Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation Establishes Flood Fund 2016
As the community assesses the personal, property and economic damage of the second-highest Cedar River crest in the history of affected Linn County communities, the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation has activated Flood Fund 2016. This fund is accepting contributions from individuals, civic groups and corporations, and will allocate those funds to local nonprofits to assist in recovery efforts for flood-impacted households and flood-related community needs. For more information or to donate to the Flood Fund, click here.
The Community Foundation is a member of the Linn Area Partners Active in Disaster (LAP-AID), a network of organizations that provide a platform for addressing unmet community needs in the event of a disaster. The nature and extent of the Community Foundation’s response to this disaster will depend upon other resources that may become available.
The Community Foundation has expertise and experience in making grants in response to natural disasters, having awarded $6.5 million through the Flood 2008 Fund eight years ago. We anticipate that private philanthropic response to the disaster will be necessary, and should be positioned to fill gaps in funding provided by governmental entities and first responders. As a connected community partner, the Community Foundation seeks, develops and leverages partnerships and community relationships to inform its strategy in the recovery effort.
The Community Foundation does not provide grants directly to individuals. Individuals needing assistance should contact 211 to learn about what assistance may be available and how to apply.
The Community Foundation appreciates area nonprofit partners who are working to address the needs of their clients as well as their own organizations. A list of nonprofits affected by the flood and nonprofits assisting people affected by the flood can be found here. The Community Foundation will continue to update this list as information from the nonprofit sector is collected. Donors seeking to direct gifts to a specific cause or organization can link directly to those organizations from this page or can contact those organizations directly.