COVID-19 Cooperative Disaster Response Fund exceeds $180,000 in grants
CFNEIA
April 14, 2020
The Black Hawk County COVID-19 Cooperative Disaster Response Fund, a fund of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, has made nine new grants increasing the fund’s total grant amount to $180,105 to 11 organizations. Grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations serving Black Hawk County providing basic needs services and/or working with individuals and families who have been disproportionately impacted by the public health and economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. Organizations receiving the nine new grants include:
- Exceptional Persons, Inc., $10,000, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Costs
- Waterloo Christian School, $2,500, Child Care Center Support
- Family YMCA of Black Hawk County, $25,000, Operations Support
- Friends of the Family, $7,500, Operations Support
- Operations Threshold, $25,105, COVID-19 Case Management Services
- Friendship Village Foundation, $10,000, PPE Costs
- Goodwill Industries of Northeast Iowa, $10,000, Operations Support
- Iowa Legal Aid, $10,000, Operations Support
- Lutheran Services in Iowa $20,000, Operations Support
Grants to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank ($50,000) and Salvation Army ($10,000) had been previously announced.
"The support of funds through the COVID-19 Disaster Response Fund Grants, provided through our local funders, has enabled us to maintain emergency child care operations during this challenging time,” said Angie Widner, executive director at the Family YMCA of Black Hawk County. “We continue to prioritize child care for essential personnel in our community, ensuring that they have safe, needed care for their children while they do their work to uphold the health and well-being of our community. We are extremely appreciative of this assistance."
Funds will continue to be released on a rolling basis as fundraising continues throughout the COVID-19 disaster, making it possible to move resources quickly and to adapt to evolving needs in subsequent phases of the crisis recovery efforts. Nonprofits can apply for grants from the fund online at cfneia.org.
“In times of disaster, generosity is essential to response and recovery efforts and we are seeing our community step up to meet the needs of our most vulnerable populations,” said Kaye Englin, CFNEIA president and CEO. “We are honored to support our nonprofit partners and their staff working on the front lines to keep our communities strong. Their efforts are inspiring.”
Gifts can be made to the Black Hawk County COVID-19 Cooperative Disaster Response Fund to provide more grant opportunities for nonprofits serving Black Hawk County. Donations will be used to quickly move resources to where they are most needed and to adapt to evolving needs. Gifts can be made to the fund by going to cfneia.org and clicking on the Give Today button. Gifts can also be directed to the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, 3117 Greenhill Circle, Cedar Falls, IA 50613. Checks should be made out to Black Hawk County COVID-19 Cooperative Disaster Response Fund. Online gifts are strongly encouraged to have funds accessible for quick response to needs.
The Black Hawk County COVID-19 Cooperative Disaster Response Fund was collaboratively established by CFNEIA, the Otto Schoitz Foundation, the Cedar Valley United Way and the Guernsey Foundation. Other funding partners include the Cedar Falls Community Foundation and Waterloo Community Foundation. Grants from the disaster response fund will be administered in collaboration with organizations coordinating pandemic response efforts, including Black Hawk County COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster).
