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Weekly Wrap-Up: March 20, 2020

The Weekly Wrap-Up 03/20/20
Your MEMBER ONLY email on all things the Chamber worked on this week
and you need to know about, to get the most of your membership.
Thank you for being a member.
During this time of national crisis, when information and connections are so important,
the Weekly Wrap-Up will be made available to members and non-members.
CEO Brief- ?
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I hope you are having a good weekend; the Weekly is coming to you late as I was out of the house for the first time in a week attending my cousin's funeral in north Georgia on Friday. My cousin was an amazing person and he dedicated his life to serving this country. A national pandemic could not keep people from showing up to honor him. 
It was good to be out of the house but jarring; there are parts of the country that are going on like nothing is happening. I took precautions but worry that I may have exposed myself to the virus and then could expose it to others. I can't imagine what healthcare workers feel when they return home from their shifts. They are on the front lines of this war, and we should all be thinking of them and the dangerous and hard work they do during these times.

We are all doing the right thing as we isolate and try to stop this virus from spreading. I applaud our Mayor and others in government that are setting examples and ordering people to close businesses and self-quarantine. Our Governor has failed in that respect and I am disappointed to see his lack of leadership that pushes Tennessee's line of infection higher and higher. Just look to Kentucky with their Governor's policies that have significantly flattened their line. We will continue to advocate for statewide closures of businesses and schools. Thank you to our members for doing the hard yet right thing. 

I have to admit that I was overwhelmed and paralyzed this week, perhaps like some of you, by what we are all going through. The request for assistance and the information coming out that affect so many of you made it seem impossible to take any action that mattered. I did what I needed to do and what you should do, I leaned on and connected to people. I reached out to many of you and talked with our board and I assure you we are working our hardest to help us all get through this. We will be announcing new opportunities and some policy changes next week. It will be hard but we will get through this. Please read more below on what we worked on this week, and please remember we are working for you, our dear and valued members, every day.  We are all in this together and we will get through this together.
Coronavirus Response
We sent an email on Wednesday with updated information about the coronavirus. The COVID-19 situation changes hour by hour. We are continuing to post updates and connections to resources on our social media. Please follow us there for new information.
As a Chamber, we are here to help our members and our community get through this financially and emotionally difficult time.  We are going to continue our core mission to Advocate, Educate and Connect during this time of need:

Advocate
As governments respond to this pandemic and start their relief efforts, we will make sure our LGBT business community is equally represented in those efforts and our unique business needs are addressed.


Educate
We will keep our members up to date on the tools and resources available to help us rebuild our businesses and our community. We will also share best practices for you to implement at your businesses. Look for podcasts and online videos on a number of topics in the days and weeks ahead. 



Resources for Employers

Connect
Connection is more important than ever. While we are social distancing, we will be sharing virtual networking opportunities to remain connected and support our community. Please share information and connections that you know about. Members can post  Hot Deals   to the broader community and  Member to Member   deals to each other. We will also be creating LinkedIn and Facebook groups where we will add current members, and you can connect, network, and offer deals and information there. 
We are launching this special page on our website   where we will compile information for you. Check there and follow us on social media platforms where we will continue to post information you should know.  

The economic impact is being felt by everyone. We have been in close contact with our small businesses, especially those in the hospitality and catering business. The cancellations by universities, businesses, and tourists are hitting them exceptionally hard. Because of the tornado and now corona we need to shop with our local LGBT and ally businesses. There are so many that are going to face challenges. We can support each other in this hard time. 
New and Renewing Members
We are proud of the continued participation from the following individuals and businesses who RENEWED or upgraded their membership this week:

Legislative Update
In the face of the growing pandemic in the state and the country, the TN General Assembly leadership made the decision late last week to move toward a temporary recess of the legislature until the crisis subsides. 

In anticipation of not returning until June 1, the House and Senate on Thursday, passed a bare-bones budget which eliminated many of the priorities of Governor Lee and merely continues most government functions as is. Also included in the budget was $150M in expected relief funds related to COVID-19 and $30M for tornado relief for Middle TN. The budget takes expected surplus funds of $350M and adds them to the state’s already flush Rainy Day Fund and it is expected that some of those dollars will be allocated to deal with the pandemic’s fallout.

As part of the rush to end the legislative session, all non-essential bills were held at their respective place in the committee process for now. We are still awaiting clarification on what the legislative priorities will be when legislators possibly return on June 1. 

This means that all of the anti-LGBT legislation including bills on hormone therapy restrictions, trans-youth athletes, marriage and business policy discrimination will be held at this time.  We will keep you up to date when we know more. 
Nashville Tornado Recovery
The Business Disaster Recovery Open House , on Thursday, March 26 is in flux. We will elt you know as soon as we can on how this information will be shared.

If you have a business that was affected by the tornado, join us March 26th for an Open House. We will focus on education and tools available to aid recovery from the economic impact of the tornado. Available business loans, FEMA assistance, and the insurance claims process will be explored. RSVP below.
The United States Small Business Administration (SBA)  has opened a Business Recovery Center (BRC) in Davidson County – as of Monday, March 9 to help businesses apply for disaster loans. 

SBA representatives at the Center can provide information about disaster loans, answer questions and assist businesses in completing the SBA application.
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Read the press release below to find out who is eligible, how to apply for loans, and much more.
What We Did
We participated in a call with NGLCC and other LGBT affiliate chambers across the country. It was sad to hear about the economic and emotional pain already felt due to the coronavirus crisis.

Moving forward, all site visits for LGBTBE certification will be virtual. After training on Monday, we will reach out to all businesses seeking certification to schedule your virtual visit.

We are working closely with NGLCC to bring you economic resources, initiatives, and information. Thank you to NGLCC for your national leadership and advocacy.
We participated in a call with our partners Out & Equal Workplace Advocates.

The Supreme Court will soon hand down its ruling on a trio of cases that will determine whether LGBTQ employees are protected from discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. 

This decision can come anytime between now and the end of June. We are monitoring this closely and will reach out to our membership when we get word on the decision.

Connections
Pride in Business Awards 2020
The Pride in Business Awards presented by AllianceBernstein will be held on Friday, June 5th at the JW Marriott! This event will kick off what will be an incredible PRIDE month!

The deadline for nominations is on March 31st. Please take some time to submit your nominations now. Please use the form below to nominate a company, small business, friend, co-worker, boss, spouse, peer, mentor, mentee, or yourself for an award from the LGBT Chamber.

We will announce all finalists at our Brewing Up Business program on April 29th at Topgolf Nashville. Help us recognize individuals, businesses, and organizations who are making a difference in our community!

Tickets and sponsorships are on sale now. Sponsorships are going fast, so reach out to Lauren if you want to make your mark on our signature event!
Membership Has Its Perks
In these uncertain times, we hope to connect our members and our community to the ways you can give and receive support. Members of the Nashville LGBT Chamber can utilize “Hot Deals” to promote deals and services you are still offering. We will add to this list as they come in. We encourage everyone to support these businesses.
Batch Nashville
Send care packages to folks working at home. Send Nashville in a box to key clients or prospects to ensure confidence in your ongoing business.   A dozen gifts from our catalog ordered by 3-31-2020 = 25% off and Free Shipping + Free Gift Wrap

TN Event Designs
Need event lighting, draping, or custom builds for your upcoming event?
Contact TN Event Designs and receive 10% off when you mention promo code -  NLGBT10 . We specialize in wedding, corporate and music events in Nashville and all major cities.

How to Add a Hot Deal as a Member
 
  • Log into your account
  • Click Hot Deal on the left of the page
  • Click Add Hot Deal 
  • Fill out all the information in the fields provided.
  • Be sure to select Active Dates
  • Click Submit for Approval
Joe Woolley
CEO

Lauren Bland
Membership Manager

Nashville LGBT Chamber
615-507-5185
41 Peabody Street
Nashville, TN 37210
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