Applications open for Birmingham Business Relief Fund

Cleanup

Volunteers and workers board up a broken window at California Fashion Mall in downtown Birmingham Monday, June 1, 2020, following a night of unrest that resulted in significant property damage to at least 13 businesses in downtown Birmingham.

Applications are open today for one of the programs established to help Birmingham businesses impacted by unrest downtown earlier this week.

The Birmingham Business Relief Fund is a collaborative effort between the City of Birmingham, the Birmingham Business Alliance, REV Birmingham, Urban Impact and the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham.

Some participants in a Sunday night rally downtown broke off from the main group after attempts to bring down the Confederate monument in Linn Park failed. They then went through the city, breaking windows, looting stores and setting fires until early Monday morning.

The funds, which will be made available through grants, will be administered by REV Birmingham. All downtown businesses that sustained damage are encouraged to apply, but the fund will prioritize:

  • Small business or property owners with less than 25 employees.
  • Women, minority and disadvantaged-owned businesses.
  • Affected non-profit organizations.
  • Businesses located in downtown Birmingham’s City Center.
  • Businesses headquartered in the City of Birmingham or Jefferson County.
  • Businesses that hold City of Birmingham business licenses.
  • Businesses or owners who have not had their needs met by donations from other funds or campaigns.

To apply, visit the website. Donations can be made here.

Applications will be reviewed by a panel of representatives from each partnering organization and representatives of the small business community. Grants will be awarded weekly through July 31.

Initial support for the fund came from Spire and has been bolstered by almost 200 individual and corporate donors, organizers say. Ivan Holloway, executive director at Urban Impact, said almost 60 businesses were affected by the civil unrest.

“Many businesses were already suffering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and these funds will assist businesses as they rebuild, repair and renew their operations,” Holloway said. “Repairing physical damage will also be an important step in focusing the public conversation on core issues of systemic racism and positive change.”

This is not the only relief effort ongoing. Woke Vote and LRY Media Group have partnered with the Penny Foundation on the “Recover. Restore. Rebuild” initiative. Participants can donate at the website or volunteer through it for clean up efforts.

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