Apply NOW for the next round of Rural Relief Small Business Grants.

OneLISC is inviting small business owners in rural locations across the country to apply for the LISC-Lowe’s Rural Relief Small Business Grants program.  The next round is January 26 – February 2, 2021.  You must submit your application by January 5, 2021 at 11:59PM ET. 

To find out more about who is eligible, to sign up for updates, and to apply, please visit the LISC website. 

Crawford County Rapid Relief Fund

The Rapid Relief Fund is an emergency loan fund for Crawford County businesses to help you survive the economic impact of the COVID-19 Global Health Crisis.

The COVID-19 Rapid Loan Fund is a funding partnership with Crawford County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) and Radius Indiana. The CCEDC funds are leveraged with the Radius Indiana funds.

Businesses can request up to $5,000 in funding.

Funding will be distributed on a rolling basis until all funds are exhausted. As funds are limited, we will select businesses that will be the most impacted by funding.

To learn more, or apply for this relief fund, click here. 

COVID-19 Emergency Relief Response Initiative

The Community Foundation of Crawford County has established a specific emergency fund, dedicated to meeting the most critical needs, of those impacted. This grant is purposed and specific to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization who are working with the most vulnerable populations in our community – to address the most immediate needs.

To learn more, or apply for this grant, click here

Housing and Rental Assistance

If you’re an Indiana homeowner who’s fallen behind on your mortgage payments or is unable to make future payments due to an involuntary financial hardship, you can apply for a federally funded program that provides assistance up to 6 months or $30,000. Learn more about this free program.

The Rental Assistance Portal is designed to help Indiana renters living outside of Marion County whose income has been adversely affected by COVID-19 avoid eviction by connecting them with programs that can help them cover monthly rent payments or past due rent.

Energy Assistance Program (EAP)

The EAP helps hoosiers pay their heat and electric bills.  The program year 2021 EAP application will open on September 14, 2020. 

To see eligibility requirements and a list of local service providers please call 2-1-1 or visit: https://www.in.gov/ihcda/4067.htm

INDIANA DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ARTS & CULTURAL SUPPORT GRANTS

There are many people, events, and organizations that contribute to the quality of place that we experience across the Hoosier State. The goal of this program is to assist in the preservation of these entities that enhance the quality of life in Indiana. The Indiana Destination Development Corporation (IDDC) will provide operating support to local entities, events and arts and cultural organizations whose normal business has been interrupted due to COVID-19. Via an application process, funding will be available to make grants to help preserve and sustain the events, arts and cultural organizations that contribute to the character and health of a community. Application and Grant Guidelines will be posted on this page on Monday, August 10, 2020.

Workforce Training Funds for Hoosiers

On June 5th Governor Holcomb launched a $50 million workforce initiative called Rapid Recovery for a Better Future.

For employers, this initiative expands the NextLevel Jobs Employer Training Grant to serve 25,000 more Hoosiers, and doubles the amount of reimbursable training funds to employers.

Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership has helped many manufacturers utilize the Employer Training Grant and is happy to begin a discussion about how your organization may be able to use the expanded program. To learn more, contact Ranae Stewart at ranaestewart@purdue.edu.

Small Business Restart Fund

Eligibility requirements:

• Business must be registered to operate in Indiana
• Business must have had less than 50 employees at of 12/31/2019
• Business must have had less than $5 million in revenue in 2019
• Business must have been profitable in 2019
• Businesses must demonstrate a monthly revenue loss of at least 40% compared to pre-COVID-19 revenues
• Business must not have used funding from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), or Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

Small businesses that meet the eligibility requirements can be awarded up to $2,500 or up to $5,000 for each month in which the business demonstrates a revenue loss of at least 40 percent or of at least 80 percent, respectively, with grants issued up to $10,000 per company. Of the $30 million allocated to the fund, at least $5 million will be reserved for certified minority- and women-owned businesses.  LEARN MORE

6/3/2020: Applications open
9/30/2020: Applications close

APPLY

USDA Unveils Tool to Help Rural Communities Address the COVID-19 Pandemic

USDA’s COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide Lists Federal Programs That Can Help Rural Communities, Organizations and Residents Impacted by COVID-19 

The COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide (PDF, 349 KB) is a first-of-its-kind resource for rural leaders looking for federal funding and partnership opportunities to help address this pandemic.

USDA has taken many immediate actions to assist farmers, ranchers, producers, rural communities, and rural-based businesses and organizations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information on these actions, visit www.usda.gov/coronavirus.

Important Notice From Region 8 WorkOne & DWD

If your company is planning a mass layoff, it would assist the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) if you could provide employee-specific information.  This will assist DWD in processing unemployment insurance (UI) claims more quickly for your impacted staff.  The information requested is: Full Name of Employee, Employee SSN, Last Day Worked, Amount of deductible income paid to claimant upon layoff (vacation, sick, PTO, etc).  A spreadsheet to report employee layoff information is available at https://www.in.gov/dwd/4011.htm.

Also, note that you will receive many notices from DWD about those employee separations; please respond to those notices that you deem necessary.  A DWD claims investigator will contact you directly if they have any questions.  Please return the completed spreadsheet to: Employverification@dwd.IN.gov.  

Please share with your employees that unemployment insurance must be filed online, using a computer, tablet or smartphone.  Online filing information can be found at www.Unemployment.IN.gov.  Individuals should review the Frequently Asked Questions, the Claimant Handbook and/or the online video tutorials on this page.

We are asking all employers that if you have the means to assist your employees by allowing them to file for UI from your business, please assist as you can.  Any assistance you can provide in getting these important benefits to your employees while preventing the spread of this disease is greatly appreciated.

Small Business Administration COVID-19 Response Information

Below are additional resources from the Small Business Administration to help guide businesses through this unprecedented time:

• Tips for Small Businesses on COVID-19
• SBA Disaster Assistance for Businesses
• Disaster Response Pointers

Duke Energy Customer Assistance

Customer commitment through the changes ahead.

At the start of the pandemic, we launched a sweeping series of steps to help, including suspending disconnections for nonpayment and waiving late payment fees as well as fees for credit and debit card payments. We also made changes within our field operations to help ensure the safety for both employees and the communities we serve.

Now, as we move to resume standard billing and payment practices, we remain committed to providing customer assistance to our business and residential customers still experiencing economic hardship due to COVID-19. As we have notified customers, we will continue to suspend disconnections for nonpayment until after Sept. 15.

WAYS WE’RE HELPING CUSTOMERS IN NEED:

-Duke Energy donated more than $6.3 million for COVID-19 relief efforts across all the states we serve.

-More flexible payment arrangements have been available since April, offering extended repayment timelines up to six months.

-For customers currently behind on their bills, Duke Energy is proactively offering extended payment plans via email and text/SMS.

-We have developed an online request form for customers to set up extended payment plans on their own. Customers who are delinquent on their bill now have the option to request an extended payment arrangement easily without the need to call the customer service center. They can simply visit one of the following webpages and enter their phone number or account number to get started:   

duke-energy.com/ExtraTime (residential)

duke-energy.com/Extension (business)

-Customers with more complex needs can speak with a customer care representative Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Duke Energy Indiana Residential: 800.521.2232 |  Business: 800.774.1202

-Professional guidance is being offered for small business customers to help analyze their energy usage, discuss energy rates and identify solutions to help lower their energy bills at bea-team@duke-energy.com.

-We are continuing to waive credit and debit card payment fees as well as walk-in payment fees for residential customers until November 2020.

-We’re giving customers the freedom to choose a consistent monthly payment date that best fits their needs.

-Duke Energy is providing access to assistance agencies and third-party charities that can help with utility payments and other essential needs.

ASSISTANCE AGENCIES

We are working closely with agencies in possession of CARES Act funds, LIHEAP dollars and other donation sources. Our goal is to help match qualifying residential and business customers with agencies that can help with payment.  For counties where agency connections are a challenge, we are guiding customers to 211.org. This free service helps connect customers to local community agencies supplying aid for a wide range of needs, including help with energy bills.

BE AWARE OF SCAMMERS UTILIZING NEW TACTICS

During the pandemic, we’ve seen a surge in fraudulent actions that attempt to trick customers into providing personal or financial information. The latest scams promise refund checks for overpayment on customer accounts if customers confirm personal data, such as a birthdate, Social Security number or federal tax ID.

Scammers have many methods for reaching customers. They may show up at a customer’s home or business, send email or call. Here are a few facts and tips to help protect our customers and communities:

-Though Duke Energy will frequently contact our customers by phone, email and text, we will never ask for personal information over the phone or demand immediate payment using prepaid credit or debit cards.

-If a customer is unsure whether a call or in-person visit is valid, we highly encourage them to hang up or refuse service and contact our customer care center at 800.521.2232.

-Duke Energy will not specify how customers should make a bill payment and will always offer a variety of ways to pay, including accepting payments online, by phone, by mail or in person. If the caller demands immediate compensation by prepaid debit or credit card, do not submit payment.