July 15, 2020

Phase 2:

Updates from Adams Morgan

Click Here to see previous updates in our newsletter archive

New Round of LISC Small Business Relief Grants Opening soon

Thanks to support from a variety of funders, LISC is providing grants to small businesses, to help them keep functioning and remain vital facets of their local economies through this challenging period.  They have just finished the fourth round of accepting grant applications, which is made possible with the generous support of Lowe's, Synchrony and Truist.

Please register here to be notified of the next round opening July 27.

For questions, please review the grant information and FAQ .

Grant Programs to help Minority-Owned Businesses

Visa X iFundWomen

Visa has extended its partnership with IFundWomen to support Black women-owned small businesses in the United States through a new grant program and educational resources. These grants provide an opportunity for recipients to grow their businesses and continue to offer much-needed services to their local (and global) communities. Applications are being accepted from June 30, 2020, through July 31, 2020.

Requirements:

• Black women-owned business
• Must be located in the U.S.
• Must have a minimum annual revenue of $24K or more
• Must have been in business for 2+ years
• Must be a business that has a product or service in market and generating revenue
• Must be a growing business
• Must be a consumer product or service (B2C)
• Must have a compelling digital presence and supporting media

Reward Amount: Ten (10) qualified recipients will each be awarded a $10K grant + a 1-year IFundWomen Annual Coaching Membership.

Buy From a Black Woman Black Women Relief Fund

This is a financial resource initiative created by Buy From a Black Woman to help provide relief to Black Women Business Owners who have been impacted by COVID-19.

Requirements:

• Businesses owned and operated by Black Women in the U.S. and its territories.
• Businesses must be in operation for over two years, in good standing, and incorporated as a legal entity.
• Owners must and be able to demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic is causing hardship.
• Non-profits are not eligible to apply.

Reward Amount: The Black Woman Relief Fund will grant 15 Black Women Business Owner $1000

Wells Fargo Open For Business Fund

To help small minority-owned businesses, Wells Fargo is using the $400 Million in PPP fees they’ve earned to fund their Open For Business Fund . One of their initiatives is the Expanding Black Business Credit Initiative (EBBC) will support the launch of the Black Vision Fund to increase the flow of capital to Black-focused CDFIs for transformational work to close the racial wealth gap in African American communities. The CDFIs will also receive capital for urgent deployment to impacted businesses in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Midwest.

Requirements: Follow Wells Fargo on social media for more information coming soon

Reward Amount: The Open for Business Fund will direct $28 million, to Community Development Financial Institutions that support Black and African American-owned small businesses. Two of the earliest beneficiaries highlighted by Wells Fargo are Expanding Black Business Credit Initiative (EBBC) and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).

Paint those concrete barriers!

The Arts in the Right-of-Way (AROW) program within the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is supporting the temporary painting of select DDOT-owned jersey barriers, subject to approval, for use in temporary outdoor table service for beautification purposes only. Any business or community organization that has an approved streatery, parklet, or other form of temporary outdoor table service can request to paint the jersey barriers protecting their outdoor dining space.

Click Here to download the document with guidelines and submission process. DDOT will review submissions within 5 days.



OAG: Helping Minority-Owned Businesses During COVID-19

The survival of minority-owned businesses is key to community cohesion, yet they are less likely to have access to loans and financing opportunities. This conversation will cover the impact of COVID-19 on minority-owned businesses and opportunities to ensure they are able to withstand multiple pandemic waves. Guest speakers include Marla Bilonick, Executive Director and CEO of the Latino Economic Development Center, and Angel Gregorio, Owner and Curator of The Spice Suite.

Friday, July 17, 2020 12:00 pm

Click here to register



Resist Local Tax Increases & Support a Strong Recovery Budget

The Recover Strong Alliance continues to urge the DC Council to support the Mayor’s budget and resist pressures to raise taxes. The Council has already moved to impose more than $60 million in new taxes on DC residents and businesses.

The Federal City Council is asking you to weigh in at the Council here , and by urging your colleagues, friends and neighbors to also lend their voices to the Recover Strong Alliance.

This is a fast, user-friendly tool with pre-loaded comments so within a minute or two you can quickly reach out to all DC Councilmembers in support of DC businesses and residents struggling through a challenging recovery.

NOTE: The next deadline for comments is Monday, July 20 @ 5 PM.

Finally, please spread the word by forwarding this link to others and by posting it on social media!

District Bridges Partners with DC Shop Small for DC Dog Days : An Event To Encourage Virtual Shopping Across the District!

Dog Days DC will take place online on Saturday, August 8th and Sunday, 9th. Businesses across the District are encouraged to participate, and many will be offering special sales, gifts with purchase, discounts, and more. Business owners must sign up to participate using this form and have an online e-commerce presence (products sold online can be anything from gift cards, retail products, electronic services, and carryout/delivery food options). To assist businesses who are not currently using an e-commerce platform, District Bridges will put together a webinar on its educational platform Access Point to help business owners get started.

The Adams Morgan Partnership is an organizational partner with the event this year and is encouraging neighborhood businesses to participate. It is free for businesses to participate.

Mergers, Acquisitions & Worker Buyouts for Liquidity, Growth, and Exit: A Small to Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Roundtable

Are you an owner of a small or medium-sized enterprise who is looking to grow? Or do you want to move on to the next stage of your life or career but aren't sure how to exit? Join the Washington DC Economic Partnership, The Washington Area Community Investment Fund, and the Democracy at Work Institute on Wednesday, July 29th at 1:00 pm EDT as we talk with three local business leaders who have leveraged Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) and Employee Buyout strategies to capitalize, grow and exit their businesses.

Click here to register



Update from RAMW

Coming off of last week’s DC Council's Legislative Session, while there was some relief for businesses, the Council also voted to preliminarily increase some taxes on DC businesses and residents – including a new 3% advertising sales tax, the elimination of a tax break for high technology companies, and an increase in the estate tax.

Also, we have received many questions about when the current rules on expanded outdoor cafes expire. If you are using private space, you only need approval from ABRA and that extension is in place through October 25th.

If you are using public space, you need approval from DDOT and ABRA. Currently, DDOT’s expanded outdoor use rules are in place through the Mayor’s Emergency, which is set to expire on July 24th. However, the Mayor has indicated that the emergency will be extended through October 9th.

ABC 101 Virtual Training: Registration Now Open

Registration is now open for our ABC 101 virtual trainings . Sign up for the session that best fits your schedule.

ABC 101 (previously titled Licensee Training ) is one of ABRA’s essential foundation trainings focused on introducing ABC licensees of all experiences to ABRA and key ABC basics.

Along with giving our in demand training a new name, we’ve also:

• Refreshed the presentation’s content to better meet the expressed needs of emerging, new, and seasoned entrepreneurs and their teams.
• Incorporated important guidelines and available opportunities associated with DC’s phased reopening.
• Reinvented the formerly in-person course for online learning, including condensing the length to one (1) hour inclusive of Q&A.

Topics that will be discussed include Settlement Agreements; noise abatement and sound management; relevant laws and regulations, including impending changes; public comment period; and best practices.

Details:

Available sessions scheduled for US Eastern Time include:

• Tuesday, July 21 | 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Tuesday, August 18 | 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Tuesday, September 22 | 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

This training is best suited for on and off-premises retailer and wholesaler license holders and their team members.

Advance registration is required. All trainings are virtual and offered at no cost. Additional trainings available at abra.dc.gov/page/abc-licensee-training .

If you have completed the previous version of this training or have extensive ABC experience, I encourage you to still consider registering for an upcoming session. It’s a great opportunity to re-familiarize yourself with recent changes in the law, deadlines, and processes, and learn about program updates.

Please direct training questions to our Community Resource Officer Sarah Fashbaugh at sarah.fashbaugh@dc.gov or (202) 397-3971.

Washington Gas: Our plan to help the District reach its climate goals

How District businesses and residents get their energy is facing change as the city seeks a cleaner energy future. Washington Gas is proud to be a member of this thriving community and understands our role in ensuring a sustainable tomorrow as an essential energy provider.

Please join Washington Gas at 5 p.m. on July 29, 2020 for a virtual public meeting to learn how Washington Gas can help the District reach its climate goals of becoming carbon neutral in ways that are cost-effective, innovative and community-driven.

The July 29th webinar will walk through our Climate Business Plan and provide insights into how this approach will help the community achieve its climate goals in an affordable and inclusive way.

The July 29th virtual event will be the first of many discussions to discuss how we can work together to create policies and regulations to meet the District’s climate targets, while continuing to provide essential energy in a cost-effective manner to the people, businesses and institutions that call the District of Columbia home. It’s essential that everyone be at the table together to plan for and achieve a sustainable energy future for our community.

What are your company's business travel plans?

Business travel is a critical part of our economy.  With the recent changes in air service caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) is seeking more information from local business leaders about travel plans and policies for their businesses.

The survey takes only 4 minutes and can be found here .

The information gathered will give MWAA better insights into future travel forecasts and any actions the airports can take to help instill confidence.

#AdamsMorganStrong video launched to highlight Adams Morgan businesses, raise money for Adams Morgan Day

We've put together a short music video highlighting dozens of our 240+ small businesses that need your help during these difficult times so that we can have more laughs, more meals together, more fun, and more time TOGETHER. Consider making a donation at admodc.org/support to support Adams Morgan Day. We will send you a free #BuyRestaurantBonds poster with a $50 donation or all five of them with a $200 donation.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Sponsor one of our community events! Partner with our community while reaching some of the city's most desirable demographics. For details, contact Kristen Barden at 202-997-0783.

Tag us on social media!

© Adams Morgan Partnership