Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation Approves Over $4.4 Million in Grants
The board of directors of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation has approved $4,483,220 in grants to 216 local nonprofits. The awards include competitive grants from the Community Foundation’s Funds for the Community, as well as distributions from donors with donor-advised, designated, scholarship and agency funds.
The Funds for the Community awarded $450,000 to 31 organizations for this cycle. However, the Community Foundation received nearly $1.9 million in requests for these funds – more than three times the average total, demonstrating the immense need throughout the community.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Community Foundation has been nimble with its funding strategy. Its first grant cycle of 2020 was well underway when COVID-19 began to impact Linn County in March. The cycle was quickly terminated to allow the Community Foundation to re-direct the funds to respond to developing needs. This recent grant cycle was quickly established with two priorities: to help organizations sustain and maintain essential functions, and to maintain the safety net for vulnerable populations.
“Donors give to our unrestricted Funds for the Community because they entrust the Community Foundation to vet organizations and allocate their gifts where it is needed most,” said Karla Twedt-Ball, Senior Vice President, Programs and Community Investment. “In times of crisis, these funds are a community asset to help address critical needs of nonprofits and the people they serve.”
The Community Foundation also continues to make weekly grants from its COVID-19 Disaster Response Fund. To date, over $96,000 has been distributed to 18 nonprofit organizations. This fund was established to make rapid response grants to help meet the needs of vulnerable populations that aren’t being met by existing nonprofit, local, state of federal programs.
A complete list of the nonprofit organizations who received grant awards from the COVID-19 Disaster Response Fund, Funds for the Community, and Competitive Donor-Advised Funds, can be found here.
For more details about funding opportunities, click here.