In response to the COVID-19 emergency, both the Gloucester Community Foundation and the Mathews Community Foundation have announced they are seeking ways to help local nonprofits with any unexpected immediate and long-term needs.
The Gloucester Community Foundation has created a regional disaster response fund, the COVID-19 Response Fund, to support immediate needs and eventually long-term economic recovery efforts in Gloucester County.
“We understand that this situation is rapidly changing. It is hard to predict the full impact of COVID-19 in our region and beyond,” said foundation director Margaret Nost. “That is why this fund is designed to address both urgent and immediate needs, as well as the long-term effects as our community recovers.”
GCF is working closely with its community and nonprofit partners, and monitoring needs, changes and developments daily to ensure it is providing the most effective support possible to our community.
In addition, GCF has temporarily paused its 2020 grant-making cycle to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. Nonprofit partners have been notified.
GCF has developed a Frequently Asked Questions document to answer questions on who can apply for COVID-19 grants and how to do so. This document can be found on its website: www.gloucestercf.org under the menu titled “Our Impact.”
The fund will initially focus on organizations providing essential services in health care, child care, senior services and crisis behavioral health care and/or requests that serve the following populations: children and youth, seniors, low-income families, individuals experiencing homelessness, and people with disabilities.
The fund does not support requests for individual support, business support or business loans. If you are an individual in need, dial #211 for local resources available to support those needs.
GCF encourages current fund donors, community members, and other funders to join the foundation in its efforts.
“We anticipate the needs will be many, and while GCF is positioned well to respond with grant funding, we know it will take the entire community coming together to provide the resources necessary to face this challenge head on,” said Warren Deal, GCF Advisory Board Chair.
Existing fund donors can make a grant by using Donor Connect. Choose “Community Foundation for a greater Richmond” as the grantee and enter “Gloucester COVID-19 Response Fund” as the grant purpose.
To make a gift by credit card, click www.gloucestercf.org/Donors/Give-Now and enter “Gloucester COVID-19 Response Fund” as the grant purpose. Checks may be mailed to P.O. Box 2303, Gloucester, Va. 23061. Write in the memo line “Gloucester COVID-19 Response Fund.”
In Mathews
The Mathews Community Foundation said that its planning efforts have provided it with unrestricted funds that can be made available to qualified nonprofits on a timely basis. It just needs to identify which organizations need help.
The focus is initially on key community-based organizations that support the physical and emotional well-being of the most vulnerable residents, particularly children and seniors, said an MCF press release. Agencies providing access to food, child and adult care, access to shelter, and health care, especially to the non-insured, will be strongly considered.
Nonprofit organizations facing financial hardship due to significant operating revenue loss may also be considered for funding, said the release, with priority given to those organizations providing essential safety-net services.
Beyond that, since there can be no in-person meetings, the foundation is working on the technology that will allow the Grants Committee to approve grant requests already in hand from the current grant cycle.
Anyone responsible for a nonprofit that provides services in or to Mathews County is urged to contact the Mathews Community Foundation as soon as possible.
Mathews Community Foundation board members Ron Lambert and Brenda Ripley said the board is comprised of Mathews residents who “keep the best interest of Mathews citizens at heart.” They said they are grateful for “all our incredible donors who continually share their resources to help others.”
If you have questions or concerns, email Margaret Nost, GCF Director at mnost@cfrichmond.org or Lincoln Boykin, GCF Grants Officer, at lboykin@cfrichmond.org.