The Barstool Fund is a non-profit 30-day monetary fund to help small businesses such as bars, restaurants and dry cleaners, survive shutdown orders caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was launched in December of 2020 by Dave Portnoy, internet celebrity and founder of the sports and pop culture blog Barstool Sports. Portnoy contributed $500,000 of his own money to get the fund started. He has since raised more than $41 million to help over 420 local businesses survive Government-enforced restrictions.
Among the 260,000 other contributors to the fund are many successful business people as well as celebrities. One of the most generous contributions was from musician Kid Rock, who personally donated a $100,000 sum to the fund. He excitedly declared his support for the fund saying, ‘This is the America I love!’, when announcing his donation.
To be eligible for the fund, small businesses must be keeping an active payroll. Portnoy and others helping organize The Barstool Fund review each application to determine eligibility. Each successful application then receives the financial aid they need to stay afloat during the pandemic.