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DEI SLO Business Grants

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Application Period:  Feb. 27, 2023 - March 31, 2023

For further information or questions, please contact Nestor Veloz-Passalacqua at dei@slocity.org or (805) 781-7073.

The Offices of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) and Economic Development and Tourism (EDT) are working together to provide financial support to local businesses and promote the economic and social well-being of community members through DEI business grants.

This program is a part of the both the DEI and Economic Recovery, Resiliency and Fiscal Responsibility Major City Goals with the goal of making San Luis Obispo a more welcoming and inclusive place for all community members.

You DO NOT have to be an underserved/underrepresented* business owner to apply for the grant, but the specific proposal must be geared towards expanding services or access, but not exclusive to, those who are underserved or underrepresented. Traditionally underserved or underrepresented groups include, but are not limited to Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), Women-, LGBTQIA+, and diverse-abled, among others.

Grant Information Session

 

 

 

Demographics of SLO City 

San Luis Obispo, CA -  2020 Census Report
Population Estimates 2019 47,459
Race and Ethnicity
White 82.6%
Black or African American 2.3%
Indigenous American Indian and Alaska Native 0.4%
Asian 5.1%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Races 5.5%
Latinx 18.8%
Families and Living Arrangements
Language other than English spoken at home (2020) 17.0%
Education
High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2016-2020     94.3%
Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2016-2020 50.0%
Health
With a disability, under age 65 years, percent, 2016-2020 5.8%
Persons without health insurance, under age 65 years, percent; 2016-2020 4.9%
Business
Minority-owned firms, 2012 13.3%
Nonminority-owned firms, 2012 78.6%

 

For Reference 

Marginalized: Marginalized communities are groups of people who experience the systematic process of being relegated to the lower outer edge or margin of society economically, politically, culturally, and socially. Marginalized groups were (and some continue to be) denied full participation/representation in mainstream cultural, social, political, and economic activities. Historically, marginalized communities have typically referred to Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQ+, women, low-income, and people with disabilities.  

Anti-Racism: Anti-racism is defined as the work of actively opposing racism by advocating for changes in political, economic, and social life (Kendi, 2019). 

Racial Justice: Racial justice—or racial equity—goes beyond “anti-racism.” It is not just the absence of discrimination and inequities, but also the presence of deliberate systems and supports to achieve and sustain racial equity through proactive and preventative measures. Racial Justice (is defined) as the proactive reinforcement of policies, practice, attitudes, and actions that produce equitable power, access, opportunities, treatment, impacts, and outcomes for all (Race Forward).

Funding Criteria
Examples of Possible Funding Requests
Timeline