Natural disasters are unpredictable — we know they are bound to happen once in a while, but we don’t know where, or when, or what the impact will be. What we do know is that critical support in the wake of a disaster shouldn’t be unpredictable.
Disaster relief for small businesses
The US Chamber of Commerce reports that an average small business loses $3,000 every day they remain closed due to a natural disaster. And according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), nearly 40% of small businesses are unable to reopen following a disaster.
To help restaurants impacted by disaster recover, DoorDash has partnered with Hello Alice to create the $1,000,000 Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund. The fund, which is part of our ongoing Main Street Strong pledge to empower local communities, provides $10,000 relief grants to restaurants in the US impacted by fires, floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters.
Who is eligible for disaster relief?
In order to apply for relief, restaurants must have:
At least one brick & mortar location but no more than three total locations
50 or fewer employees per location
Been open for at least six months
Revenues of $3M or less per location in the last 12 months
Been impacted by an eligible state or federally-declared natural disaster, including wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, etc.
You do not need to be a DoorDash partner to apply for relief.
How to apply for disaster relief
Applications for this funding round are open through December 30, 2022. It’s important to note that you must submit your application within 12 months of the declared disaster.
Applications will be reviewed and applicants will be notified in mid-January, 2023. For this round of applications, selected grant recipients will receive their $10,000 relief grants in February 2023.
How to use the grant
Relief grants can be used for any expenses directly related to the disaster in question. This can include principal or interest on a mortgage, rent or utilities, maintenance, supplies and materials, inventory, covered supplier costs, operational expenses and more.
What counts as a natural disaster?
A natural disaster is defined as a “major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth. These events occur when a significant amount of extreme weather over a short period of time causes damage to property, blocks or destroys roads or makes them undriveable, disrupts communications systems, causes power outages, and threatens life safety.”
Natural disasters are declared by a state, tribal, or the federal government. Disasters can include — but aren’t limited to — winter storms, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, and earthquakes. The following are eligible natural disaster events that may qualify your business for DoorDash’s Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund grant:
Winter Storm
Weather-related Flooding
Tsunami / Tidal Wave
Landslide / Mudslide
Tornado
Hurricane / Tropical Storm
Earthquake
Wildfire
Volcanic Eruption
See the full description at our FAQ page.
Preparing for a disaster
It’s never too soon to start preparing your business for a disaster. Here are some disaster preparedness resources to consider:
Join the DoorDash community on Hello Alice. You’ll get access to peer-to-peer mentorship, community support, and preparedness education like step-by-step guides for preparing and responding to natural disasters.
Create your own disaster preparedness plan with resources from Ready.Gov and Emergency Action Plan for Food Establishments.
Community contributions
In addition to the $1,000,000 commitment by DoorDash, the community can support restaurants impacted by disaster by contributing a donation to the fund.
More disaster relief resources
It’s important to remember you’re not alone. In addition to the Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund, you can also apply for disaster loan assistance from the US Small Business Administration and emergency lodging assistance from FEMA.
