COVID Resources

As our communities, the country, and the world cope with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we wish to express our heartfelt concern for the wellbeing of the entrepreneurs and communities we serve.

In the face of this crisis, the mission of Forward Cities—to create opportunities for shared prosperity through inclusive and equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem development—is more critical than ever.

Prevention & Care

• CDC Resources and Guidance
• John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center
  • Interactive Map
• Dial 211 for assistance with finding food, paying housing bills, or other essential services

Community Specific Resources

California

• Long Beach is exploring an “open streets initiative,” Los Angeles Times
• City of Long Beach Resources, Updates, and Guidance, City of Long Beach

Indiana

• Small Business Restart Fund, Back on Track Indiana
• Rapid Response Hub for Small Businesses Impacted by COVID-19, Indy Chamber
• Funding, Counseling, Training, and Additional Resources, Indiana Small Business Development Center

Maryland

• Baltimore Area COVID-19 Resources Working Document, Started by a Local Social Worker

Michigan

• Pure Michigan Small Business Relief Initiative, Michigan Economic Development Corporation
• Detroit Small Business Stabilization Fund, TechDetroit

Missouri

• Temporary Outdoor Seating Program, City of Kansas City Missouri
• Business Resources & Updates, MOSourceLink
• Kansas City Regional COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, Greater Kansas City Community Foundation

North Carolina

• Triangle Startup Guide, WRAL Tech Wire
• Governor’s Entrepreneurship Council COVID-19 recommendations – Survey, North Carolina Entrepreneur Corps
• Immediate, Flexible Funding in Response to COVID-19, Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust
• Small Business & Economic Development Resources, NC Growth – Smartup

Ohio

• Downtown & Short North Arts District Small Business Response & Recovery Grant Program, The City of Columbus
• List of Federal Resources, Jobs Ohio
• Small Business Resource Guide, Metropreneur

Pennsylvania

• Pittsburgh COVID-19 Resources for Impacted Business, University of Pittsburgh Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence

Small Business Resources

• Marketing-Led Post COVID-19 Growth Strategies E-book, Startup Catalyst Brief
• Disaster Relief Loans, Lift Fund
• COVID-19 Resources and Guidance, Venturize
• Interim Guidance for Small Businesses, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Corona Small Business Guide, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• Small Business Disaster Assistance Loans, SBA
• Recovery Guide for Small Businesses, CO.STARTERS
• Small Business Resource Center for COVID-19, ICIC
• Verizon Small Business Recovery Fund, LISC
• Support Small Businesses and Crisis Response, Google
• Emergency Fund Guide for Female Funders, The Helm
• Small Business & Economic Development Resources, NC Growth – Smartup
• A Guide to Inclusive Facilitation & Programming, Forward Cities

Entrepreneur Resources

• COVID-19: Beyond Quick Wins - Safeguarding Your Communities' Financial Future, National Association of Counties
• Marketing-Led Post COVID-19 Growth Strategies E-book, Startup Catalyst Brief
• Pandemic Relaunch Toolkit, Streetsense
• Capital Relief Searchable Database, The Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship at Duke University
• Free Online Innovation Entrepreneurship Curriculum, Startup Commons
• Entrepreneur’s Survival Guide in the Age of the Coronavirus, Medium
  Emergency Fund Guide for Female Funders, The Helm
• COVID-19 Resources and Guidance, Venturize
• Sistah Biz Fund for Black Women Entrepreneurs – Sistah Biz Global Network
• The Entrepreneur’s COVID-19 Playbook, Westaway

Ecosystem Builder Resources

• Marketing-Led Post COVID-19 Growth Strategies E-book, Startup Catalyst Brief
• Equitable Entrepreneurship Virtual Conference – June 2nd, Association for Enterprise Opportunity
• Channels for Ecosystem Builders to Connect, Ecosystems Builders Hub
• A Guide to Helping Small Business Navigate and Recover from the COVID-19 Crisis, The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
• COVID-19 Resources and Guidance, Venturize
• How to Identify Your Community’s Essential Workers in Local Quarantine Order, Cities Speak
• What the Great Recession Can Tell Us About the COVID-19 Small Business Crisis, The Brookings Institute
• Challenges and Opportunities for Australian Entrepreneur Ecosystem Leaders, Research Fellow at Queensland University of Technology, Chad Renando via LinkedIn
• A Guide to Inclusive Facilitation & Programming, Forward Cities
• Supporting Entrepreneurs at a Time of Crisis, Palladium
• Closing the Entrepreneurship Gap: Tools for Libraries, Urban Library Council

Stories from the Field

• Marketing Your Small Business or Community During This Time, Locable
• Opening a Remote Bank Account with $0 Deposit, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
• SBA Clarifies PPP Loans in 4 Important Ways, Inc.
  How Buying a ‘Box’ Saves Jobs and Supports Local Social Enterprises, Metropreneur
• Prioritize Equity in COVID-19 Response, Cities Speak
• 13 Entrepreneurs Of Color Share How COVID-19 Has Impacted Their Business – Forbes
• Cities and States Are on the Front Lines of the Economic Battle Against COVID-19, The Brookings Institute
• Taylor: Small companies, service workers under threat from coronavirus fallout – Express News