New & Noteworthy
Hartford Foundation Announces Fourth Round of Grants from COVID-19 Response Fund
Grants to date totaling $3.99 million to 60 organizations providing basic human needs and other services to local residents
In March, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving launched the COVID-19 Response Fund to rapidly deploy resources to support the residents who are most significantly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The Fund is designed to complement the work of federal, state and municipal government efforts and expand local capacity to address all aspects of the outbreak as efficiently as possible.
"The Foundation continues to do everything it can to support our dedicated community nonprofit providers who are on the frontlines to respond to residents’ critical needs during this public health and economic crisis,” said Hartford Foundation President Jay Williams. "This fourth round of grants from the Fund not only includes resources to provide food and other basic needs, but also to support small businesses and mentoring for youth. This round also includes funding to get the word out about the 2020 Census, which has been hampered by widespread social distancing. Many of the communities that are most severely impacted by coronavirus include ‘hard to count’ Census tracts; a low response rate may impact the resources these neighborhoods and the state will receive from the federal government.”
The fourth round of grants totaling $716,344 will support 16 community-based organizations that provide basic human needs and other critical supports to residents with the greatest need.
|
Organization |
Services |
Grant Amount |
|
Grant will support food delivery, telehealth services and other basic human needs, primarily in Hartford. |
$150,000 |
|
|
|
Grant will allow the organization to maintain food pantry, soup kitchen and shelter services including increased staffing, cleaning and delivery costs. |
$38,964 |
|
|
Grant will support increased staff support due to decreases in volunteers to distribute food in the Parkville neighborhood. |
$5,880 |
|
|
Grant will support technology costs and lost revenue to allow the organization to do its work remotely and meet the reported 20 percent increase in domestic violence calls. |
$39,000 |
|
|
Grant will support the cost of meals to |
$5,000 |
|
|
Grant will support the development and execution of a media strategy related to the 2020 Census in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, in collaboration with the City of Hartford. |
$20,000 |
|
|
Grant will allow the organization to maintain operations of the inpatient detox center and residential recovery programs. |
$100,000 |
|
|
Grant will provide flexible support for staffing, cleaning and increased food costs required as the Coordinated Access Network manages strategies to maintain the safety of homeless persons across the shelter system. |
$150,000 |
|
Lawson Chapel/Urban Hope Refuge Church
|
Grant will support expansion of the Saturday breakfast program and the food shelf in Hartford’s North End neighborhoods. |
$10,000 |
|
|
Grant will support Makerspace CT to make face shields to be distributed to emergency response professionals in Hartford. |
$10,000 |
|
Grant will support a portion of lost revenue and will support the organization’s participation as a technical assistance provider in the Hartford Small Business Emergency Assistance Program. |
$7,500 |
|
|
|
Grant will support losses in revenue to allow the organization to maintain limited services, including remote connections to youth |
$75,000 |
|
|
Grant will support expansion of the |
$10,000 |
|
Grant will provide flexible support for childcare and housing needs of frontline staff, specifically lower wage workers, and will fill gaps in resources until federal and state aid is available. |
$50,000 |
|
|
|
Grant will support the organization to coordinate with East Hartford Public Schools to distribute food to children and families at the YMCA Childcare Center. |
$20,000 |
|
Grant will support increased food, cleaning and staff costs in the organization’s emergency shelter and supportive housing. |
$25,000 |
Grants from the COVID-19 Response Fund are being made on a weekly basis. Hartford Foundation staff will continue to review applications and work with existing grantees to explore options to repurpose already awarded grant dollars and accelerate multi-year grant payments to address emerging needs. In addition to grant dollars, the Foundation will offer capacity building, technical support and lines of credit to nonprofit organizations in the Hartford region.
The Foundation has committed $6.4 million to the COVID-19 Response Fund through the end of May. Furthermore, the Foundation has received more than $3.3 million in donations from generous individuals, corporations and donor-advised-funds. For a complete listing of COVID-19 Response Donors follow this link.
Fundraising will continue throughout the public health crisis, but it is clear that the consequences of COVID-19 will continue through the end of 2020. While the Fund will not be able to address all of the needs that arise, the Foundation expects to add additional Foundation-directed dollars to the COVID-19 Response Fund going forward.
To learn more about the COVID-19 Response Fund or to make a donation log onto www.hfpg.org/covid-19-response.