Business

Latest U.S. Payroll Protection Program Can Help Minority-Owned Businesses

GTCF was launched by the Emmy award-winning GIVE TV creators Gary Reeves and acclaimed actor Blair Underwood to continue the philanthropic mission of this innovative television show currently appearing on Discovery Channel (OWN).

Published

4 years ago

February 13, 2021

Kiki

With the U.S. economy struggling through the impacts of the COVID-19, Congress passed a broad Coronavirus Relief Act that went into law at the end of 2020, which included $284billion in funding for a second round of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

These funds are now being released, providing a lifeline to businesses, nonprofits, faith-based organizations and those who are self-employed, to get through these difficult economic times.

PPP, first introduced in 2020 as part of the CARES Act, provides businesses with “forgivable” loans, which will not have to be paid back if funds are used as outlined by the SBA to pay wages, rent, utilities, and other specified expenses.

Businesses can apply for a PPP loan, whether they received funds in the first round or not. And unlike traditional loans, qualifying for this program is not based on the borrower’s credit-worthiness, and there is no collateral or personal guarantee required. To qualify, businesses needed to have been operating before Feb. 15, 2020, and be within SBA PPP size guidelines. It is available to businesses that have employees and those that don’t, including independent contractors. It is also open to non-profit and faith-based organizations.

Many small businesses, especially minority/women-owned,did not take advantage of the PPP during the first round. It’s been well documented that minority-owned businesses, in particular, participated in PPP at a much lower rate than the rest of the country, and were often among the last to get PPP funds. This, despite the fact that African-American and Latino–owned businesses were among the hardest hit by the pandemic.

A lack of program awareness or misconceptions about eligibility were factors driving low participation. Limited access to banks offering PPP was another primary driver cited in a study conducted by the Brookings Institute, noting a reduction in community banks serving minority communities and a higher level of underbanked business owners.

This fact resonated with Damon Maletta, CEO of AdessoCapital, a business loan brokerage house, that has been helping businesses access capital since 2007. “During the first round, our existing clients approached us because they couldn’t find a bank that would take their application,” said Maletta. “Most banks were not equipped to process such high volumes of applications and didn’t have the capital, so they restricted applications to existing customers.”

Recognizing the significant impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the nonprofit “Give to Change” Foundation (GTCF) is quickly ramping up efforts to break down these barriers and help small businesses, nonprofits and faith-based organizations across all communities gain access to this program.

GTCF is partnering with Adesso Capital to help provide these organizations with streamlined program information, access to a leading SBA-Certified bank, a straight-forward online application, and a PPP helpline with experts who can help applicants with any program or application questions they may have.

This is all available to applicants at absolutely no cost, and accessible at www.giveppp.com. There you will find more details on program eligibility, how much money your business will qualify for, and program forgiveness.

A criticism of the PPP during the first round was that most of the funds went to large companies. Several changes made in this round, including reduction in the maximum loan amount from $10 million to $2 million, and a set-asides for minority-owned businesses will allow funding to go further and reach those that need it most.

However, funding is still limited and available on a first-come,first-serve basis and may be allocated before the program expires on 3/31/2020. Therefore, small business owners are encouraged to apply right away.

For PPP program details, online application, and access to the Give/Adesso PPP Helpline, go to www.giveppp.com.

Kiki

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Activism

Oak Temple Hill Hosts Interfaith Leaders from Across the Bay Area

Distinguished faith leaders Rev. Ken Chambers, executive director the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC); Michael Pappas, executive director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council; and Dr. Ejaz Naqzi, president of the Contra Costa County Interfaith Council addressed the group on key issues including homelessness, food insecurity, immigration, and meaningful opportunities to care for individuals and communities in need.

Published

2 days ago

June 14, 2025

Oakland Post

Troy McCombs (from the state of Washington), Elder Mark Mortensen (from Irvine, CA), Michael Pappas, Rev. Ken Chambers, Dr. Ejaz Naqvi, Elder Sigfried Nauman (from the state of Washington), and Richard Kopf. Courtesy photo.

Special to the Post

Interfaith leaders from the Bay Area participated in a panel discussion at the annual meeting of communication leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held on Temple Hill in Oakland on May 31. Distinguished faith leaders Rev. Ken Chambers, executive director the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC); Michael Pappas, executive director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council; and Dr. Ejaz Naqzi, president of the Contra Costa County Interfaith Council addressed the group on key issues including homelessness, food insecurity, immigration, and meaningful opportunities to care for individuals and communities in need.

Chambers, said he is thankful for the leadership and support of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints’ global ministry, which recently worked with the interfaith congregations of ICAC to help Yasjmine Oeveraas a homeless Norwegian mother and her family find shelter and access to government services.

Oeveraas told the story of how she was assisted by ICAC to the Oakland Post. “I’m a Norwegian citizen who escaped an abusive marriage with nowhere to go. We’ve been homeless in Florida since January 2024. Recently, we came to California for my son’s passport, but my plan to drive for Uber fell through, leaving us homeless again. Through 2-1-1, I was connected to Rev. Ken Chambers, pastor of the West Side Missionary Baptist Church and president of the Interfaith Council of Alameda County, and his car park program, which changed our lives. We spent about a week-and-a-half living in our car before being blessed with a trailer. After four years of uncertainty and 18 months of homelessness, this program has given us stability and hope again.

“Now, both my son and I have the opportunity to continue our education. I’m pursuing cyber analytics, something I couldn’t do while living in the car. My son can also complete his education, which is a huge relief. This program has given us the space to focus and regain our dignity. I am working harder than ever to reach my goals and give back to others in need.”

Richard Kopf, communication director for The Church of Jesus Christ in the Bay Area stated: “As followers of Jesus Christ, we embrace interfaith cooperation and are united in our efforts to show God’s love for all of his children.”

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Council Approves Budget to Invest in Core City Services, Save Fire Stations, Invest in Economic Development

I am most proud of our ability to fund these critical city services without the use of one-time fixes. We are still suffering the consequences of last year’s budget, where a majority of the Council, myself not included, chose to incorporate anticipated proceeds from the sale of the Coliseum to fund essential services. Since the sale has still not yet been completed, the lack of funds led to drastic cuts in city services, including the temporary closure of fire stations, staff layoffs, and the cancellations of many service contracts.

Published

2 days ago

June 14, 2025

Oakland Post

District 4 Oakland City Councilmember Janani Ramachandran. Photo courtesy City of Oakland.

By Janani Ramachandran, District 4 Oakland City Councilmember

On Wednesday, June 11, City Council took a bold step to prioritize investing in essential city services to get our beautiful Town back on track. As Chair of the Finance Committee, I am proud to have led a collaborative process, alongside Councilmembers Rowena Brown, Zac Unger, and Charlene Wang, to develop a set of amendments to the proposed FY 2025-2027 budget which passed successfully with a vote of 6 – 1. Despite facing a $265 million structural budget deficit, we were able to restore funding to ensure that all 25 fire stations remain open, fund 5 police academies, invest millions of dollars to combat illegal dumping and sideshow prevention, improve our permitting processes, fund a “business incentives” program to revitalize our commercial corridors, improve upon our homelessness prevention work, amplify the city’s anti-trafficking programs, re-instate our tree services division, staff up our Auditor’s office – all while preventing any layoffs of city staff, keeping our senior centers and after-school programs open, and crisis services like MACRO funded.

Our budget comes in response to the widespread and consistent calls from across Oakland’s diverse communities asking us to prioritize funding solutions to the issues that have most directly impacted our residents’ safety and quality of life. Our priorities are also inspired by our belief that Oakland is on the way not only to financial recovery, but also to global recognition. Oakland can attract and preserve businesses of all sizes with safer, cleaner streets. We can and will have more large-scale festivals that celebrate our culture, concerts that uplift our incredible local musicians, conferences that attract patrons from across the world, and award-winning restaurants that top national charts. We are on our way to rebuilding a thriving economy and having a cultural renaissance will create more jobs for Oaklanders while also generating more revenue for the City through sales and business taxes.

I am grateful for the close partnership with our new Mayor Barbara Lee, and know that she shares our values of ensuring we are prioritizing keeping Oakland’s residents safe, our streets clean, and our businesses prosperous in an open and fiscally responsible manner. I am also thankful to our City Administrator, Jestin Johnson, and former Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins’ efforts to produce the initial proposal that our Council budget team used as a starting point for our amendments, and for their shared commitment to transparency and ethical government. I am especially grateful for every resident that took the time to make their voice heard throughout this rigorous budget process. I have no doubt that we are on the verge of true change, and that together we will bring Oakland back to being the world-class city I know it can be.