The Community Foundation



The Community Relief FundGrant GuidelinesFunding Focus: Community RecoveryThe Community Relief Fund: COVID-19 ResponseManaged by The Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region, The Community Relief Fund is a responsive granting resource that can be deployed to assist and strengthen our region during times of crisis. Our goal is to work collaboratively to accelerate recovery for a thriving, resilient and even stronger Rappahannock River region. When the significant impact of the coronavirus pandemic became clear, especially for vulnerable people, the foundation activated the Community Relief Fund to provide grants to local nonprofit organizations affected by COVID-19. Guiding PrinciplesAward grant dollars rapidly and effectively. Provide flexible resources to community-based organizations working to educate, engage and support citizens impacted by COVID-19 and the broader effects of this health and economic crisis in our community. Stay true to our mission of advocating for the vitality and well-being of our region – and everyone in it. Address community needs by understanding those needs and supporting nonprofits as they provide essential services to citizens throughout the region. Utilize a racial equity lens and target resources to disproportionately impacted communities. Everyone is feeling the impacts of COVID-19, but the crisis is not impacting everyone equally. The foundation recognizes the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak are overwhelmingly affecting communities already facing racial, health, and economic disparities, which will further perpetuate the inequities that persist in our community. By focusing on those most impacted, we are working to ensure these deep inequities do not become permanent.Leverage the foundation’s community expertise and philanthropic capital to address needs related to COVID-19. Community needs are vast and cannot be met by philanthropy alone. The Community Relief Fund seeks to complement efforts of our medical and public health systems, understand various funding streams such as government and private funding, identify places where philanthropy can add value, and coordinate with other aligned efforts in our community. Funding PhasesDisaster philanthropy recognizes the need to provide immediate resources for rapid response, as well as the importance of recovery resources to ensure community resilience. The foundation has designed a three-phase funding approach to our COVID-19 grantmaking: Immediate Relief, Community Recovery, and Reimagining/Building Resilience. The Community Foundation understands that the effects of the pandemic are far-reaching; that recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. As our community adapts to the pandemic, the Community Relief Fund will continue to evolve. The foundation seeks to be flexible and responsive in being part of our community’s solution. We will also continue to prioritize communities most impacted, recognizing deep and historic inequities that are likely to be magnified in times of crisis.?Phase I: Immediate Relief (closed) – The fund awarded twelve rounds of rapid-response Immediate Relief grants totaling $448,375 to 40 area nonprofits between April and June 2020. Learn more about the grantees here. Regional area nonprofit organizations shared their primary areas of concern related to the COVID-19 pandemic using our Community Needs Assessment. This assessment helped determine funding priorities for our Immediate Relief grants. Findings can be found in our published report, A Snapshot of Critical Needs. Phase II: Community Recovery – As the crisis continues to impact our community, nonprofit organizations are affected in a variety of ways, from meeting increased needs and higher demands in services, to decreased income due to canceled fundraisers or reduced program revenue. The foundation realizes that the COVID-19 pandemic presents significant challenges for area organizations, and that flexibility is essential to meeting community needs at this time. In its second phase of funding, the Community Relief Fund will award grants to help stabilize nonprofit organizations that are responding to the significant consequences of, and disparities exacerbated by, this health crisis. Community Recovery funding will provide operating support and/or program funding to local organizations that have been adversely impacted as a result of the pandemic.Currently, the total available funding for Community Recovery grants is $75,000.Application timeline: October 30 – December 7, 2020. Grants awarded January 2021.Nonprofits may apply for one grant during Phase II.Phase III: Reimagining/Building Resilience – The ongoing effects of COVID-19 may not be clear for several months, as the long term economic and social impacts of the crisis are fully realized. As the pandemic continues to reshape our professional and personal ways of life, the foundation will continue to monitor the crisis, work closely with local nonprofits to assess long term impacts, and determine how best to deploy funding in the third round of grantmaking. Funding in Phase III may provide support for strategic planning for ‘new normal’ nonprofits as they face the rapidly changing needs in the community as a result of COVID-19.Currently, the total available funding for Building Resiliency grants is $25,000. Estimated application timeline: April - May 2021. Grants awarded June 2021.Nonprofits may apply for one grant during Phase III.Note: Nonprofit organizations may apply for each phase of response funding. Grantees that received Immediate Relief support during Phase I are eligible to apply for future funding opportunities. Grantmaking Phase II: Community RecoveryFunding FocusThe Community Relief Fund is accepting applications for Community Recovery projects. This granting round will provide funding to meet any operational or program needs of nonprofits that have been disrupted by the COVID-19 crisis and will be open to any nonprofit serving Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, Stafford or Fredericksburg. Our goal through this grant phase is to support community organizations in response to COVID-19, especially as they support vulnerable communities and communities who have been disproportionally impacted by the pandemic as well as organizations who are working to address systemic issues of equity and access in our region. Community Recovery grants will be one-time awards of up to $10,000. Applicants have the opportunity to select one of two funding tracks depending on the organization’s needs: Operational Support for Organizations Our initial community needs assessment (March – April 2020) shows that most organizations:Have had to significantly modify services and operations to meet community needs during the pandemic, and Are facing significant, unexpected and profound financial challenges due to COVID-19.These grants will provide operational support to help nonprofits bridge this crisis, maintain organizational health and continue providing vital community services. Programs and Services to Meet Critical Needs Organizations may use funding to support programs or services that: Prevent and mitigate the impacts of job or income lossAddress challenges with meeting basic living expenses as the economic effects of the pandemic continue and evolveProvide access to basic needs, particularly food or shelterProvide health and/or mental health services for clients and staffOther COVID-related needs will be considered, including eviction prevention and rental assistance, employment support services, and assistance to public school systems that enable continuation of virtual learning and/or the safe return of students to the classroom.Funding PrioritiesAs with our Phase I Immediate Relief grants, our Phase II Community Recovery funding will prioritize support for groups disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. This includes organizations who serve vulnerable populations, which may include families without childcare, people who have lost income due to the pandemic, people who are experiencing homelessness or rapid rehousing, individuals without paid sick leave or health insurance, people experiencing domestic violence or child abuse, English language learners, senior citizens, etc. The Community Relief Fund encourages projects that: Help make charitable organizations more effective, efficient and essential. Promote collaboration and avoid duplication. Focus on the most vulnerable. Center on equity and inclusion. Inspire and encourage additional funding. Request seed money to leverage exciting and innovative ways to meet unmet needs. Reach a broad segment of the community. Address gaps in services or provide services for needs as they arise. Phase II and III funding will be guided by conversations with our nonprofit field experts and by the results of our continued community needs surveys.Nonprofit Field Experts + Continued Needs AssessmentsAs the Community Relief Fund continues to evolve around community needs, we are taking care to ensure that its work is based in trust and community. The foundation has assembled a new focus group specifically to inform the Community Relief Fund’s recovery and resiliency phases of funding. These 15 organizations represent a variety of community perspectives and voices, including a broad range of nonprofit sectors that are active throughout the region. This group will consult on several key functions: Provide strategic input on the overall funding approach and prioritiesShape funding guidelines for future funding phases based on the region’s fluctuating needs, systems, networks and opportunitiesIdentify any gaps in fundingTo supplement this group, the foundation will conduct several community-wide surveys to further inform grantmaking decisions and regional data collection on the impact of the pandemic in our community. These surveys will bring knowledge and understanding of available data sources, impacted communities, ongoing and changing community needs and relevant systems. Eligibility The Community Foundation welcomes grant applications from nonprofit service providers or other charitable organizations serving the Rappahannock River region. Organizations may only submit one application. Applications will be accepted from all eligible organizations, including grantees who previously received immediate relief funding from the Community Relief Fund. To be eligible for funding, applicants must: Be a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Be based in or serve those in the City of Fredericksburg and/or the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford. Demonstrate organizational impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to quickly deliver grants where they are most needed, the foundation has pre-screened area nonprofits that have received a grant from The Community Foundation in the last 5 years. New organizations will be swiftly vetted by foundation staff and board members.ExclusionsThe Community Foundation will not award grant support to organizations that, in their constitution, bylaws or practices, discriminate against a person or group because of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation or religious belief. Grantees, however, may target services to a particular population when the targeted groups require specialized programs to meet specific needs not shared by the general population.The Community Foundation will not consider proposals to fund: Grants directly to individuals*Political campaigns or lobbying activitiesEndowmentsProjects that exclusively serve religious or sectarian purposes. Religious organizations providing non-religious community services will be considered. Annual fundraising campaigns or eventsDebt payment or legal settlementsReimbursement for completed projects, programs and equipment*The Community Foundation established this fund for grants to area nonprofit organizations most impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Applications to this fund on behalf of individual persons will not be accepted, but community residents needing resources or assistance due to COVID-19 may call Rappahannock United Way’s 2-1-1 Help Line. While The Community Foundation does not make direct grants to individuals, we can and do award funding to nonprofit organizations that provide individual financial assistance to their clients.Grant Application + Review ProcessApplicationThe Community Recovery Grant application opens on October 30, 2020. The deadline to apply is December 7, 2020 at 5:00 PM. Funding decisions can be expected the week of January 25, 2020. The application form is available online here. Nonprofits selected to receive grant funding will be asked to submit their ACH payment information to expedite the transfer of grant funds. Additional information may be requested once your application is reviewed. Grant EvaluationGrantmaking decisions are overseen by the Community Relief Fund Disaster Response Committee. Members of the committee consist of foundation staff and board members serving on the foundation’s Donor Services Committee.Submitted applications will be screened by foundation staff for initial eligibility. Eligible applications are then reviewed, summarized and shared with the full committee. The committee will review and evaluate the applications using a general rubric based on funding priorities.Grantee Terms and ConditionsGrant AgreementIf approved, each grant recipient must sign an agreement that includes the following obligations: Public acknowledgement of The Community Foundation’s support through The Community Relief Fund Expenditure of the funds as specified in the application Return of any unused portion of the grant Complete final narrative and financial grant reports Any special conditions as mutually agreed Final ReportGrantees must submit a final report on the use of grant funds using the foundation’s online report form. Reports are due no later than six months after receipt of funding. Virtual Site Visit Grant recipients may receive one virtual site visit over the course of the funding period. Grantees may be asked to provide informal updates on funds expended, number of individuals served and immediate impact.ContactIf you are a nonprofit with questions about your grant application, please email Casey Hu, Director of Donor Services at casey.hu@.For all other questions, please email Ali Thomas, Programs Manager at ali.thomas@. Please note grant guidelines are subject to change without notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. ................
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