The Citi Foundation has launched a $25 million fund to support nonprofit organizations providing direct technical assistance to small businesses owned by people of color that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Selected nonprofit organizations will receive up to $500,000 in one-year, unrestricted, grant support.
Qualifying technical assistance could include, but not be limited to, the following activities:
- Financial and application assistance: Support for identifying and completing applications for financial assistance programs, preparing financial documentation, referrals to lenders/other funders, and, in some cases, delivering grants or direct cash assistance programs
- Human resources: Hiring and staffing, employee safety, compliance with federal and/or local employment laws, benefits and relief and tax forms
- Technology solutions: Broadband and computer access, e-commerce platforms, systems networking and remote office set-up, backup/redundancy disaster planning, cyber security, accounting software implementation, POS software implementation (for retail/restaurants)
- Legal: Compliance, contracts, lease review and negotiation, licensing, regulation and permits, buying or selling a business, payment disruptions/delays and collections, employment laws
- Marketing and communications: Market and customer analysis, competitive analysis, digital, social, and community media, industry partnerships and referrals, brand/identity development, collateral design, direct marketing assistance, earned media/press/PR planning, merchandising, signage/display development
- Real estate and property services: Lease negotiation, relocation assistance, site acquisition, regulatory support, provision of office, work or community space
- Strategic and financial planning: Succession planning, mentoring/coaching, cash and debt management, implementing/upgrading accounting standards, data and documentation, operations and risk assessment, inventory and supply chain management, local market evaluation
- Shared services: Accounting, payroll, benefits, administrative, and/or loaned executive
Organizations looking to submit a request for funding must have IRS 501c(3) status and a federal employment identification number, among other requirements. A full list of requirements can be found on the Citi Foundation’s application page.
The deadline to apply is April 12, 2021 at 4 pm. Grant winners will be announced in July.
Applicants who have questions about this request for proposal can email [email protected].
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