The Regions Foundation on Thursday announced 11 additional grants supporting small business recovery amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The grantees from the Regions Bank nonprofit initiative included the Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham and the Small Business Relief Fund from the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce.

Regions in a release detailed the following:

The Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham: With a mission to accelerate economic opportunity for women and their families through philanthropy, research, and advocacy, the Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham is delivering emergency philanthropy related to COVID-19. Specifically, the Rapid Operating and Relief (ROAR) for Women Fund is raising resources to support child care centers serving essential workers. The Women’s Fund is receiving a $50,000 grant from the Regions Foundation.

Small Business Relief Fund – West Alabama Chamber: The Small Business Relief Fund was launched by the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama in partnership with the Community Foundation of West Alabama. The fund is geared toward businesses in nine West Alabama counties that have employed anywhere from two to 50 FTE (full-time equivalent) people and are experiencing financial difficulties prompted by COVID-19. The Small Business Relief Fund is receiving a $50,000 grant from the Regions Foundation.

“The ongoing COVID pandemic has once again emphasized the inherent value of, and critical need for, quality child care across Alabama,” stated Melanie R. Bridgeforth, MSW, president and CEO of the Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham.

“In the early days of the pandemic, we found no statewide, coordinated response to elevate and respond to the needs of the child care industry, so the Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham launched the ROAR for Women Fund as a community response to fill this indispensable gap,” she continued. “It is critical that we put everything we have behind child care – an industry powered by women – while simultaneously meeting the needs of families and our state’s workforce.”

The West Alabama Chamber’s Small Business Relief Fund has dolled out $200,000 to 95 local businesses as of April 17.

Jim Page, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, said, “We are profoundly grateful for the Regions Foundation’s support of the Small Business Relief Fund. It is already providing desperately needed financial relief to many struggling small businesses in West Alabama. The Chamber is proud of the incredible relationship it has with Regions and is thankful for the community leadership shown by so many of its team members.”

Regions Bank leaders in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa commented on the importance of supporting community organizations as part of a comprehensive focus on meeting the uniquely challenging needs of the current time.

“The work of these organizations represents an important lifeline for Alabama business owners who are seeking assistance and guidance as they navigate the impacts of COVID-19,” commented Alan Register, Birmingham market executive for Regions Bank. “The grants announced today by the Regions Foundation are part of an ongoing commitment to meet community needs during this crisis.”

“Regions Bank and the Regions Foundation are committed to helping our communities pull through this difficult time,” concluded Elizabeth Winter, Tuscaloosa market executive for the bank. “The organizations receiving grants from the Regions Foundation are working directly with businesses to help them weather this storm. In addition, at Regions Bank, our financial professionals are staying connected with bank clients to discuss options that can help. We will continue to use our resources and experience to support long-term recovery.”

You can follow along with all of Regions’ efforts to support the communities it serves here.

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn