It has now been one full year since the first shelter-in-place orders went into effect across the San Francisco Bay Area in response to the growing spread of COVID-19. In the face of this ongoing pandemic, Working Solutions has remained a steadfast supporter of Bay Area small businesses. Read more in this message to our community from Working Solutions CEO Sara Razavi.

Happy International Women’s Day! Today and every day, we are inspired by leaders like Lisa Mensah, President & CEO of the Opportunity Finance Network, who was recently highlighted in Forbes magazine for her role as a small business advocate during the COVID-19 crisis. Read more about Lisa and other inspiring women leaders who support small business here.

Working Solutions CEO Sara Razavi moderated a panel at the ‘Summit on Diversity and Entrepreneurship in California’ on Wednesday, March 17 at 11 am. The event, hosted by the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley and supported by Wells Fargo, examined the impacts of COVID-19 on women and entrepreneurs of color as well as the efficacy of current recovery efforts in California. Watch the recording here.

In honor of Black History Month, the Working Solutions team is participating in a range of virtual events with partner organizations across the Bay Area. Check out these upcoming opportunities to get small business tips and resources on topics such as capital readiness, digital marketing, and how to pivot your business during challenging economic times.

Working Solutions is deeply committed to protecting the small business owners we serve by upholding responsible lending practices. We are proud to have recently renewed our commitment to the Small Business Borrowers' Bill of Rights, established by the Responsible Business Lending Coalition.

Working Solutions and Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center are pleased to announce the launch of a new Small Business Revolving Loan Fund to serve San Francisco’s District 10. Funded by the D10 Implementation Committee, this Loan Fund will provide affordable capital and free consulting to businesses located in Bayview Hunters Point and other D10 neighborhoods. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Learn more and apply here.

Working Solutions is thrilled to announce that Bank of the West has made a renewal grant to support our ongoing COVID-19 relief efforts. Special thanks to all of the Bank of the West team members who volunteer to support our work and who keep our partnership strong. We look forward to continued work together on behalf of small businesses across the Bay Area. Thank you, Bank of the West!

Exciting news! Working Solutions has disbursed $4.33 million in COVID-19 relief grant dollars to 1,012 small businesses across the Bay Area since March. To put that number into perspective, this means that we have doubled the number of businesses funded in our 20-year history in just the last nine months. Grants have been made through programs in Sonoma County and the cities of Oakland, Albany, and Napa. Thank you to the partners and funders who made these grant programs possible.

As the Bay Area responds to the latest stay-at-home orders, Working Solutions remains deeply committed to supporting the small business community. We are serving as a financial first responder with affordable capital and free consulting; we are updating our COVID-19 Resource Guide daily with actionable content for small business owners; and we are proud to promote shopping small and local with the Working Solutions Client Directory. Read more in the latest message to our community from CEO Sara Razavi.

In honor of Giving Tuesday, please consider making a gift to Working Solutions. Since March 2020 and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Working Solutions has served more than 1,000 small business owners with microloans, grants, and free business consulting support to help weather the crisis. Join us by donating today. Thank you to all of the generous institutions and individuals who make our work possible!

Throughout this busy holiday shopping season, Shop Small and Shop Local. Check out this article to learn more about how Wells Fargo is lifting up small businesses and nonprofits like Working Solutions that support the small business community. Visit the Working Solutions Client Directory to find perfect gifts for everyone on your list. Image Credit: Wells Fargo.

Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the California Rebuilding Fund, an initiative designed to support California’s smallest businesses as they adapt, reopen, and recover from the effects of COVID-19. Working Solutions is proud to be participating as a community lender in this program. Learn more at www.CALoanFund.org.