DoorDash Launches Initiatives To Support Black Businesses

This week restaurant delivery service DoorDash unveiled its new initiatives to support Black-owned businesses. They include a new partnership with nonprofit financial platform Kiva to help Black-owned businesses looking for capital.

The company will match the loan amount for Black-owned business owners on the platform and has created a $150,000 revolving loan fund to fund the program. Kiva business loans offer consumers the option to borrow starting capital at 0% interest rate and no additional fees.

Over recent months, DoorDash has seen a huge surge in the demand for Black-owned restaurants. In response, it will be launching a feature to highlight independent Black entrepreneurs and restaurants across the country. It will also offer free delivery to its merchant partners as a part of the new initiative and provide additional resources.

“With the goal of creating a platform that reflects the communities we serve and to reduce barriers to entry for Black-owned businesses to partner with DoorDash, beginning today and continuing through the end of this year, independent Black-owned restaurants in the United States and Canada can sign up for free with DoorDash and Caviar and pay zero commissions for 30 days. This is not a deferral of fees, nor will merchants be asked to pay anything back,” the company wrote in a blog post.

“We consider this commitment to supporting Black communities an ongoing effort that demands action through our product, our voice, and our resources. In addition to donating $500,000 to the national chapter of Black Lives Matter last month, we also created a $500,000 fund to be directed by the Black@DoorDash Employee Resource Group (ERG)…We hope you continue supporting Black-owned restaurants and businesses in your communities. We will continue to use our platform, voice, and resources to make progress together.”