The FRLA Disaster Relief Fund is an initiative of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Educational Foundation. This initiative strives to provide economic support to Florida’s restaurants[1] and lodging establishments[2] and to rebuild the hospitality workforce who have suffered economically from the impact of Hurricane Helene. The FRLA Disaster Relief Fund provides immediate financial support in the form of grants valued at up to $5,000 per independently owned restaurant or lodging location.

For the absence of doubt, an independent restaurant or lodging establishment is defined as a restaurant[1] or lodging establishment [2] owned by a corporation, limited liability partnership, general partnerships, or sole proprietorship. Franchisees of national chains are eligible, but only if the owner owns no more than three (3) franchised locations. Independent restaurant and lodging chains do qualify for this grant. Only one application is required for all multi-unit operators.


Grant Recipient Reporting Requirements
Donations to the FRLA Disaster Relief Fund initiative of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association Educational Foundation (FRLAEF) are tax-exempt to the extent the law and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidelines allow. In order to ensure that recipients do not incur a negative tax impact from these grants, recipients will be required to report to the FRLAEF data and information regarding how the funds are used, and when they plan to re-open their business.

Eligibility:
  • Independent restaurant or lodging establishment (as defined below);
  • Business must have been open and operating at least 6 months;
  • Physically or economically impacted by Hurricane Helene and included in the Federally designated Disaster areas in Florida currently includes Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Putnam, Sarasota, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, and Wakulla counties; and
  • All necessary forms and acknowledgments submitted.

It is the goal of the Disaster Relief Fund to make grant funding available to qualified applicants, contingent upon the availability of funds.

Grant funding can be used to:

For owners or employees in financial need, disaster relief funds may be used for the following purposes:

Assistance with temporary housing, rent, mortgage payments, or car loan payments;
Assistance with school tuition and higher education costs to permit a child to attend school;
Reasonable and necessary expenses incurred for the repair or rehabilitation of a personal residence (rented or owned); or
Reasonable and necessary expenses incurred for the repair or replacement of the contents of a personal residence due to Hurricane Helene.

The IRS does NOT allow disaster relief payments for the following purposes:
· Payments for expenses otherwise paid for by insurance or other reimbursements; or
· Income replac
For business property, grant dollars may be used for the following purposes:
· To combat community deterioration (rehabilitating property in a storm devasted area); and
· To lessen the burdens of government (replacing infrastructure owned by the government, such as a sidewalk or road).

[1] "Public food service establishment" as defined by Ch. 509.013(5), Florida Statutes, that is licensed and regulated under Ch. 509.
[2] Defined as a lodging establishment licensed as a hotel, motel or bed and breakfast as defined in 509.242. Florida Statutes.

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* 1. CORPORATE INFORMATION

Independent restaurant[1] or lodging establishment[2] qualify for this grant. The Florida Disaster Relief Fund will distribute grants of up to $5,000 per owner to immediately support their financial needs.

As an independent restaurateur or lodging establishment owner, please complete this application to the best of your ability. Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis as we continue to raise funds. Because we want to put money in your hands as quickly as possible, we are asking you to provide your bank information so that, once approved and funded, we can transmit your grant to you via ACH.

Eligible independent restaurants and lodging establishments must be open and operating or actively planning to re-open. Permanently closed restaurants and lodging establishments are NOT eligible for this grant. Only independent restaurants and lodging establishments within the state of Florida are eligible.

After submitting your application, it will be reviewed by the internal committee and a decision letter will follow. If approved, you will receive the grant as soon as funds are available. We will remain in contact with you throughout the process.

For the absence of doubt, an independent restaurant or lodging establishment is defined as a restaurant[1] or lodging establishment[2] owned by a corporation, limited liability partnership, general partnerships, or sole proprietorship. Franchisees of national chains are eligible, but only if the owner owns no more than three (3) franchised locations. Independent restaurant and lodging chains do qualify for this grant. Only one application is required for all multi-unit operators.

Please note: To allow as many different owners as possible to benefit from these grants, an owner is eligible to receive ONE grant. Additional locations or LLCs associated with the same individual owner will not be eligible at this time. If more funds become available, additional grant eligibility may become available.

If you have any questions, or to check status of your application, email relief@FRLA.org.

[1] "Public food service establishment" as defined by Ch. 509.013(5), Florida Statutes, that is licensed and regulated under Ch. 509.
[2] Defined as a lodging establishment licensed as a hotel, motel or bed and breakfast as defined in 509.242. Florida Statutes.

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* 2. DO YOU OWN ANY OTHER LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS GRANT? (PLEASE NOTE:  TO ALLOW AS MANY DIFFERENT OWNERS AS POSSIBLE TO BENEFIT FROM THESE GRANTS, EACH OWNER IS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE ONE GRANT. ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS AND LLCS WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE AT THIS TIME. IF MORE FUNDS BECOME AVAILABLE, ADDITIONAL GRANT ELIGIBILITY MAY BECOME AVAILABLE.)

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* 3. WHAT TYPE OF ESTABLISHMENT IS YOUR COMPANY?

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* 4. ARE YOU A CURRENT MEMBER OF THE FLORIDA RESTAURANT & LODGING ASSOCIATION?

NOTE: THIS DOES NOT HAVE ANY BEARING ON GRANT ELIGIBILITY. THIS IS FOR INFORMATION USE ONLY.

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* 5. NUMBER OF FULL-TIME STAFF

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* 6. NUMBER OF PART-TIME STAFF

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* 7. DESCRIBE IN DETAIL HOW YOUR BUSINESS HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY HURRICANE HELENE. IS YOUR BUSINESS LOCATED IN AN AREA OF SEVERE DEVASTATION? PROVIDE PHOTOS, IF AVAILABLE.

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* 8. UPLOAD A PICTURE OF YOUR BUSINESS HERE.

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* 9. UPLOAD ADDITIONAL PICTURE OF YOUR BUSINESS

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* 10. UPLOAD ADDITIONAL PICTURE OF YOUR BUSINESS

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* 11. UPLOAD ADDITIONAL PICTURE OF YOUR BUSINESS

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* 12. IF AWARDED, DESCRIBE HOW YOU WOULD UTILIZE THE FUNDS CONSISTENT WITH THE AUTHORIZED USES.

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* 13. PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR CORPORATE BANK ACCOUNT INFORMATION AND ATTACH A VOIDED CHECK. ACH PAYMENT IS A REQUIRMENT.

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* 14. ATTACH VOIDED CHECK HERE

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* 15. ATTACH W-9 HERE

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* 16. SHARE YOUR NARRATIVE. (THIS IS AN OPTIONAL FIELD. HOWEVER, AS THE FRLA CONTINUES TO FIGHT TO SUPPORT FLORIDA’S RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS, WE NEED YOUR STORIES. BY SUBMITTING YOUR NARRATIVE HERE, YOU AGREE TO ALLOW THE FRLA TO SHARE THIS STORY. YOU MAY INDICATE IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR BUSINESS TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS IF WE USE YOUR NARRATIVE.)

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* 17. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF DECLARATION STATEMENT REGARDING USAGE OF FUNDS

I, the above-named representative of the above-named restaurant or lodging establishment, do hereby agree to the following restricted usage of funds provided by the FRLA Disaster Relief Fund to benefit the business and to rebuild the hospitality workforce. Funds will only be used to accomplish two concurrent goals:

1. To assist owners and to rebuild the hospitality workforce and;

2. To support property improvements to combat community deterioration or lessen the burdens of government.

I further acknowledge that these funds are intended to provide direct relief to independent restaurants and lodging establishments for the purpose of rebuilding the hospitality workforce.

I also authorize the FRLA to include my establishment in promotion of the fund.

Recipients must be able to provide proof of how the funds were utilized should the IRS request.

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* 18. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RELATIONSHIP

I, the above-named representative of the above-named restaurant or lodging establishment, do hereby agree that I have no direct relationship with any officers, directors, key employees, or other substantial contributors of FRLA or the Education Foundation of the FRLA.
• Carol Dover, President & CEO
• Robert Dearden, COO/CFO
• Geoff Luebkemann, Senior Vice President of Service Operations
• Samantha Padgett, Vice President of Government Relations and General Counsel

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* 19. By typing your name below you attest all above to be true and accurate.

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