID-19

The Mary Black Foundation shifted its funding focus to support core operating expenses and projects that were responding to the impact of COVID-19. The foundation has a Short-term Needs Application for basic human and organizational needs, and a Long-term Needs Application for organizations addressing basic needs, mental health and education & health lag through programs, projects or systems-level work. The summer application cycle is now closed. Sign up for email updates to be notified when the next grant cycle opens. https://maryblackfoundation.org/apply-for-a-grant/ The Spartanburg County Foundation Disaster Relief Fund offers grants to nonprofit organizations that are providing relief, recovery, and rebuilding assistance to Spartanburg County residents affected by natural or manmade disasters. SPCF’s 2020 Spring Grant Cycle will be dedicated to Spartanburg County nonprofits needing additional capacity to maintain operations through the pandemic. https://spcf.org/grants-and-scholarships/apply-for-a-grant/ The Spartanburg Regional Foundation COVID-19 Fund supports Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System staff and patient care with a wide variety of emerging needs. Its Employee Emergency Fund provides assistance to SRHS staff members who are facing financial crisis due to unforeseen circumstances. The Chaplain’s Fund benefits uninsured and underinsured patients by covering expenses for medicine, food, transportation, or other basic needs. https://regionalfoundation.com/donate-now/coronavirus-covid-19/ The United Way of the Piedmont’s United For All local relief fund is a permanent pool of funding, managed by United Way of the Piedmont to directly assist local community members affected in times of disaster or crisis. The Fund has been activated in response to the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. Funds will directly support families who have been financially affected by the pandemic with expenses like food, shelter, and healthcare. https://www.uwpiedmont.org/uwprespondstocovid19/