Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative Role in the City-wide COVID-19 Response
• Provide grants and zero-interest loans to Black-owned businesses through the COVID-19 Small Business Relief Fund. In 2020, the Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative COVID-19 Small Business Relief Fund improved the financial stability of Black-owned businesses by awarding nearly $800,000 to 65 Black-owned businesses and 18 nonprofits in Atlanta.
• Ensure that Black-owned businesses have equitable access in the distribution of COVID-19 resources
• Supplement Community of Practice and business service provider efforts by sharing with funding partners to bring resources to the table
• Advocate for resources needed during this time for provider clients, programs and staff to better support the small business and nonprofit community
•Share resources, new information and resources as they become available
Resource List
In response to the COVID-19 virus, Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative is leading a coordinated, inclusive effort to understand the challenges and opportunities businesses are experiencing, even beyond the immediate and typical, as a result of the COVID-19 Virus. The purpose of these efforts is to strategically and quickly respond, while limiting long-term mitigating factors to ensure small businesses, especially people of color owned businesses, do not fail as a result of COVID-19. To that end, we’ve compiled a list of resources currently available to small business owners. We will continue to update this list as new information becomes available.
Small Business COVID-19 Impact Survey
AWBI worked with an extensive list of partners to create and mobilize resources to prevent business disruption. To better understand the issues facing small businesses during the pandemic, Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative, in partnership with Georgia Watch, Georgia Micro Enterprise Network and Uhuru Concepts, developed a survey to help mobilize resources for small businesses.