ADDITIONAL COVID-19 FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR 501(c)(6) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN MARYLAND

Application portal scheduled to launch on August 17

BALTIMORE, MD (July 31, 2020) – The Maryland Department of Commerce and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development today announced that a third round of emergency relief funding will soon be used to assist local 501(c)(6) nonprofit associations that have been negatively impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland.

Governor Hogan recently announced $50 million to establish the Maryland Nonprofit Recovery Initiative, which will help support a variety of nonprofit organizations throughout the state, with up to $8 million used to fund nonprofits that have already applied to Maryland Commerce’s Small Business COVID 19 Emergency Relief Grant Fund. The state is dedicating $1 million of the Emergency Relief Grant funds to launch a new application process for 501(c)(6) organizations, and will determine if additional available funding will be added further into the application process.

Approved applicants can receive up to $10,000 in grant funding for quarterly operating expenses. Applications will be available on the OneStop portal beginning August 17 and will be accepted through August 24 at 5PM. Unlike previous rounds of funding where applications were awarded on a first-come first-served basis, this round will also be scored and approved based on specific criteria established by Maryland Commerce  To learn more, visit our webpage.

“Providing these COVID-19 relief funds to our 501(c)(6) nonprofits in Maryland will greatly benefit our member organizations and local chamber of commerce offices, which are dedicated to helping the state’s small business community during this difficult time,“ said Maryland Commerce Secretary Kelly M. Schulz. “We hope these additional grants will provide some much needed economic relief and help benefit our entire economy as we continue our recovery efforts.”

A full list of guidelines will be available on our website. Specific criteria include:

  • Must have less than 50 employees.
  • Must have and provide proof of at least one W-2 employee or a valid employer unemployment insurance number issued from the Maryland Department of Labor.
  • Must have under $5 million in annual revenue.
  • Must be registered and in good standing with SDAT.
  • Must be registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(6).
  • Must be established prior to March 9, 2020.
  • Must be a Maryland based organization that represents businesses in the region they serve.
  • Must not have already received a grant from any Maryland state government agencies for COVID-19 relief.

About Maryland Commerce
The Maryland Department of Commerce stimulates private investment and creates jobs by attracting new businesses, encouraging the expansion and retention of existing companies, and providing financial assistance to Maryland companies. The Department promotes the State’s many economic advantages and markets local products and services at home and abroad to spur economic development and international investment, trade and tourism. Because they are major economic generators, the Department also supports the Arts, film production, sports and other special events. For more information, visit commerce.maryland.gov.

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