COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund Phase 2 Grant Opens; Bloomington Health Foundation Offers $25,000 Donation Matching Opportunity
May 7, 2020, Bloomington, Ind. -- United Way of Monroe County announced today that the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund Phase 2 grant application is now open to Monroe County nonprofit organizations. Additionally, Bloomington Health Foundation is once again offering to match COVID-19 Fund donations by individuals up to $25,000 in support of health-related needs.
COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund Phase 2 Grant Opens
The COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund is aimed at supporting social service agencies and community-based organizations who provide for the basic needs of local individuals and families.
Phase 2 grants of the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund will focus on these priorities in Monroe County in response to the pandemic:
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sustaining critical operations and levels of service for area nonprofits meeting community members’ basic needs
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funding temporary staffing or volunteer mobilization efforts in response to loss of volunteer base critical to daily operations
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maintaining capacity of local food security and basic needs systems in order to meet additional demands
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supporting affordable childcare for essential workers
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promoting the health and personal safety of individuals, especially as existing systems of care are disrupted
Human service organizations serving Monroe County may apply now for Phase 2 funding via the grant portal. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, May 12 at noon. Organizations selected for funding will be notified by Friday, May 15th.
Organizations serving Brown, Greene, or Owen counties should contact their respective community foundation for information on the application process to receive funds. Links can be found here.
In Monroe County, a committee including representatives from the Bloomington Health Foundation, City of Bloomington, Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, Indiana University, Monroe County Government, and United Way of Monroe County will continue to support local administration of the funding.
“We continue to be in awe of the work carried out by our partners in philanthropy, local government, economic development, and other sectors which coordinate and collaborate in the community’s relief and recovery effort,” said Efrat Feferman, Executive Director. “Through the generous support of individuals and businesses, and the dedication, innovation, and expertise of nonprofit agencies, our collective wellbeing is greater as we lift up our friends and neighbors in a time of unprecedented need.”
COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund supporters include Bloomington Health Foundation, Bloomington Sunrise Rotary, Bloomington Township, Blueline, Boston Scientific, Buskirk-Chumley Theater, City of Bloomington, Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, Cook Medical, Duke Energy, Etch Clothing Co., First Financial Bank, First United Church, First United Methodist Church, Hoosier Energy, Indiana United Ways, IU Credit Union, IU Credit Union Volunteer Board of Directors, Lilly Endowment, Inc., Monroe County Government, Old National Bank, Owen County State Bank, Perry Township, Private Individuals, Smithville Charitable Foundation, Susan Yeley Homes, Tim Ellis Realtors, Truist Foundation, United Way of Monroe County, United Way Worldwide, and Van Buren Township.
United Way COVID-19 Fund Grants $390,000 to Area Community Foundations
The recently announced $1.2M gift from the Lilly Endowment Inc., in partnership with Indiana United Ways, is intended to support United Way of Monroe County’s full service area, which include Monroe, Greene, and Owen counties, as well as a portion of Brown. United Way is partnering with each outlying county’s community foundation to administer the following grants based on population figures:
Brown County Community Foundation >> $44,142
Greene County Foundation >> $185,483
Owen County Community Foundation >> $120,802
Agencies applying for funding in those counties may contact their community foundation regarding the application process. Links can be found above.
Additionally, Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County will receive $40,000 in order to support further rounds of rapid response grants for local nonprofits. Organizations, particularly ones supporting human service organizations, seeking rapid response grants in the amounts ranging from $250 to $2,500 may apply.
Bloomington Health Foundation offers $25,000 matching grant
Bloomington Health Foundation (BHF) is generously offering to double the impact of donations with another matching grant up to $25,000 for new individual contributions to the United Way of Monroe County COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. This is the second such matching fund offered from BHF targeting individual and community health-related needs. The first matching grant was quickly met in late March, thanks to the support of numerous local donors.
“This community is incredible,” said BHF President and CEO Jonathan Barada. “To witness the creative and powerful ways, small and large, that our community has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic is nothing short of inspirational. The first match we offered was exhausted in a matter of days. That speaks to our collective generosity and how when times are tough, so many of us just want to help. If you are able, here’s another way to help and double your gift at the same time in support of ongoing local relief efforts.”
To contribute to the matching gift, individual donations can be made at www.monroeunitedway/COVIDRelief.
Local Resources
Individuals in need of services including food, shelter, childcare, financial assistance, and more are encouraged to search www.helpingbloomingtonmonroe.org or to call 2-1-1 to connect to the right help.
Community-wide resources and updates are centralized at https://www.chamberbloomington.org/recovery-resources.html by the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce in partnership with a cross-sector coalition of partners.
Individuals may text COVIDRELIEF2020 to 44-321or visit www.monroeunitedway.org/COVIDRelief to make a contribution to the Emergency Relief Fund.
United Way of Monroe County is a nonprofit organization that improves people’s lives by addressing critical needs today and working to reduce those needs tomorrow. Through its Community Action Fund and grant initiatives, United Way works with 24 member agencies and community partners to ensure families have opportunities and everyone can meet basic living needs.