Kirkland Small Business Relief Fund Starts Accepting Applications From April 1 Until April 7

Press release from the City of Kirkland:

March 31, 2020

KIRKLAND, Wash. – The Kirkland Small Business Relief Fund (Relief Fund) will begin accepting applications from eligible Kirkland-based small businesses and small not-for-profits on April 1, 2020, at 9 a.m. The application period will close at 5 p.m. April 7. Applications will be accepted online only, and the application form can be found here: https://kirklandchamber.org/relief/.

The City of Kirkland, the Greater Kirkland Chamber of Commerce (Chamber), and Banner Bank’s Kirkland branch collaborated to create the Kirkland Small Business Relief Fund to provide immediate grants to qualifying small businesses and small not-for-profits in Kirkland impacted by COVID-19. The Relief Fund received initial seed funding of $250,000 from Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, and is open to additional contributions from any interested individuals and organizations to be used in later rounds of funding.

The Relief Fund is open to all qualifying applicants; applicants do not need to be Chamber members to apply. The Chamber will act as the fiscal agent for the Relief Fund and will manage all contributions. A committee comprised of members from the Chamber, Banner Bank, and other business leaders will review all applications and make all decisions regarding dispersal of grant funding.

The following details and parameters define the Relief Fund’s initial round:

• $250,000 in available funds, contributed by Google.org
• Applications accepted: April 1 through April 7, 2020
• Total number of grant recipients will be capped at 250
• Minimum grant award: $1,000
• Maximum grant award: $5,000
• Equal distribution of funds among qualifying recipients

Businesses meeting the following criteria are eligible to apply:

• “Brick and Mortar” commercial businesses or small not-for-profits serving customers and constituents in a premise that is open to the general public
• Current business license number with the City of Kirkland
• Demonstrated negative financial impact from COVID-19
• 25 or fewer FTE (full time equivalent) employees
• Business is open, or intends to re-open after restrictions lift

“COVID-19 is causing major disruptions to Kirkland and to communities around the world,” said Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold. “This Relief Fund is a local effort to support our local small businesses and not-for-profits during this challenging time. I encourage all organizations who meet the criteria to apply to get needed support.”

The goal of the Relief Fund is to provide immediate financial relief to Kirkland’s hardest-hit small businesses and not-for-profits in the form of unrestricted grants to support rent, employee salaries, and operating costs as a stop-gap relief pending the release and distribution of anticipated federal and state aid. It is expected that the Relief Fund will disperse grants to applicants in successive funding rounds, as contributions allow.

In addition to the immediate funding from the Relief Fund, the federal government recently passed a comprehensive package, the CARES Act, that is anticipated to support Kirkland businesses in the form of loans (forgivable in some instances), extended unemployment programs, and more. City staff will continue to track and provide links to relevant programs on the City’s website: www.Kirklandwa.gov/BusinessSupportCOVID.

Additional resources for Kirkland businesses include the U.S. Small Business Administration, which is offering low-interest federal disaster loans to Washington small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of COVID-19. Applicants may apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

For more information, including details on criteria and contributing to the fund, please visit: https://kirklandchamber.org/relief/.

This press release was produced by the City of Kirkland. The views expressed here are the author’s own.