Working Solutions

California's $500M Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program Application is now LIVE! Grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 will be awarded to eligible small businesses and nonprofits across the state that have been impacted by COVID-19 and related health and safety restrictions. The application window opens today, Wednesday, December 30 and closes on Friday, January 8. Working Solutions is proud to be one of the select partners in the Bay Area providing support with the application process. Learn more about eligibility requirements and the application process at www.CAReliefGrant.com. #CAReliefGrant

California's $500M Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program website is LIVE. Applications for eligible small businesses & nonprofits will be open from Wed 12/30 through Fri 1/8. Working Solutions is proud to be one of the select partners providing support with the application process. Get business docs ready now, learn more about requirements! #CAReliefGrant www.CAReliefGrant.com

COMING SOON: California’s $500M Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program will make grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 to eligible small businesses and nonprofits across the state that have been impacted by COVID-19. Applications will be accepted between Wednesday, December 30 and Friday, January 8. Learn more and get ready to apply at www.CAReliefGrant.com. #CAReliefGrant

Exciting news! Working Solutions has disbursed $4.33 million in COVID-19 grant dollars to 1,012 small businesses across the Bay Area since March. To put that number into perspective, this means that we have doubled the number of businesses funded in our 20-year history in just the last nine months. Grants have been made through programs in Sonoma County and the cities of Oakland, Albany, and Napa. Thank you to the partners and funders who made these grant programs possible.

Working Solutions is excited to welcome three new staff members this month: Christina Travers as CFO, Diana Brown as Lending Associate, and Jhoana Rose Juen as Portfolio Associate. Each of these new team members will help expand and enhance our work with underserved entrepreneurs. Thank you to our funders and stakeholders whose core operating supportespecially during the COVID-19 pandemicreinforces our commitment to scale, impact, and excellence as we serve the small business community. Learn more about these new staff members and our full team at https://www.workingsolutions.org/our-team.

Working Solutions looks forward to joining our #CDFI peers and partners to address the theme of ‘Finance Justice’ at this year’s virtual Opportunity Finance Network conference. From November 9-12, the conference will feature inspiring speakers, energizing sessions, networking opportunities, and more. Join us on Wednesday, November 11 at 3:30 pm (Eastern) for a session led by Working Solutions CEO and OFN Board Member Sara Razavi on the topic of ‘Trauma and Lending: Managing Teams through Complex and Circumstantial Trauma.’ See the full schedule and register at conference2020.ofn.org. #OFNConf #FinanceJustice

Good News: Continuing our celebration of #womensbusinessmonth, we are excited to congratulate Working Solutions client Nona Lim on receiving a gold #sofi award from the Specialty Food Association for her Spicy Chicken Ramen Bone Broth. Often described as the ‘Oscars’ of the specialty food industry, these awards are decided by a panel of experts based on flavor, quality, and innovation. What’s more, this is Nona Lim’s 5th #sofi award in 6 years! Read more at https://www.specialtyfood.com//nona-lim-wins-gold-sofi-aw/. #womenentrepreneurs Photo courtesy of Nona Lim

Working Solutions is excited to participate as a featured business resource at Passion to Profit, an annual conference hosted by Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center on Thursday, October 29 at 6:00 pm. This virtual event will feature workshops, breakout sessions (topics include Access to Capital, Developing an E-commerce Strategy, Effective Marketing for Your Business, and Pivoting Your Business), an online marketplace, and a resources area featuring organizations like Working Solutions that support small businesses. Learn more and register for free at: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg.

Thank you to City National Bank for supporting our work to make affordable capital and free consulting available to small businesses that have been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. We appreciate City National Bank’s continued partnership with Working Solutions on behalf of Bay Area entrepreneurs. Thank you, City National Bank!

Congratulations to the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce - OAACC on being named Chamber of the Year by the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., and thank you to OAACC President and CEO Cathy Adams for her leadership! Working Solutions is a proud member of the OAACC, and we look forward to continued work together in support of Black-owned businesses. Learn more at https://usblackchambers.org/news-events/usbcs-award-winners/. #supportblackbusinesses Image credit: OAACC

Join Working Solutions and ICSBD - Industry Council for Small Business Development on Wednesday, October 21 at 11:00 AM for a free virtual panel discussion about alternatives to traditional bank financing. Attendees will hear from expertsincluding Anita Russell, Business Development Officer at Working Solutionsabout financing options for small businesses. Learn more and RSVP at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/panel-discussion-access-to-cap.

Good News: A highlight this week during Women’s Business Month was seeing TWO Working Solutions clientsIva Jewell and UnoEthfeatured in October’s edition of San Francisco Magazine! Check out the article ‘7 Black-Owned Boutiques to Shop,’ featuring both of these women-owned businesses and their inspired handbag collections honoring heritage and community. #WomenEntrepreneurs #WomensBusinessMonth Read the article here: https://digital.modernluxury.com/publication/. Photos courtesy of Iva Jewell by Dionne and UnoEth.

Recently reopened! Working Solutions client Glazier has the perfect remedy to help us cool down this week and beyondrolled ice cream! Their downtown San Francisco location is open again with made-to-order combinations that will suit any palatefrom comforting classics like Cookies and Cream to creative twists like Matcha Green Tea and Lavender. Located at Union Square, Glazier is a minority-owned and staffed small business. Show your support for diverse businesses and treat yourself to a bouquet of beautifully rolled ice cream!

Working Solutions is partnering with AnewAmerica Community Corporation to present Loan Readiness: How Ready Are You to Apply for a Loan? This virtual workshop will be repeated on two daysTuesday, 10/20 and Tuesday, 10/27with content designed to help borrowers build confidence and set expectations by providing transparency into the loan process. Join Working Solutions and AnewAmerica staff as they address loan readiness in three stages: Mental Readiness, Documentation Readiness, and Approval Readiness. Learn more and register for free at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/loan-readiness-how-ready-are-y.

Fellow CDFI Practitioners in California: The California Coalition for Community Investment (CCCI) is a statewide coalition dedicated to providing resources and advocacy for CDFIs, and Working Solutions is a proud member. Join CCCI on Monday, October 19 at 11:30 am for the first in a series of free virtual convenings. This event will feature a panel discussion with CDFI expertsincluding Opportunity Finance Network CEO Lisa Mensahfocused on federal policy matters and how CDFIs in California can work together to bring more resources to our communities. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us//tZUode2gqjgqGtH-Kzrjrm0-94yTCU6dL.

Exciting news! The City of Oakland - Local Government and Working Solutions have launched a new grant program to support home-based businesses in Oakland. Made possible by the federal CARES Act, this program will make grants of $2,000 to $4,000 to home-based, for-profit businesses in Oakland that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. Applications are due by Monday, November 2. Learn more and access the application in English, Spanish, Chinese, or Vietnamese at www.workingsolutions.org/oakland-home-based-grants. Read more in the press release at https://www.oaklandca.gov//city-working-solutions-launch-h.

Working Solutions is thrilled to be one of 10 nonprofits across the country selected to receive new grant funding from HSBC to expand economic opportunity for underserved individuals and communities. This grant will support our work as a financial first responder for San Francisco Bay Area small businesses during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We are deeply grateful for HSBC’s support and partnership in serving Bay Area entrepreneurs. Read more in the press release: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201001005661/en/.