The Californer - California: ICYMI: LA's small businesses, nonprofits, and workers get additional aid with support from Governor Newsom and LA Rises

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Apr 11, 2025

ICYMI: LA's small businesses, nonprofits, and workers get additional aid with support from Governor Newsom and LA Rises

What you need to know: Supported by $10 million from the state, LA Rises, Maersk and APM Terminals, fire-impacted small businesses, nonprofits, and workers will receive $19.1 million from LA-area grant programs.

LOS ANGELES – Earlier this week, the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and City of Los Angeles announced the latest round of grants for the LA Region Small Business and Worker Relief Funds that will provide direct cash assistance to impacted workers, small businesses, and non-profits. A total of $19.1 million have now been awarded to 1,372 businesses and 2,309 workers, including those businesses and nonprofits that had physical brick-and-mortar locations destroyed in the fires.

"Just as California came together to fight the fires, we'll work together to rebuild these communities that have been most impacted. This latest round of relief grants will continue to support the businesses and workers that are the driving forces behind Los Angeles' vibrant and diverse economy."

Governor Gavin Newsom

Supported by a $10 million investment from the State of California, Maersk and APM Terminals, and LA Rises, led by Dodgers Chairman Mark Walter, business leader and basketball legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson, and Casey Wasserman, these relief funds have now awarded $14.52 million to small businesses and nonprofits (awards ranging between $2,000 and $25,000) and $4.62 million for workers (all receiving $2,000). This was the first investment by LA Rises, the unified recovery effort launched by the Governor in January.

These funds are supporting businesses, nonprofits and workers who are most impacted by the disaster in the fire and emergency zones. This includes 821 brick-and-mortar and home-based businesses and nonprofits in the fire zone that were fully destroyed, representing about 50% of businesses with less than 100 employees in those zones that were destroyed. Of the total business and nonprofit awards, approximately 50% also faced home loss, 50% served the community as legacy businesses for 10+ years, 65% reported underinsurance and 65% represented diverse business ownership. Of the total worker awards, approximately 50% faced permanent loss of employment or income due to the disaster, 44% report low-income and use of public benefits, and 28% report ineligibility or lack of access to public unemployment assistance. The funds are also supporting 283 impacted creative workers.

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At this time, there are not sufficient funds to award all impacted applicants – fundraising could close an estimated $6,742,000 funding gap that could support an additional 1,194 businesses/nonprofits and 1,169 workers. Organizations and partners interested in supporting these funds can do so directly at lacounty.gov/relief.

Continuing to support recovery and rebuilding in LA

In February, the Governor was in Los Angeles to launch the California Jobs First Economic Blueprint as part of his continued tour of the state's thirteen economic regions. The Blueprint was paired with $125 million in funding to support new, ready-to-go projects and $15 million for economic development projects for California Native American tribes.

In addition, the Governor received the Los Angeles Jobs First Collaborative's regional plan and announced $3 million to support their recovery efforts for the region, including for the launch of public-facing campaigns to promote small business support and the addition of capacity for near-term business and economic recovery.

LA fire debris removal program still available

Building on California and the federal administration's ongoing partnership for a fast-moving "LA fire fix," the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) last month approved Governor Gavin Newsom's request to expand the scope of the wildfire cleanup effort. That approval came less than 24 hours after the state's initial request.

FEMA also extended the deadline for Right of Entry form submissions to April 15 to allow the newly eligible groups time to apply.

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