Deadline: May 15, 2022
Application is open for the Nonprofit Relief Grant. The Nonprofit Relief Program is made possible by the Long Beach Recovery Act to help nonprofits that have experienced financial hardship due to COVID-19 stabilize and recover. The Nonprofit Relief Grant will provide direct financial relief to Long Beach nonprofits.
Eligibility
Nonprofits:
1. Must be located and operating within the boundaries of Long Beach, California (address cannot be a PO Box or an address that leads to a Shipping Center as their physical location)
2. Must have a City of Long Beach business license. The business must hold an active or delinquent license. Businesses that have closed or canceled their licenses are not eligible for the program.
3. Must be a 501c3 nonprofit, 501c19 nonprofit, or fiscally sponsored organization
4. Must have experienced financial hardship as a result of COVID-19 and the related health and safety restrictions, such as nonprofit interruptions or closures incurred due to the pandemic
5. Must be currently open and active for business
6. Must have active status with the California Secretary of State
7. Have less than 200 employees
8. Earn no more than $2 million in annual revenue based on most recent available 990 Form (2019 or 2020) (line 12 on 990 Form)
9. Nonprofits that are to receive funding from the City’s Long Beach Recovery Act Creative Economy Grant will be placed on a waitlist and be eligible for funding if funding remains once the grant application has closed.
NOTE: U.S. Citizenship is not required for this program, and non US citizens are encouraged to apply. Fiscally sponsored organizations are also eligible and are encouraged to apply.
Required Documents:
• Nonprofit Bylaws
• Latest Tax Returns (2021 if completed or 2020) Form 990
• Articles of Incorporation
• California Secretary of State proof of current/active nonprofit status
• Copy of fiscal sponsorship agreement (If applicable)
• Copy of photo ID for person completing application (to verify identity. Examples of eligible forms of ID include the following:
Valid Driver’s License
Birth Certificate
State-issued Identification Card
Student Identification Card
Military Identification Card
Passport or Passport Card
• Completed W-9
- Grant applications will be open for 60 days and are available from 11:00 AM PDT March 16, 2022, until 8:00 PM PDT May 15, 2022.
- The City will begin to review and award grant applications on April 15th, so Nonprofits are encouraged to apply early.
- Grant awards will be issued after April 15, 2022. It could take up to 3 to 4 weeks for a grantee to receive funds
Benefits
Grant Amount: Grants range from $5,000, $10,000, $15,000 and up to $25,000. Funding levels will be determined by gross revenue.
- If an applicant submits a successful application and meets all the eligibility criteria, the maximum amount of the grant is $25,000.
- Long Beach reserves the right to modify (increase or decrease) grant award amounts depending on the number of applicants and funds available.
- These grants are funded with Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds through the American Rescue Plan Act and are generally excluded from the recipient’s gross taxable income. Grant recipients are advised to consult their accountant or tax advisor for any further questions regarding their tax obligation for this grant.
- These grants do not need to be repaid. However, grant recipients will be required to attest to their intent to use grant funding for eligible uses under the program. Grant recipients may be subject to an audit administered by the City to verify that grant funding was spent on eligible expenses.
Application process
- You will need to set up an account to apply online.
- Long Beach has partnered with LiveStories/FORWARD to manage the application process and distribute awards.
- To access the online application form, you will need to set up an account in FORWARD.
- On the login page, click on the link to “Create business, non-profit account” You will be prompted to register for an account; the prompt will ask for your Business/Organization name and email address.
- Once you have entered your information, FORWARD will send an email to create a secure password. After you set your password, login and start the application process. Please check your SPAM/Junk folder if you don’t receive the email.
- We recommend using Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari as browsers.
- If your application is successful, you will be notified by email. At that point, you will receive a Grant Agreement to sign and you will be asked to provide the address that you would like to receive your paper check; in most cases, the address you have provided on your W-9 will be utilized.
- Grant payments will be made in April-June.
Step 1: Create a FORWARD account. On the login page, click on the link to “Create business, non-profit account” You will be prompted to register for an account; the prompt will ask for your Business/Organization name and email address.
Once you have entered that, FORWARD will send an email to your email account that you used to create an account to set a secure password. After you create your password, login, and start the application process, please check your SPAM/Junk folder if you don’t receive the email. Signing up with FORWARD is free.
Step 2: Once you are signed into your account, you will see a list of grant opportunities. Click on the “Personal Services and Fitness Relief Grant,” then click on the “Apply” button to start the application process.
Step 3: Fill out the application. Complete the required information, questions, and certifications.
Step 4: Submit. Once you’ve submitted your application, you’ll receive a confirmation email from forward-notification@livestories.com to the email address you used to sign up with FORWARD.
Please note: Communications about the application and award will come by email from forward-notification@livestories.com. Please make sure to check your spam folders as the award emails will come from LiveStories/FORWARD on behalf of The City of Long Beach. Please be sure to monitor your email, including Junk or “spam” folders.
