American Express

American Express is a financial services corporation and one of 30 component companies whose stocks constitute the Dow Jones industrial average. The coronavirus pandemic negatively impacted the Fortune 500 mainstay, known for its corporate credit card business, as office spaces emptied and business travel ground to a halt. In February 2021, the company announced it was awarding $1 million in grants to 25 historic small restaurants across the U.S. that were especially hard hit by pandemic lockdowns. AmEx noted that the program would focus on restaurants owned by people of color, women, and other underrepresented groups disproportionately affected by the pandemic.