$2M in COVID-19 Grants Awarded So Far
USBG NATIONAL CHARITY FOUNDATION BARTENDER EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM HAS DISTRIBUTED $2 MILLION AS PART OF COVID-19 RELIEF CAMPAIGN
“This pandemic has forced bartenders, bar backs, and cocktail servers - people who specialize in person-to-person interaction - to suddenly become experts in data entry, all while their world is crumbling around them.” - Kim Haasarud, USBG Foundation Volunteer Board Member
HENDERSON, NV (MAY 6, 2020) - The USBG National Charity Foundation announces today that it has disseminated more than $2 million in charitable grants as part of its Bartender Emergency Assistance Program (BEAP) COVID-19 Relief Campaign.
Via the campaign, modest, yet meaningful emergency grants of $150-500 drawn from generous donations have been, and will continue to be, allocated to as many eligible applicants as possible. The emergency grants are intended to supplement federal relief programs designed to help with larger, sustained expenses.
Determining eligibility for the grants has required the Foundation and grant applicants to overcome inherent challenges.
Applications for BEAP are submitted in two phases. In phase one, potential grant recipients are asked to complete an initial application. Some 60 percent of phase one applications were missing critical information or contained typographical errors in contact information, making it impossible to determine if the applicant was eligible for a grant.
“There’s a misconception that a large number of applicants have been denied a grant or that the Foundation is somehow hanging on to money for a rainy day,” said USBG National Charity Foundation volunteer board member Kim Haasarud.
“This could not be further from the truth. In order to process the extraordinary number of applications, we’ve had to shift our screening process from one that allows for one-on-one, personalized assistance, to a standardized form. That means this pandemic has forced bartenders, bar backs, and cocktail servers - people who specialize in person-to-person interaction - to suddenly become experts in data entry, all while their world is crumbling around them. That’s going to lead to errors. We know that’s completely unreasonable, but it’s the only way we can scale our process to accommodate nearly 300,000 applications.”
She continued, “Fortunately, we’re seeing an increase in reapplications with verifiable information, our process has become more efficient, and we’re significantly faster at screening applications. All of that together means the amount of money we’ve been able to get to bartenders, bar backs, and cocktails servers in need is increasing rapidly.”
USBG Foundation Bartender Emergency Assistance Program COVID-19 Relief Campaign as of May 6, 2020:
Total initial applicants: More than 295,000
Total percentage of applicants found to be ineligible for grants: Less than 1%
Total donors: More than 4,000
Total $ committed: $8 million
Total volunteers: More than 500
Total volunteer hours: More than 10,000
Link to donors and supporters to date: HERE
More information on the USBG National Charity Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief Campaign can be found here.
Follow updates through USBG National Charity Foundation social media channels: IG/FB/TWITTER: @usbgncf/@USBGNCF/@USBGNCF
Tune into the USBG National Charity Foundation’s weekly Instagram Live briefing @usbgncf on Thursday, May 7 at noon Pacific/3 p.m. Eastern.
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About the USBG National Charity Foundation
The USBG National Charity Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, advances the lifelong stability and well-being of service industry professionals through education and charitable activities. The USBG Foundation accomplishes this mission through programming that focuses on social responsibility, community service, and philanthropy. The USBG Foundation was formed in 2012 to expand the charitable impact of the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) community. You can learn more about the USBG Foundation at www.usbgfoundation.org.
About the Bartender Emergency Assistance Program
The purpose of the Bartender Emergency Assistance Program is to assist those in the bar industry who are in need of assistance as a result of a catastrophic event or an emergency hardship. Fire, weather, medical, national crisis, or a family emergency, the BEAP is here to assist bartenders in their time of need. Our goal is to assist as many qualified industry members as possible each and every year. We are striving to ensure that the BEAP is sustained as a safety net for those in the industry who need it most. Our hope is that you will support us to "help us serve those who serve us.” www.usbgfoundation.org/beap.
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Media inquiries:
Colin Baugh
Emblem Public Relations
323-219-3427
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