LAPA Fundraising is committed to convey critical news about COVID-19 funding. Please forward this email to nonprofit fundraising colleagues who need these resources.
The list covers New York City, Westchester, Long Island, Upstate NY and Federal funding resources.
LAPA Fundraising also has three new blog posts about creative responses to the COVID-19 pandemic that you can read here. Our hearts go out to you, our minds are focused on your wellbeing, and the welfare of those in your care. Let us be there now for each other.
Here are important funding resources for you to consider. We will keep updating this list regularly and it will be pinned to our website.
New York City
Pat Swann, Senior Program Officer at the New York Community Trust (NYCT), spoke online yesterday to 270 nonprofits gathered for Nonprofit New York’s annual conference. She expressed the Trust’s real commitment to be responsive and flexible with disseminating the NYCT COVID-19 Fund which holds $80 million as of this writing. $50 million of the fund will be distributed through direct grants, and $30 million will be distributed as zero interest loans by the Nonprofit Finance Fund.
The NYCT COVID-19 grants will range from $10,000 to $250,000 and are meant to be spent down over a 12-week period once they are funded. For this first round, Direct Services nonprofits and Arts & Culture organizations are the priority. The nonprofits who qualify to apply must have a track record of delivering their mission, and must have some portion of their current funding derived from government. The agencies must also be within the five boroughs of New York City, and have no more than $20 million from private revenue. Upon your submission, the turnaround time for a response from NYCT is two weeks.
The Nonprofit Finance Fund has gathered COVID-19 Tools & Resources plus they are managing the $30 million no-interest loans mentioned above. You must share your email with them so as to be notified of the details about the no interest loans. Applications are open for no-interest loans to human services and arts and culture nonprofits based in New York City. Loan details, eligibility, and the application are available here. The fund is also offering grants to help organizations with protective equipment, cleaning supplies, technological assistance, and support for financial losses.
Also of note is the Robin Hood Foundation’s Relief Fund, which opens whenever disaster strikes. To-date, They have distributed $1.2 million to 23 nonprofits. The Fund is accepting applications on a rolling basis to NYC nonprofits that: (1) serve vulnerable populations including low-income children and families, low-wage workers, individuals and families who are homeless and immigrant communities; (2) provides or will expand services to include emergency assistance (e.g. food, shelter, and other basic needs); (3) are at-risk for gaps in government contracts due to interruption of services; (4) incurred unexpected expenses (e.g. overtime pay, technology); (5) have a track record of administering emergency cash grants to individuals and families.
Grants up to $250,000 and no-interest loans for Human Services and Arts / Cultural Organizations responding to Covid-19 are available. Visit NYC Covid-19 Response and Impact Fund site.
United Way of New York City (UWNYC) announced the official launch of the COVID-19 Community Fund to assist our most vulnerable New Yorkers impacted by the global pandemic. The COVID-19 Community Fund will provide resources to our partner community-based organizations that work with communities who are disproportionately impacted by coronavirus and the economic consequences of the outbreak. Click here for more information.
Brooklyn
The Brooklyn Community Foundation has established the Brooklyn COVID-19 Response Fund to provide immediate and longer-term resources to vulnerable residents across Brooklyn. As a first step, they have issued grants to front line service and advocacy organizations that provide lifelines for vulnerable populations, meal delivery and daily living needs for homebound neighbors, support for low-wage workers who may experience food insecurity, loss of wages, and limited access to healthcare and paid sick leave, as well as other emerging needs.
Brooklyn COVID-19 Response Fund operates in alignment with the Brooklyn Community Foundation’s racial justice lens. The Fund is accepting applications on a rolling basis for immediate response grants of up to $10,000. Learn more about eligibility here.
Westchester
The Westchester Community Foundation has announced the Westchester COVID-19 Response Fund to deploy resources to established, front line community organizations meeting the basic needs of local residents in the wake of this global pandemic. The Fund’s purpose is to minimize social and economic consequences going forward, and its resources will be directed to organizations serving high-need, vulnerable populations. Grant funding will be considered and released on a rolling basis. The Foundation will begin distributing grants as soon as possible. A generous donor will match contributions to the fund up to $1 million.
The community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester, and Tuckahoe has launched a Relief Fund Of Up to $250,000 to offer immediate relief to nonprofits that address social, economic and other repercussions of the novel coronavirus in Bronxville, Eastchester and Tuckahoe as well as offering assistance to neighboring communities in Mount Vernon and Yonkers.
Long Island
The Long Island Community Foundation established The COVID-19 Long Island Philanthropic Response Fund to aid nonprofit service providers struggling with the health and economic effects of the coronavirus. Grants will be awarded to Long Island nonprofits meeting emergent and critical needs affecting our local region. Priority will be given to nonprofits addressing essential health and human services and food insecurity, as well as arts and culture as it is directly tied to our communities’ health and wellness and economic recovery.
The Covid-19 Long Island Philanthropic Response Fund, a collaboration between funders such as the Claire Friedlander Family Foundation, Greentree Foundation, and Long Island Community Foundation, will provide financial support to Long Island nonprofits involved in health and human services, food insecurity, and arts and culture. Learn more here.
Upstate New York
The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region has established The Capital Region Community COVID-19 Response Fund to provide flexible resources to 501c3 organizations working with local communities who are disproportionately impacted by coronavirus and the economic consequences of this outbreak. One-time operating grants will help fund front line human service organizations that have deep roots in the community and strong experience working with vulnerable populations. The first phase of rapid-response grants will help meet basic needs and help increase resiliency in affected communities. The Fund expects to move an initial round of grants within the next few weeks. Funding will be provided to organizations located and operating in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady Counties. The committee will also consider supporting nonprofits operating in the surrounding counties of Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington.
The Upstate Foundation has created a fund to support front line workers and they are calling for more support. The fund will support Upstate nurses and environmental services employees and will be used to purchase gift cards for food and provide payments to pay for elder or child care.
The Central New York Community Foundation established a COVID-19 Community Support Fund to support nonprofit organizations working with communities who are disproportionately impacted. The fund is designed to rapidly deploy flexible resources in the form of one-time operating grants on a rolling basis to nonprofits whose operations support vulnerable populations stressed by the outbreak. Eligibility criteria and the application process for nonprofits requesting funding are still under development. Organizations can visit here for more information.
The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, located in Utica, New York recently launched the Mohawk Valley COVID-19 Response Fund to help centralize fundraising efforts during this crisis. More information can be found on the website: https://www.mvcovidfund.com/.
Statewide
The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation has committed $50 million in support of efforts to address the health-related needs of New York State residents arising as a direct result of COVID-19. The foundation will award Coronavirus Emergency Support Grants to community-based emergency response funds, healthcare providers, Catholic Charities affiliates serving all faiths, and other organizations working to assist those most impacted by the spread of the virus, including the elderly and individuals with preexisting medical conditions. To expedite the process, grants will be made available by invitation only in support of efforts focused on addressing New Yorkers’ health needs and the social determinants of health. Priorities include supporting food banks, bolstering shelter providers’ capacity to serve some of New York’s most vulnerable populations, and assisting clinics as they care for individuals with COVID-19.
North Star Fund – Future of organizing Fund supports direct assistance and grassroots organizing of NYC and Hudson Valley communities in response to the crises created by COVID-19. Find out more information and determine eligibility here.
The Main Street Lending Program is intended for small and mid-sized businesses with up to 10,000 employees and $2.5 billion in revenue; 4-year unsecured term loans, no prepayment penalty, and applications managed through borrower’s bank. Unlike PPP, there will be no loan forgiveness. Learn more here for summarized information from JFNA and read an article from Venable LLP here.
The Chicago-based Terra Foundation for American Art has announced an $8 million emergency funding commitment for visual arts organizations impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund provides emergency support to Chicago, U.S., and international arts organizations, as well as relief over the next two years for arts organizations in the U.S. The ongoing relief for U.S. museums is in the form of a new two-year grant program for the purpose of funding museums’ collection projects, with a focus on support for visual arts organizations committed to engaging with art of the United States. Click here for full details.
Lines of credit and loans
- Open Road Ventures has a fund offering emergency working capital grants and loans to organizations involved in ‘flattening the curve; eligible NYC-based organizations can apply
Emergency relief funds
- Trinity Wall Street COVID-19 Emergency Response Grants
- NewYork Presbyterian Hospital and the Hispanic Federation Northern Manhattan Emergency Recovery Fund
- Dance/NYC’s Coronavirus Dance Relief Fun
- NYC Employee Grant Retention Program (5 employee cap)
Federal Government
All of these private funds are critical to our recovery, but they cannot compare to the proposed federal stimulus package. We implore you to learn how you can utilize the $2 trillion Federal Government COVID-19 funding as described by our colleagues at the Nonprofit Quarterly.
Paycheck Protection Program Loans
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides significant funding through the Paycheck Protection Program Loans (emergency SBA 7(a) loans).
The Paycheck Protection Program Application Form is now available. Find it HERE.
- Paycheck Protection Program Loans (emergency SBA 7(a) loans): Creates an emergency loan program providing loans of up to $10 million for eligible nonprofits and small businesses, permitting them to cover costs of payroll, operations, and debt service, and provides that the loans will be forgiven in whole or in part under certain circumstances.
- General Eligibility: Available to entities that existed on February 15, 2020 and had paid employees or paid independent contractors.
- Nonprofit Eligibility: Available for charitable nonprofits with 500 or fewer employees (counting each individual full time or part time and not FTEs). The law does not disqualify nonprofits that are eligible for payments under Title XIX of the Social Security Act (Medicaid), but does require that employees of affiliated nonprofits may be counted toward the 500 employee cap, depending on the degree of control of the parent organization.
- No Personal Guarantee: No personal guarantee or collateral will be required in securing a loan.
- Loan Amount: The lesser of $10 million or 2.5 times the average total monthly payroll (including benefits) costs from the one-year period prior to the date of application.
- Loan Use: Loan funds can be used to make payroll and associated costs, including health and retirement benefits, facilities costs, and debt service.
- Loan Forgiveness: Employers that maintain employment for the eight weeks after the origination of the loan, or rehire employees by June 30, would be eligible to have their loans forgiven, essentially turning the loan into a grant.
Finally, these broader resources show how nonprofits and funders are responding to COVID-19:
COVID-19 Resources for Nonprofits and Funders (Bridgespan)
COVID-19 Funding Summary (Candid)
COVID-19 Resource Hub (Council on Foundations)
Responding to the Coronavirus Outbreak: Resources to Help Nonprofits (The Chronicle of Philanthropy)
COVID-19 Emergency Financial Resources (Grantspace)
COVID-19 and the Workplace (US Department of Labor)
COVID-19 Grant Opportunities (Nonprofit Pro)
If we can be of assistance with defining and managing your COVID-19 response, please contact us. Applying to these foundations is just one aspect of the COVID-19 response action plans LAPA has prepared for you. Please contact us if you’d like to know what more we can do for you.
LAPA Fundraising has three new blog posts about creative responses to the COVID-19 pandemic that you can read here.
We welcome your comments about this post on the LAPA blog.
