Weld Community Foundation Introduces, Raises Money for COVID-19 Relief Fund
For charitable organizations struggling to keep up with an uptick in demands due to COVID-19, the Weld Community Foundation and United Way of Weld County introduced a lifeline.
The Weld Community Foundation gave $75,000 to kickstart the fund, and other fundraising efforts are ongoing, according to the release.
The foundation and United Way encourage “institutions, companies and other funders to contribute,” according to the release.
“The 2013 flood recovery fund campaign was such a successful collaboration of the United Way, the community foundation and characteristically generous Weld County donors,” said Rand Morgan, president and CEO of the Weld Community Foundation in the release. “Our two organizations’ boards of directors felt it was important to reprise that effort in this uniquely critical situation. We encourage donors to come together once again as a community, neighbor helping neighbor, to support the untiring work being done by nonprofits who are serving some of our most vulnerable populations during this crisis in their lives.”
What organizations qualify?
Nonprofit organizations helping people directly impacted by the pandemic will get the cash, according to the release. That includes, but is not limited to, organizations serving:
Vulnerable populations, especially folks experiencing homelessness
People at imminent risk of homelessness
Low-income households
Older adults
Folks experiencing food insecurity
The fund isn’t intended to replace money lost in the general upheaval, but to give organizations strained by COVID-19 a leg up.
The NoCo Optimist has interviewed two local nonprofit organizations – the Weld Food Bank and A Woman’s Place – that anticipate community needs to grow as the COVID-19 disruption continues.
How and when will the funds be distributed?
A committee of volunteers will decide how to distribute the funds, according to the foundation. When they do, the foundation plans to issue grants on a rolling basis, with the first round coming within the next few weeks.
A formal application process will be announced at a later date.
To donate or learn more about applying for a grant, go to https://weldcommunityfoundation.org/