Silicon Valley Central Chamber provides support for Santa Clara Small Business Relief Fund

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - April 15, 2020 - PRLog -- Santa Clara-based Silicon Valley Central Chamber of Commerce announced they will be taking on the role of fundraising to help increase the City of Santa Clara's Small Business Relief Fund, as well as assisting with business outreach and helping with the application process.

After the City of Santa Clara proposed establishing a $250,000 small business relief fund, the City Council requested the Central Chamber be involved in the outreach process to businesses, providing feedback from member businesses and fundraising to increase the relief fund. The Chamber provided feedback from businesses to City staff over the next couple of weeks and advocated for the City to increase the fund and offer more to benefits to small businesses, including proposing the City include a forgiveness aspect for small businesses that applied for flexible payments of their electric bill from Silicon Valley Power. Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor advocated a $250,000 increase to the fund. At a special meeting last week, the City Council unanimously approved creating a $500,000 grant program for eligible businesses and nonprofits.

"The chamber is dedicated to doing as much as we can for the business community" said Nick Kaspar, chamber President and CEO. "We are thankful to Mayor Gillmor for understanding that businesses are struggling and for her efforts to increase the fund. As the local chamber, we want to ensure small business owners in our area understand the aid available to them and how they can apply to access those funds now. We are committed to assisting our community and supporting businesses experiencing hardship associated with COVID-19."

The grant program will allow businesses to get $5,000 if they are an essential business and $10,000 if they are a non-essential business, as designated by the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. Online applications will be accepted by the City of Santa Clara starting at 10am on Friday, April 17.

About Silicon Valley Central Chamber of Commerce
For over seventy years, the chamber has served the Silicon Valley business community as influential advocates by supporting, connecting, and educating for the growth and sustainability of its business members. Located in Santa Clara, the Silicon Valley Central Chamber of Commerce is made up of a group of visionary business leaders that will help grow and shape the future of Silicon Valley.