COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant Program: 2021 in Review

Small businesses in the communities served by LISC Indianapolis were at a high risk of being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, LISC Indianapolis developed a Small Business Relief grant program to provide grant assistance to minority and women-owned businesses that were likely not going to access other resources. In 2020, 76 businesses were provided with $5,000 grants.

While many businesses were able to pivot and gradually return to pre-pandemic revenue levels, many businesses have experienced other challenges with each COVID-19 wave, staffing shortages, and supply chain disruptions. LISC Indianapolis continued the program in 2021 with two additional grant rounds providing $5,000 -$15,000 grants to Black and Immigrant-owned businesses. In total, 115 small businesses received a grant in 2021, totaling $660,000. Of those 115 businesses, 79% were Black-owned, 46% were women-owned, 12% Latinx-owned and 10% were Asian-owned.

This program was only possible with the generous support from Cummins Inc., First Financial Bank, The Glick Fund –a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation and Wells Fargo, LISC is grateful for the support from the following organizations that formed the grant review committees for the two grant rounds: Indy Black Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Business Council, Central Indiana Community Foundation, La Plaza, Immigrant Welcome Center, The Haitian Association, Burmese American Community Association, Indianapolis Chinese Community Center, Exodus Refugee, and International Marketplace Coalition.

2021 Impact Report

LISC Indianapolis COVID-19 Small Business Impact and Recovery Efforts

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