Giving Compass' Take:

• Bham Strong is a public-private partnership that is helping to strengthen small businesses as part of COVID-19 relief and recovery effort in Alabama. 

• How can donors help expand these types of partnerships? 

• Read more about the future of small businesses in the wake of COVID-19. 

Bham Strong is a public-private partnership of more than 30 partners formed to coordinate and strengthen COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts in the city of Birmingham, Ala.

Before COVID-19 hit, many Birmingham residents were already economically vulnerable. Of the city’s residents, 27.2% live in poverty, and more than 70% have less than $1,000 dollars in savings.1 Since March, when COVID-19 started affecting the economy in earnest, nearly 25% of the city’s workforce has filed for unemployment insurance.

Recognizing the urgent nature of the COVID-19 crisis, the preexisting economic vulnerability of many Birmingham residents, and the need to support the Birmingham community not only in meeting their vital needs but also preparing for a post-COVID-19 economy, the partnership has grown to focus on two initiatives:

  • Fortifying small businesses through the Bham Strong emergency loan fund, which provided bridge capital before Small Business Administration (SBA) resources became available, and connecting business to federal aid.
  • Empowering workers to meet community needs through the Birmingham Service Corps, a program that matches recently unemployed workers with paid volunteer opportunities that meet community needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the inception of the pandemic, Bham Strong generated an initial survey for small business owners and residents to quickly assess needs. In coordination with local partners, Bham Strong worked to design solutions to meet those needs.

Read the full article about fortifying small businesses at Brookings.