Over $1 Million Raised for Minneapolis Businesses Impacted by George Floyd Unrest

Two organizations in Minneapolis are spearheading a movement to raise money for businesses suffering due to the coronavirus pandemic and the destruction that has resulted from some of the protests held in response to the death of George Floyd.

The goal of the fundraiser, which was organized by West Broadway Business and Area Coalition (WBBAC) in collaboration with Northside Funders Group, is to raise $5 million for north Minneapolis businesses. By Saturday afternoon, organizers said they had raised $1,584,046.

According to Sarah Clyne, the executive director of Northside Funders Group, an emergency fund was initially created to help local businesses stay afloat amid closures put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The fund made a pivot on May 29, 2020 after North Minneapolis was impacted by the uprising across our city," Clyne told Newsweek.

On May 25, Floyd, 46, died while in police custody in Minneapolis. In the days that followed, a wave of protests began spreading across the U.S., as people demanded justice for Floyd and reform to policing procedures throughout the country. Though protest leaders encouraged demonstrators to keep their actions peaceful, violence erupted in many cities over the last two weeks, causing city leaders to introduce curfews in attempts to keep protests under control and prevent rioters from looting local businesses.

According to a Friday estimate by the Star Tribune, more than 530 businesses in Minneapolis and St. Paul were vandalized or looted since the protests began, with more than 60 entirely destroyed in fires set during the riots.

The fundraiser for north Minneapolis businesses was focused on helping small business owners with locations along West Broadway, Lowry Avenue and Penn Avenue, the Northside Funders Group said in a Facebook post earlier this week.

In a message to members of the Minneapolis community published on its website, the WBBAC said it was also accepting donations of food and other supplies for those in need due to the pandemic and the protests.

"I thought we all needed to collectively come and help clean up north Minneapolis because it's often a community that's forgotten," WBBAC Executive Director Felicia Perry told the St. Paul-based station KSTP.

During the initial phase of the emergency fund, Clyne said the Northside Funders Group collected donations and helped business owners navigate the federal relief options offered through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, efforts that resulted in 89 local businesses receiving an estimated $400,000 in financial support. Clyne said it was unknown exactly how many businesses would receive support through the latest stage of the fundraiser and that the fund distribution will be handled by the WBBAC.

The WBBAC did not respond to Newsweek's request for comment in time for publication.

"Despite centuries of deliberate disinvestment by institutions both public and private, North Minneapolis is home to vibrant neighborhoods, thriving businesses and resilient residents," Clyne said. "This fund is to help keep it that way and allow the community to restore itself on its own terms."