Centre Foundation has opened Phase Two of its COVID-19 ACTION (Activating Contributions to Invest in Operations of Nonprofits) Fund to assist nonprofits in Centre County.
As the crisis continues to be felt in our community, nonprofit organizations have been affected in a variety of ways, from meeting increased community needs to decreased income due to canceled fundraisers or reduced program revenue. Funding from Phase Two will support the operational or programmatic needs of local nonprofits in their ongoing efforts to provide services during the COVID-19 crisis.
- The total available for Phase Two is $150,000.
- Applications will be accepted until September 11, 2020, and grants will be awarded in October.
- 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 Centre County residents. It is not limited to health or human services organizations or programs.
Grants issued from Phase One, which provided $100,000 in support for nonprofits addressing immediate health and human service needs resulting from the pandemic, were awarded to 14 local organizations including Howard Volunteer Fire Company, AIDS Resource Alliance, and Discovery Space.
The Howard Volunteer Fire Company was awarded $5,000 to support its operating expenses with an emphasis on its Quick Response EMS service. This support came just prior to the announcement of the cancellation of their “Punkin Chunkin Fall Festival,” which historically has raised nearly 25% of their yearly budget.“We greatly appreciate the Centre Foundation’s efforts to help out locally during this crisis, as well as with the annual Centre Gives campaign. The impact of these programs are invaluable as we struggle to keep our doors open and respond to emergencies,” said Mark Ott, President of Howard Volunteer Fire Company.
The AIDS Resource Alliance was awarded $2,600 to address food insecurity resulting from financial hardship due to the pandemic. This grant allowed the home delivery of 396 meals to their clients during the height of the pandemic.
Discovery Space was awarded $5,000 to continue the creation of PPE in their makerspace, The Rivet. To date, The Rivet staff has manufactured 1,150 hard plastic face shields for donation to local organizations such as Centre Crest, Harmony, Meals on Wheels, Strawberry Fields, Centre Volunteers in Medicine, YMCA, polling stations throughout Centre County, State College Kiwanis Club, and the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau.
The Centre Foundation COVID-19 ACTION Fund opened with a balance of $375,000 earmarked to provide operational and programmatic support to local nonprofits amid the pandemic.
The fund was seeded with $125,000 from Centre Foundation’s Community Impact Fund, which provides support for a variety of programs including, Centre Gives and Centre Inspires, as well as for emerging community needs. The Knight Foundation pledged a further $250,000, allocated from their donor-advised fund, understanding that the pandemic is presenting nonprofits with significant hardship. Individual contributions from community members have continued to increase the total amount of available funding.
“We are pleased to open our second round of funding to support local organizations’ operational and programmatic needs resulting from the ongoing economic uncertainty surrounding the pandemic,” said Molly Kunkel, Executive Director of Centre Foundation. “We are acutely aware of how the pandemic has created financial uncertainties for valued programs and organizations in our area. We encourage those who are struggling to provide services but who have lost income due to canceled fundraisers or program revenue to apply for these funds.”
More information on the release of Phase Three funding will become available in late 2020. Funding from Phase Three will provide nonprofits with support for strategic planning as they face the rapidly changing needs in the community as a result of COVID-19.
- The total available for Phase Three is $125,000.
- Applications for Phase Three will become available in late 2020.
Applications for Phase Two funding are due by 5:00 PM on September 11, 2020, and may be submitted here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfiQXZ4aRDNLVqN810rbrNtw8ITSrM8kx6cQ216fvPMqjr1LA/viewform.
For more information about Centre Foundation’s granting programs, please visit Centre-Foundation.org, email info@centre-foundation.org, or leave a message at (814) 237-6229.
