Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin wants to ensure local businesses stay “Birmingham Strong” as the precautions taken in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak threatens business in Alabama.

To help keep small businesses keep their doors open, Woodfin is establishing the Birmingham Strong Fund, an emergency loan fund for Birmingham businesses with 50 or fewer employees. The fund was established to help stabilize employment, stimulate economic vitality and offset losses related to the coronavirus.

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The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham will operate the fund, which will eventually be a revolving loan fund for small businesses.

The city wants to seed the fund with $200,000 from the Office of Innovation and Economic Development, said IEO Director Josh Carpenter.

In order for that $200,000 to be used this way, the funds must be declared as being used for a public purpose, which the city council has power to do. An item declaring the funds a public purpose and allowing them to be transferred to the Birmingham Strong Fund will appear on the March 24, 2020, city council agenda.

Support the Bham Strong campaign In the wake of #COVID19, you should practice social distancing, you should practice good hygiene, but you should also go out and shop and support our small businesses. I encourage you all to contribute to the Birmingham Strong campaign, which will ensure there is a safety net for local businesses and their employees who may be affected by this crisis. Visit bhamstrong.com for more. Posted by Randall Woodfin on Saturday, March 14, 2020

The Community Foundation has also activated an emergency response fund. This fund was opened in response to the 1998 tornadoes, and has provided long-term resources for disasters impacting the region over the last 20 years.

“This grant-making fund was established so that we could be prepared for unforeseen situations like this,” said Christopher Nanni, president and CEO of The Community Foundation. “We have reactivated the fund so that we can provide flexible resources to our region for the communities that are disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.”

To learn more about these two response funds or make a donation visit https://www.cfbham.org/covid-19-response-funds/

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