Downtown Greensboro Inc. (DGI), with support from the Guilford Merchants Association (GMA) and the Greensboro Virus Relief Fund, has awarded 75 Retail Revitalization Grants for a final tally of $112,500.

“I can’t tell you how wonderful it feels to know we have helped so many small business owners in some way,” said Zack Matheny, President and CEO of DGI. “This pandemic has knocked our downtown businesses down, but with the help of this grant program, it hasn’t knocked them out.”

The Retail Revitalization Grant Program targeted downtown businesses affected by both COVID-19, as well as the civil unrest in late May. Grants of $1,500 each were awarded for new business plan initiatives, inventory growth, marketing, rent assistance, job retention and other related business expenses as part of the program that was launched in May.

“GMA was proud to partner with DGI to provide much needed funds to downtown business owners that have been significantly impacted,” said Mark Prince, President and CEO of GMA.   “We hope it relieved some of the financial stress to keep their businesses open as we transition through this pandemic.”

Any storefront retail business that sells a good or service located in the downtown Greensboro Business Investment District (BID) and in business prior to January 1, 2020, was eligible to apply. Start-up money for the Retail Revitalization Grant Program in the amount of $55,000 was provided by DGI and GMA. The Greensboro Virus Relief Fund, established by United Way of Greater Greensboro, City of Greensboro and Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, awarded the program an additional $24,000. 

The rest of the funds were raised through community donations by way of a GoFundMe campaign. Private donations included a $5,000 challenge donation from an anonymous donor that was achieved with $5,000 from Deuterman Law Group, $2,500 from the Downtown Residents Association, $1,500 from the Jewish Foundation, and $1,000 from the Rotary Club of Greensboro.

The 75 grant recipients were: