A Local Response to a Global Pandemic

This winter, we watched the coronavirus move through China, across Asia, into Europe, and across the world. When the first case of the coronavirus arrived in Delaware County on March 19, 2020, we already knew there would be significant implications from the pandemic in our community.

Foundation staff had already begun reaching out to local nonprofits to understand what challenges they were facing, what they expected to be coming next, and how we could best assist. Under direction from the Board, grantees were offered the opportunity to redirect grant funds from their original purpose to their new greatest need. Emergency grants were awarded. Instead of being invested, gifts to The Unrestricted Fund of The Community Foundation were temporarily redirected to emergency response.

In April, The Community Foundation announced a three-phase approach to grantmaking in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Emergency Phase, Recovery Phase, and Resilience Phase. Much like the timeline of the pandemic, the timing of these phases is unknown, and we anticipate that all three may occur concurrently. However, each phase addresses a different need of the organizations serving our community.

Volunteers for Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana distribute food during a tailgate distribution in March.

EMERGENCY PHASE: ADDRESSING THE NEEDS TODAY

The first round of emergency grants was awarded in mid-March, and emergency grantmaking continues. As of June 10, $72,000 in emergency grants have been awarded to 40 organizations. These grants ensure that community members have food, shelter, safe childcare, and other vital human services during this time of crisis. They help organizations address unexpected expenses like the need for personal protective equipment. We have already taken on special initiatives totaling $40,000 to help nonprofits and local businesses.

In late March, the Board of Directors of The Community Foundation decided that through June 30, all gifts to The Unrestricted Fund of the Community Foundation would be made available for immediate grantmaking to support response efforts. As of June 10, more than 75 donors have made unrestricted gifts totaling $34,732. Early gifts allowed the Foundation to meet emergency needs proactively, and continue to allow us to respond to emergent requests.

The emergency phase will continue as the pandemic continues, but at the same time, the Foundation has begun to address the second phase of our response approach, Recovery.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Muncie continued programming for the children of essential workers while the community was under the Governor’s stay-at-home orders.

RECOVERY PHASE: RETURNING TO A STATE OF WELL-BEING

Through Recovery, The Community Foundation is providing support to nonprofits so they may regain control and find their momentum again. During this phase, we will focus on efforts that enhance the quality of life and quality of place for all residents in Delaware County.

More than $200,000 was awarded during the second Quarterly Competitive Grants cycle in May. You can find the complete list of grants awarded in this newsletter. Many of them will lead to recovery for our community. Recovery efforts will continue through our other traditional grantmaking programs. Foundation staff is working under the Board’s direction to establish guidance to grants committees as we continue through the Quarterly Competitive Grants Program this year, and other grants cycles, like the Maxon Foundation Fund and Harry and Janet Kitselman Fund.

Additionally, the Strategic Grants Committee recommended and the Board approved a grant that supports Mental Health First Aid training in all K-12 schools across Delaware County.

With the support of the Funders Forum Collaborative, The Community Foundation also directed $16,000 ($2,000 each) to eight level 3 and level 4 Paths to Quality 501c3 Pre-K providers to provide flexible support related to the reopening of centers. As many people return to work, ensuring that safe, high-quality childcare is available is an essential step towards recovery.

Through the Funders Forum Collaborative, each of the eight K-12 public school systems in Delaware County will receive $2,000 to support the first phase of a two-step grant process to plan for the next and future school years. Later this year, the school systems will have the opportunity to apply for funding to put their plan into action. Creative and innovative solutions will be encouraged that go beyond hardware and hotspots and seek to focus on ideas to reach all families within their communities.

Recovery will continue as our community builds back from the impact of the pandemic. Using this opportunity to build back even better, The Community Foundation will begin the third phase of the response, focusing on resilience.

RESILIENCE PHASE: CREATING STABILITY FOR THE FUTURE

Through the resilience phase, The Foundation will work with a variety of community partners to encourage and support nonprofit organizations in our community to plan, prepare and take action to create a stronger and more sustainable future.

The idea for an initiative that focuses on nonprofit organization institutional strengthening was developed through a planning grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. in 2019. We anticipate an additional grant to develop and implement the initiative will be awarded this summer, and program development to commence this year.

The initiative is still in its most conceptual phase, but at its core, it will be designed to help nonprofit organizations serving our community to become healthier and stronger organizations. Through the initiative, the Foundation will revise grantmaking to provide more flexibility in funding to vital community organizations, allowing them the ability to respond to opportunities and challenges quickly and more effectively. The initiative will also work with community partners to build a structure for organizational strengthening that includes things like shared services, training and development, and relationship building. We are excited to share more about this initiative as details are developed.

The Foundation is here to meet the community’s needs today, tomorrow, and always. Our three-phase response approach follows the same format. While there continue to be emergency needs, the Foundation will look for opportunities to address them quickly. Supporting recovery in our community will lead to a brighter tomorrow. A focus on the resilience of the nonprofit community will enhance the quality of life in Delaware County for always.

Ross Community Center prepares for a drive-in market to replace their weekly walk-up market. Community members received boxes of groceries and other necessities.