River Counties COVID-19 Response Fund FAQs for Nonprofits
The River Counties Community Foundation is here for you. We are responding to the emergent needs created by the coronavirus with the activation of a regional disaster response fund, the River Counties COVID-19 Response Fund. This fund represents a coalition of philanthropy, business and community members joining together to ensure that resources will be available to help local nonprofit organizations meeting the critical needs of our most vulnerable residents and neighbors.
We understand that this situation is rapidly changing. It is hard to predict the full impact of COVID-19 in our region and beyond. That is why this fund is designed to address both urgent and immediate needs, as well as the long-term effects as our community recovers. Working closely with both our funding and nonprofit partners, we are monitoring needs, changes, and developments daily to ensure we are providing the most effective support possible to our community.
We encourage you to review the following Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about how you can share your needs with us, how the fund will work, what impact the crisis will have on our current grant cycle and other details.
While we are currently working in the Foundation offices, we may find it necessary to operate remotely in the coming weeks. Regardless, we are here to ensure our community is supported through these challenging times. Please feel free to contact us if we can assist in any way.
About the River Counties COVID-19 Response Fund
What does the fund support?
Eligible organizations must provide services in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. RCCF’s geographic footprint includes Lancaster County, Middlesex County and Northumberland County.
Funding priorities include:
1) Organizations providing crisis response services.
2) Organizations experiencing a greater demand for current services due to the pandemic.
3) Organizations experiencing hardship due to loss of revenue.
The fund will initially focus on organizations providing essential services in health-related, childcare, senior services, and crisis behavioral health care and/or requests that serve the following populations: children and youth, seniors, low-income families, individuals experiencing homelessness, and people with disabilities.
What does the fund NOT support?
The fund does not support requests for individual support, business support, or business loans. If you are an individual in need, please dial #211 for local resources available to support your needs.
Is my organization eligible if we have not previously received funding from the Community Foundation?
Yes.
How can my organization apply for emergency support?
Please submit your organization’s needs using this Google Form. If you would like to discuss your specific needs in more detail, please contact Lincoln Boykin.
When will grants be awarded?
Our goal is to process requests quickly and on a rolling basis, with priority given to requests that address immediate needs.
Can my organization apply more than once?
Yes, please feel free to update us as your needs change.
How will this affect the Community Foundation’s competitive grants process?
The 2020 River Counties Community Foundation grants process is currently paused in order to allow us to assess the most immediate needs of the community at this time. Organizations planning to apply to the competitive grants cycle should feel free to reassess their needs and apply for funding through the COVID-19 Response Fund application if their operations have been impacted by the COVID-19 health emergency.
My organization can no longer meet the outcomes proposed in our 2019 grant award because of changes to our operations and programs. What should I do?
We know that many of the programs and activities previously underway may have changed in recent weeks and we will work with each organization to make modifications as needed.
Can we repurpose current grant support for another use, such as operations?
Yes, we are open to modifying 2019 grants to support current needs, including converting restricted programmatic support to cover general operating expenses. Please contact Lincoln Boykin to discuss this process, when you are able.
The need submitted in our 2020 competitive grant application is no longer our greatest need or relevant to our organization. Can I revise the descriptions of activities and outcomes submitted?
Yes, we are open to changing and updating these grant requests. Please contact Lincoln Boykin to discuss.