The Resiliency Fund: Cincinnati

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The Resiliency Fund:
Launch Wednesday September 21, 2022, at Noon!

This is the first scheduled round for the Resiliency Fund application submission period and will remain open from date until Wednesday, October 12th, 2022*. Applications will be reviewed for eligibility, and award winners will be communicated via email through the application portal.

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The Resiliency Fund:
Micro Grants Available for Cincinnati

The focus of the Resiliency Fund is to support black and brown small minority businesses that are continuing to operate and plan to operate for the remaining calendar year of 2022 and 2023.

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About The Resiliency Fund


The focus of the Resiliency Fund is to support black and brown small minority businesses that are continuing to operate and plan to operate for the remaining calendar year of 2022 and 2023.  The various Tiers represent the support minority Businesses of color need to bridge the financial gaps the COVID-19 Pandemic has disproportionately affected Minority Businesses. The Resiliency Fund also provides an opportunity for businesses to receive support to allow them to pivot during these challenging times.

Eligibility


New Eligibility requirements for this round of Resiliency Grants is slightly different than the previous round.  Please review carefully before applying.  All ineligible applications will not be reviewed. The new requirements are:

  1. Your Business MUST BE Located within Hamilton County but NOT within the City of Cincinnati Corporate limit. The address listed on your application and/or your 2021 tax return will be the address used.  If you have not filed your 2021 tax return the address used on your extension request will be used.

 

***Please note that this Grant offering is targeting businesses located within Hamilton County but not located within the City of Cincinnati Corporate limits.  Previous Resiliency Awards were primarily provided to City of Cincinnati Minority Businesses located within the City of Corporate Limit based on funding sources. This Grant offering is designed to specifically for businesses that might not have been eligible for previous offerings.   ***

 

  1. If you have NOT received a Resiliency Fund Grant in any of the previous rounds and your business is located within Hamilton County but not located within the City of Cincinnati Corporate limits, you are eligible to apply for the Resiliency Tier Grants if you meet the requirements listed.

These Grants are designed to support black and brown minority businesses that need funding to help stabilize and/or address an immediate hardship in their business. The focus of these funds is to support smaller minority businesses that are continuing to operate and plan to operate for the remaining calendar year of 2022 and 2023 in the Greater Cincinnati Area (currently Hamilton County).

There will be 50 total applications accepted and applications will be randomly selected for this period. (Once the application pool is filled the application portal will be closed)

Eligible Minority Businesses of color applicants will submit required documentation through the application portal that will be provided. Submission of this application does not guarantee approval or selection. All applicants that receive funding will be required to work with a partner Technical Assistance provider. Please review the required documents needed if selected. Please submit the required information as requested.

A business may only apply for one of the following Tiers of the Resiliency Fund this period. Multiple applications by the business or its business owner(s) will result IN-ELIGIBILITY of any Resiliency Fund

Tier Levels

The two levels of the Resiliency Grant will be the 2022 application period:

Tier 1
The Operational Emergency Relief Grants ($2,500)
or
Tier 2
Community Opportunity Grants ($5,000)


  • Applicants are screened for eligibility.
  • For Profit Business located in Hamilton County but NOT located within the City of Cincinnati Corporate limits. (This Grant offering is designated to support Minority businesses in the surrounding municipality communities within Hamilton County)
  • Maximum Revenue $750,000 ($5,000 Minimun)
  • Eligible applicants are selected by lottery.
  • There will be a limited number of Applications.
  • Awards amounts will be determined based on your 2021 or 2022 documented revenues

Application Period:

  • 1 Application period (September 2022) Additional period might be added pending funding
  • The application opens on September 21st, 2022, at noon. Closes on Wednesday, October 12th, 2022, at 11:59 PM

Application materials required:

  • In Business 12 months or more
  • Certificate of Good Standing with the State of Ohio
  • Proof of minority ownership
  • Signed IRS Form W-9
  • Color copy of State or Federal ID or Driver’s License
  • Business Bank Account Statement (3 months prior to application date)
  • Documentation showing need (statement on how COVID-19 has affected 2020 and/or 2021 Revenues)
  • Description of how funds will be used
  • 2020 or 2021 Tax Return (Provide the most recently filed Tax Return)
  • 2021 Year end Income Statement and Balance Sheet or proof of business Revenue from POS account statements (if 2021 Tax Return is not available)
  • 2022 Revenue verification may be required.


There will be a limited amount of grants available for each level. There will be only one application pool.  Grant awards will be based on 2021 or 2022 verified revenue levels.   The number of available grants will be listed on the application description.  More grant opportunities may vary depending on available funding.  Please review the grant offerings description  to determine eligibility.

IF YOU WERE SELECTED TO RECEIVE A PREVIOUS RESILIENCY FUND AWARD YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ANY OTHER GRANT OFFERINGS.

The Resiliency Fund is provided by the Urban League of Greater Southwest Ohio and being administered by the Greater Cincinnati Microenterprise Initiative (GCMI)

All communication for these Grant offerings will be by email only. Please submit through the Application portal or application portal email address.

Frequently Asked Questions

Unfortunately, at this time the Resiliency Fund Grants are for For-Profit businesses only.

Yes, this Grant offering is focused on supporting businesses that are located in Hamilton County but NOT located within the City of Cincinnati Corporate limits.

The funding is designated to support minority business located in municipalities within Hamilton County.

The first application period opens on September 21st at 12:00 noon. 

The deadline for the first application portal has been extended to October 12th at 11:59 PM. 

Funds are not restricted but should be used for the purpose you listed on the grant application.

Applications will be evaluated for completeness, accuracy of financial data, and explanation of need.

All Applicants must complete their application and submit the required documentation via the submittable platform. Once the Application deadline has expired, all applications will be reviewed for completeness and accuracy. If the Resiliency Fund team has any additional questions they will communicate through the Submittable portal. It will be important to check your Submittable portal weekly. The system should send you a notification of any communication to the email address you used when signing up.


All decisions will be communicated through the portal.

The process will take up to 3-4 weeks before a decision is communicated. If selected it will be an additional 2-3 weeks before checks are issued. Your response to additional information will also dictate the timeline.

A check will be issued to the name of the business. It will be issued to the name of the business listed on the W-9 that is completed. We will provide an option to allow participants to pick up their check from a specified location. 

You will receive an email communication about your status. You are eligible to reapply for future grant offerings but please review eligibility and required documents to help ensure your submission of the best application for your business.


Be the FIRST to know when applications open!

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