Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce Newsletter
A Word from Chamber President Bill Morton

In light of the tremendous burden on small-business and non-profit viability during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce encourages our community businesses and institutions to apply for a share of the second Congressional infusion of funds into the Paycheck Protection Program 2, and for the City of Chicago Microbusiness Recovery Grant Program.

Both programs are described, in detail, with links to current information in this newsletter below.
Paycheck Protection Program 2
The Paycheck Protection Program is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll.

SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities.

You can apply through any existing SBA 7(a) lender or through any federally-insured depository institution, federally-insured credit union, and Farm Credit System institution that is participating. Other regulated lenders will be available to make these loans once they are approved and enrolled in the program. You should consult with your local lender as to whether it is participating in the program.

Microbusiness Recovery Grant Program
The City of Chicago recognizes that COVID-19 has put a difficult burden on our business and non-profit community. While there are many loan opportunities available on the local, state and federal level, the City understands that not all businesses are able to take on debt during this challenging time.

To address this, the City of Chicago has established the Microbusiness Recovery Grant Program. This program will distribute $5,000 grants to up to 1,000 businesses with four or fewer employees in low- and moderate-income areas of the city that have been severely impacted by COVID-19 and could most benefit from a grant. Applications are available now and will be open until 5:00 pm on Monday, May 4, 2020. Grants will be distributed via a lottery, with winners equitably distributed across business types and eligible Community Areas, including Rogers Park, based on population.



To be eligible for a grant, businesses must meet the following requirements:

  • Four or fewer employees
  • Less than $250,000 annual revenue
  • In business for one year
  • 25% decrease in revenue due to COVID-19
  • Located in a low- or moderate-income Community Area
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