Senator Carlucci Urges Facebook to Expand Small Business Grants Program Eligibility

(Albany, NY) - Senator David Carlucci (D- Rockland/Westchester) has sent a letter to the Mark Zuckerberg, Chairman and CEO of Facebook, urging him to expand eligibility for Facebook’s Small Business Grants Program to the entirety of New York State.

The Small Business Grants Program, facilitated by Facebook, is a $100 million grant program that provides relief to small businesses, which are experiencing disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This program is currently available to businesses in certain cities and localities across the nation, including in Westchester County and the NYC Metropolitan Area. However, it excludes Rockland County and other parts of New York State, leaving a vast majority of New York State businesses ineligible for the grants. 

Senator David Carlucci, said, “We thank Facebook for their philanthropy and their commitment to helping small businesses who have been financially devastated by this pandemic. Businesses across New York State, not just in New York City, have taken a massive financial hit. I am calling on Facebook to expand grant eligibility to every business in New York State who needs it.”

To accompany the letter, Senator Carlucci has posted an online petition, where New York State residents can sign-on to support this cause. Interested parties can access the petition, here: https://www.nysenate.gov/petitions/david-carlucci/facebook-should-expand-small-business-grants-program.

New York State has more than 130,000 COVID-19 cases and nearly 5,000 deaths. As a result of this pandemic, New York State businesses are projected to lose more than $8 billion in sales.

“Small business owners are being forced to lay off staff and unemployment is rising to record levels,” said Carlucci. "With these realities, we must pursue every possible form of relief for individuals and businesses.”