January 13, 2021 – San Diego, CA – The San Diego Foundation today announced the San Diego COVID-19 Community Response Fund has granted an additional $300,000 to uplift Black, Latinx and Asian businesses amid continued stay-at-home orders.
The grants were announced at a virtual press conference hosted by The San Diego Foundation in partnership with the Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce, Local Initiatives Support Corporation and Asian Business Association of San Diego.
The pandemic has not affected all San Diegans evenly. Under-resourced communities in San Diego County have been disproportionally afflicted by COVID-19 and today’s grantmaking will help provide much-needed support for Black, Latinx and Asian businesses which are vital to the region’s economy. To help distribute the funds into the community where they can make the most impact, The San Diego Foundation has provided $100,000 each to the Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce, Local Initiatives Support Corporation and Asian Business Association of San Diego. Each organization will have application information available later this week on their respective websites where Black, Latinx and Asian business owners can learn more and apply.
The three organizations were selected by the Leadership Council for the COVID-19 Community Response Fund because of their deep roots and relationships among San Diego’s business community.
“From the very beginning of the pandemic, addressing inequity has been a central focus for the COVID-19 Community Response Fund,” shared Mark Stuart, President & CEO of The San Diego Foundation. “This grant funding will infuse our Black, Latinx and Asian small business community with much-needed financial support at a critical moment.”
“San Diego’s underrepresented businesses were already challenged by cash flow on a good day, and now during the pandemic they are facing mounting obstacles to stay afloat,” shared Donna DeBerry, President and CEO of the Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce during the virtual press conference. “This charitable support will get money into the hands of our historically-disadvantaged businesses to help them keep the lights on, pay rent and remain in operation.”
Ricardo Flores, Executive Director of Local Initiatives Support Corporation, continued, “The great promise of the United States has always been entrepreneurship and many of our Latinx small businesses are at risk as the pandemic continues. This grant funding provides us with an opportunity to rally around these businesses that have given so much to our region economically and culturally.”
“By prioritizing equity with these grant dollars, we can ensure that many of our Black, Latinx and Asian mom and pop businesses stay open, keep employees on payroll, and have access to critical resources,” shared Jason Paguio, President and CEO of the Asian Business Association of San Diego.
To date, the COVID-19 Community Response Fund has granted more than $55 million through over 244 grants to 200 nonprofit partners. These nonprofits provided computers, internet access, childcare, food security, financial assistance, medical support, workforce training and other vital needs to our region’s most vulnerable communities. Grantmaking is made possible thanks to more than $64 million that has been raised for the San Diego COVID-19 Community Response Fund through 3,500 individuals, businesses, foundations, government partnerships and donor-advised funds.
Businesses, individuals and organizations can donate and find additional information about the San Diego COVID-19 Community Response Fund at SDFoundation.org/COVID19.
The San Diego Foundation is part of a national movement of more than 600 community foundations that have mobilized more than $1 billion to aid in the COVID-19 public health and economic crisis through response funds. Individual donations are bolstered by San Diego corporations and numerous donor-advised funds at The San Diego Foundation.
