By David Gordon, associate editor
Applications for the first round of emergency funding grants to Chippewa Valley nonprofit organizations have been under review this week and that process should be completed today, according to Sue Bornick, executive director of the Eau Claire Community Foundation (ECCF).
She said the Quick Response Community Fund, set up in late March, now totals $110,000 with most of that coming from donor-advised funds at the ECCF. This fund is intended to aid local nonprofit organizations that have encountered increased demands for their services in dealing with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Bornick told the CVPost via email that the committee reviewing the funding requests will submit its initial set of recommendations to the ECCF Board for its approval.
Checks should go into Monday’s mail
“If all goes as planned, the first round of checks will be in the mail on Monday,” she said.
The Quick Response project is being administered by the ECCF in collaboration with United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley and the Community Foundation of Dunn County. Applications received by 3 p.m. this past Monday were considered for the initial grants, and additional applications will be reviewed on a weekly basis.
The ECCF website states that the fund “will help a variety of nonprofits address the community’s greatest needs, especially basic needs like food and health care.”
Bornick’s email said that nonprofit organizations can request up to $10,000 to meet their clients’ service needs, such as food, shelter or medical care. They can also apply for grants of up to $5,000 to meet increased operating costs such as payroll, rent or utilities, she said.
The review panel includes people from the ECCF, other local foundations and from United Way, Bornick said.
“These reviewers will evaluate grant requests on a weekly basis and recommend funding for the requests they deem most urgent,” she added.
Jan Porath, United Way’s executive director, noted in a press release that the “fund is designed to give added support to those organizations experiencing additional stresses on their services due to increased demand, changes in service delivery, reduced volunteer assistance, and increased staffing needs.”
These organizations are “on the front lines of caring for vulnerable populations and providing a safety net for individuals impacted by the loss of jobs and benefits or the closure of institutions,” Porath said.
Donations to the fund can be made by clicking on this link: https://eccf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create?funit_id=1747