COVID-19 has been scary for all of us. As we lose friends and colleagues, and start to experience people we know fighting this disease, it makes it all very real. For many of us – myself included – the real fear is starting to creep in amidst the other emotions we’re navigating. Shit’s getting real and hard and, well, shitty.
News of the Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loans, Michigan Small Business Relief Program and CARES Act has been filling my inbox the past two weeks, and while it eases some of my economic anxiety as a small business owner, there’s another group of people I love whose hearts are heavy, and for whom shit has certainly gotten real.
Just as businesses are struggling, many nonprofits are reeling from the economic consequences of canceling events, losing individual donors who are losing their own income, and philanthropic cuts from corporate partners who are preparing for a global recession.
Those serving our most vulnerable are finding themselves even more vulnerable than usual. As many of them already know, nonprofits ARE eligible for the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans, and The Nonprofit Times and the National Council of Nonprofits have done an excellent job of explaining the ins and outs for nonprofits.
While there are lots of resources out there in general for nonprofits, we know, without cash, many can’t operate. So to be a resource rather than more clutter and noise, we took the time and energy to go through and figure out of all the resources out there, which are the real grants and other capital sources to help our nonprofit partners and friends. We weeded out any organization that isn’t actively awarding funds right now, that’s still figuring out their plan, or that’s already made its awards.
Funds available to Michigan-based organizations (warning, some may be only available to local orgs – the names pretty much tell that story!):
Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation GRANTS and LOANS: https://www.aaacf.org/About/News-Updates/All-News/ArticleId/90/update-on-aaacfs-support-for-our-community. The scoop? “AAACF will continue to prioritize highly flexible grants that address the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on our most vulnerable communities, particularly those organizations led by members of those communities most affected. In the near term, the Foundation will proactively determine new grants rather than accepting applications. We will continue operating our Community Scholarship Program, Cultural Economic Development and Dedicated Grant Programs, adapting each to address the new implications of the COVID-19 crisis. To help bridge the gap to federal relief and longer term economic recovery, AAACF is also making available a half-million dollars for short-term cash flow loans to local nonprofits.”
Barry Community Foundation GRANTS: https://www.barrycf.org/covid-19-community-response/ The Scoop? The foundation has identified funding priorities of basic needs, economy, education, and health and wellness. “For information on how to access these funds please contact us at info@barrycf.org.”
Capital Region Community Foundation GRANTS: https://www.ourcommunity.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/PRESS%20RELEASE%20-%20COVID-19%20NONPROFIT%20SUPPORT%20FINAL.pdf The scoop? CRCF has dedicated $1 million in grants to human service agencies for grants by invitation only to “qualified agencies providing food, shelter, medical and mental health care, and support for the homeless.” According to a Facebook post, organizations who want to be considered should fill out a survey through the Capital Area United Way: https://msu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/preview/SV_b8Wd3wP3sbLZoyx?Q_SurveyVersionID=current&Q_CHL=preview&fbclid=IwAR2pyBt4yWRLdRnFl2dA3VtCM6lcX5uxOh9MdfvaYYZ4vO134kbwFowkwwo.
Charlevoix County Community Foundation Special COVID-19 Urgent Needs Fund: https://www.c3f.org/grants/apply-for-a-grant.html The scoop? “The available funding will focus on supporting those who are experiencing unexpected needs due to the economic consequences of COVID-19. Other related needs of organizations will also be considered. Grants may be used for direct services to your clients as well as necessary operations of your organization to help you serve your clients.“
Co.Act Detroit GRANTS: https://coactdetroit.org/activate/ The scoop? “For the Nonprofit Fundamentals Grants, grants totaling $1 million will go to 20 organizations at up to $50,000 each to support four key areas: Funding and Resources; Operations; Organizational Culture; and Program Development, Implementation and Evaluation. For the Collaboration Pilot Award, up to five collaboratives will be awarded resources to enhance their work including paid space (physical or virtual), facilitators and convening support.
Greater Flint Urgent Relief Fund GRANTS: https://www.cfgf.org/Our-Work-Impact/Current-Initiatives/Greater-Flint-Urgent-Relief-Fund. The scoop? “The three priorities are: Assisting with immediate and anticipated direct service needs/gaps; maintaining or expanding internal operations and infrastructure for critical nonprofits; and support costs associated with additional volunteer capacity as needed in this time of crisis.”
Kalamazoo Community Foundation and United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region GRANTS: https://www.kalfound.org/Grants/CommunityUrgentReliefFund/tabid/543/Default.aspx The scoop? “The three priorities that we will fund jointly are as follows: Assist with immediate and anticipated direct service needs/gaps; Maintain or expand critical internal operations and infrastructure; and support costs associated with additional volunteer capacity as needed in this time of crisis.”
Superior Health Foundation GRANTS: https://superiorhealthfoundation.org/2020/03/23/superior-health-foundation-announces-covid-19-pandemic-fund-and-fundraiser/ The scoop? The Superior Health Foundation will “dedicate $25,000 in SHF funding to help assist health-centered, non-profit organizations across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.”
The Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area GRANTS: http://cfhz.org/About/News-and-Publications/All-News/ArticleId/47/ways-to-help-our-community-response-to-covid-19. The scoop? “CFHZ has dedicated up to $30,000 to provide emergency grants in the next month to support agencies providing vital services.”
United Way for Southeast Michigan GRANTS: https://unitedwaysem.org/covid-19-help/covid-19-fund-request-page/. The scoop? “To support community-wide collaborative efforts to close gaps in services and programs. To support agencies that are providing direct and crucial services during ongoing COVID-19 State of Emergency, that are facing a disruption in their normal services, seeing an increase in demand for their services or experiencing both disruption and increased demand.”
Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation GRANTS: https://www.dresnerfoundation.org/vera-and-joseph-dresner-foundation-announces-its-covid-19-community-assistance-fund/ The scoop? “Nonprofits are eligible to apply for a grant up to $20,000 per organization. The request must be directly related to COVID-19 and not an ongoing need. Small to mid-sized organizations ($500k – $5m) will be given primary consideration. Other requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.”
Fremont Area Community Response Fund: https://facommunityfoundation.org/community-response-fund/ The scoop? “Is your organization supporting children, older adults, and other vulnerable populations impacted by COVID-19? Apply for a grant from our Community Response Fund. Grants will be considered that address issues such as childcare, food insecurity, healthcare, transportation, financial assistance, general operating support, and other identified needs.”
Grand Traverse Urgent Needs Fund: https://www.gtrcf.org/give/urgent-needs-fund-grants.html The scoop? “Urgent Needs Fund grant dollars will be prioritized to: support organizations' ability to continue delivering their services, including to respond to changes needed to continue their work and to meet increased demand for their services [and] ensure organizations that are working with the people and families who are most vulnerable and disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus and economic consequences of the outbreak are supported.”
Jackson Community Foundation and United Way of Jackson County COVID-19 Response Fund: https://www.jacksoncf.org/ The scoop? “Grant uses: To cover expenses related to meeting the Human Services Needs of Jackson County residents OR the Operating Expenses of nonprofit organizations/ community groups in Jackson County, Michigan.”
Heart of West Michigan United Way Coronavirus Response Fund GRANTS: https://www.hwmuw.org/coronavirus-response-fund-grant-overview The scoop? “Heart of West Michigan United Way will be accepting applications from local non-profits on a continuous basis… The fund will support nonprofits who are serving vulnerable populations throughout the county to meet their basic needs including shelter, food, resources to maintain employment and to sustain themselves during unemployment.”
Lapeer County Community Foundation GRANTS: https://lapeercountycf.org/the-lapeer-county-emergency-relief-fund/?fbclid=IwAR33Cp64oEbTH-x0ZJRFhNPrWnsqCLptbzXWDYKMVL6HUFXNnXmry2b1WUY The scoop? “Grants will be awarded on a regular basis to nonprofits that are addressing the gaps in key services for our most vulnerable community members… Our funds will be used to assist with immediate and anticipated direct service needs including but not limited to: access to food and basic hygiene, caring for vulnerable populations, childcare, nonprofit operation.”
Manistee County Community Foundation, United Way of Manistee County and the Manistee County Human Services Collaborative Body Community Response Fund GRANTS: https://www.manisteefoundation.org/receive The scoop? “The Community Response Fund will be used to: Quickly move resources to where they are needed most and adapt to evolving needs, give added support to those organizations on the front lines of caring for and assisting vulnerable and/or disproportionately affected members of our community, support social service organizations serving as the safety net for those experiencing new hardships due to employment insecurity or other economic burdens and increase community collaboration and coordination of services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
M&M Area Community Foundation Impact Fund GRANTS: https://www.mmacf.org/ The scoop? “The Impact Fund will make grant awards to help nonprofits whose resources are, and will continue to be, strained by this unprecedented event. Initial funding of $20,000 is being provided by the M&M Area Community Foundation.” According to a Facebook post, individuals looking to contribute are invited to contact the MMACF Executive Director Paula Gruszynski at 715-340-6567.
Community Foundation of Marquette County COVID-19 Community Response Fund GRANTS: http://cfofmc.org/covid-19-community-response-fund-application/ The scoop? “Through this Fund, we are accepting requests for short-term funding to support operations of organizations that are struggling with immediate lost revenue and non-recoverable expenses due to COVID-19.”
Midland Area Community Foundation’s Midland County COVID-19 Response/Disaster Relief Fund: https://www.midlandfoundation.org/apply/ The scoop? “MACF is putting $500,000 into the response fund, half for nonprofit support and half for individual assistance. The foundation is working in tandem with United Way of Midland County on the allocation of nonprofit grant funds.”
United Way of the Lakeshore and the Community Foundation for Muskegon County COVID-19 Response Fund: https://muskegonfoundation.org/covid-19-information/ The scoop? “In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in our region, United Way of the Lakeshore (UWL) and several partners including the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, Consumers Energy, DTE Foundation, and Meijer, have established the COVID-19 Response Fund to support the efforts of local nonprofits and groups impacted by the pandemic to serve the community organizations and residents of our communities. Dollars raised in each county will be invested in programming for that county.”
Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Essential Needs Fund: https://www.phsacf.org/essential-needs-fund/support-for-those-impacted-by-covid-19/ The scoop? “Grants may be used to provide flexible dollars to local organizations that are helping our community’s most vulnerable residents with increased or unexpected needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic that, if unmet, could result in a crisis situation for those individuals and their families; Grants may also support the general operations of nonprofit organizations within all sectors of the community that have experienced considerable financial hardship due to COVID-19. For operating support from the Essential Needs Fund, organizations must demonstrate that their hardship is due to COVID-19.”
The Southwest Michigan Cares Fund GRANTS: https://www.berriencommunity.org/emergencygrant The scoop? The Berrien Community Foundation and United Way of Southwest Michigan are working together to administer grants to those serving in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties. “At this time, these grants will focus on programs doing emergency relief. Please keep in mind that urgent needs will be prioritized over longer term sustainability projects. Applicants are asked to look at their ability to serve over the next 2-4 weeks and describe any needs/gaps in service that they anticipate having in that time frame.”
Thumb Coast Regional Response Fund GRANTS: https://www.stclairfoundation.org/funds/covid19/ The scoop? “This Fund is designed to give added support to those organizations on the front lines of caring for and assisting vulnerable populations, and those communities where the loss of jobs and benefits, or the closure of institutions and businesses, are creating a significant new burden for community members and the social service organizations that provide a safety net for them. One hundred percent of all funds will be distributed for coronavirus relief with no administrative fees.”
Michigan Humanities Organizations Pandemic Emergency (H.O.P.E.) GRANTS: https://www.michiganhumanities.org/michigan-humanities-organizations-pandemic-emergency-grants-h-o-p-e/ The scoop? "In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan Humanities is providing emergency CARES Act funding to museums, libraries, archives, historic sites, and other humanities-focused nonprofits impacted by the pandemic throughout Michigan. Michigan H.O.P.E. Grants of up to $10,000 are available to provide general operating support with an emphasis on maintaining personnel."
Want to mine for more information?
- The Council on Foundations has encouraged funders and other leaders in the philanthropic sector to support our nonprofit partners as well as the people and communities hit hardest by the impacts of COVID-19. They’ve listed all the organizations who’ve pledged action here: https://www.cof.org/news/call-action-philanthropys-commitment-during-covid-19. Click away and see if you can find any more good fits for funding and support.
- The National Center for Family Philanthropy has a list of funds that include a social justice lens and/or community-based focus compiled in partnership with the Giving Compass here: https://www.ncfp.org/knowledge/covid-19-response-and-recovery-funds/.
- The Kresge Foundation has a list of Detroit-based resources (https://kresge.org/news/live-updates-covid-19-resources-our-partners-and-community), as well as other category-specific lists like education, health and human services.
- The Council of Michigan Foundations has a site full of resources (https://www.michiganfoundations.org/covid-19-resource-central#michigan).
- And Philanthropy News Digest is continuously releasing news as funds are announced (https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news), but we’ll warn you… there’s a lot of useless shiz to wade through, mostly announcements about funds being developed that have already decided the recipients.
Hopefully this will help, and if we can be of help, don’t hesitate to reach out.
