Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund announces latest round of Phase II grants

Fund stands at more than $3.5 million to support frontline nonprofit organizations in Greater Cleveland

Release Date: 1.26.2021

CLEVELAND – The Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund coalition announced today the most recent round of biweekly grants to support the nonprofit community and released an updated set of funding priorities to respond to community need. In total, $237,800 was awarded to seven organizations and groups serving Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties. Since the start of Phase II in mid-November, partners have granted nearly $2.4 million.

Since March 2020, the Fund has worked to respond to the emergent needs of the Greater Cleveland community. In doing so, the partners made a commitment to continued listening and learning in order to allocate funding where it is most needed. With the current resurgence of cases, the Fund has updated its priorities to limit the spread of COVID-19 and help to meet the basic needs of residents. The Fund’s grantmaking priorities will now primarily focus on basic needs, responding to housing challenges and PPE distribution to reduce the spread of the virus. Applications in the family support priority area for Phase II will not be considered at this time unless they also fall in one of the aforementioned focus areas. This change to the funding priorities will continue until the end of March. At that time, the Fund will evaluate community needs and adjust priorities as necessary.

The latest round of grant recipients includes:

  • Birthing Beautiful Communities ($50,000): To support the behavioral, mental, social, and physical needs of birthing families by working with Our Wellness Network (OWN) to provide basic needs and mental health services for pregnant and postpartum women in under-served communities
  • EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute ($50,000): To work in partnership with nearly 15 different Cuyahoga County organizations in order to provide up to 20,000 hot meals to seniors and homebound individuals via the EDWINS Extends a Hand program
  • Franciscan Communities – Mount Alverna Home ($25,000): To provide PPE, disinfecting supplies and diagnostic testing devices (thermometers and AccuShields) to ensure the safety of residents and decrease the spread of COVID-19
  • Hitchcock Center for Women, Inc. ($32,000): To provide priority housing for women in treatment and their children, while increasing available technology for telehealth, employment opportunities and virtual sober supports
  • McCall Consulting & Associates ($20,800): To provide basic needs (clothing, hygiene and household products, PPE and school supplies) in underserved communities through a “Basic Needs Drive” and distribution to approximately 140 clients in Cleveland’s east side neighborhoods
  • Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition ($20,000): To purchase healthy, fresh and shelf-stable foods in order to provide groceries for families in Cleveland’s east side neighborhoods isolated due to disability, economic hardship, domestic violence and pandemic restrictions
  • Stella Maris, Inc. ($40,000): To purchase testing kits and cleaning services, in order to allow the organization to continue on-site service delivery for in-patient and detox programs

Contributions to the second phase of the Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund total more than $3.5 million. Funding partners urge other foundations, corporate entities, individuals and organizations to contribute to the Fund. Donations of any amount are welcomed, and all contributions are tax deductible.

Based upon the charitable structure of the Rapid Response Fund, the second phase is currently accepting grant applications from eligible organizations serving Cuyahoga, Lake and/or Geauga counties. The Fund is designed primarily to support human service nonprofits with operational budgets of less than $20 million.

The Fund partners encourage collaborative proposals that involve multiple organizations within similar sectors or neighborhoods working on shared issues.

Grants during Phase II of the Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund are awarded every two weeks and will continue for one year. Awards range in size from $5,000 to $100,000, with a maximum grant amount of $100,000 for any nonprofit organization throughout the current cycle ending Oct. 31, 2021. Organizations that were funded during Phase I (between March-July 2020) are eligible to apply for additional funding. Grants are limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, groups fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, or other charitable organizations able to receive a tax-deductible contribution.

For more information or to donate, visit ClevelandFoundation.org/Response.

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