The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham is opening a new process to make grants quickly available to organizations on the front lines of providing critical services and economic assistance for the COVID-19 crisis in our region. The Foundation is dedicating more than $1 million from its competitive grantmaking funds as the resource for this first phase of response to the crisis.
These rapid response grants will support organizations with grants of up to $25,000, and will focus on resiliency in communities by addressing the immediate and basic needs of economically vulnerable populations impacted by COVID-19. The first phase of the of funding will prioritize applicants that directly address immediate basic needs related to the crisis
• Job and income loss
• Ensuring the supply of and access to food
• Access to housing needs
• Access to medical care
• Needs around child care, transportation and other supportive services
• Needs around mental health
• Needs around education for children
• Other critical services that have been disrupted by the COVID-19 crisis
This first phase of grantmaking will prioritize applicants working with disproportionately impacted populations.
The Community Foundation is also offering nonprofit adaptation grants to organizations whose operations have been adversely impacted by COVID-19. These grants will assist organizations in adapting their operations to avoid or mitigate disruptions in their service delivery.
“When a crisis like this strikes, our nonprofits are on the front lines with other first responders,” said Christopher Nanni, President & CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham. “We believe in providing funding to ensure that these organizations are best positioned to help our communities in moments of critical need, and that’s why we’re announcing the opening of this grants process today to make sure our nonprofits have the resources they need to respond.”
Applications for these grants will be accepted on a rolling basis through the end of May, after which the Foundation will reevaluate community needs. Grants will be made regularly throughout the outbreak and recovery phases of the crisis, making it possible to move resources quickly and adapt to evolving needs in subsequent funding phases. Application information here.
In addition to reallocated funds, the Community Foundation has opened the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to provide additional resources. “We have been overwhelmed at the support we’ve received from generous donors and corporations so far,” said Nanni. “Their generosity is giving us the additional financial resources to help even more people through this crisis.”
“This is the first step in a long road ahead,” said Nanni, “and we will continue to assess the ever changing landscape in order to identify prevailing needs and respond accordingly.”
Click here to learn more about these Emergency Response Grants or make a donation to the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.