Partners announce latest round of Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund grant recipients

Nonprofits should apply by July 9 to be considered for funding in initial phase

Release Date: 6.26.2020

CLEVELAND – The Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund coalition announced today the most recent round of grants to support the nonprofit community. In total, $1.1 million was awarded to 26 organizations and groups serving Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties. Since the Fund’s creation in mid-March, partners have granted more than $7.7 million to nearly 150 nonprofit groups and organizations. The latest round of grant recipients includes:

Food & Shelter

  • Collaboration Station ($36,000): To expand the capacity of its CCHAP Meals on Wheels program, which delivers food to older adults and the physically disabled in Cuyahoga and Lake counties.
  • Society of St. Vincent de Paul Diocese of Cleveland: ($85,000): To provide funding for rent and utility assistance for low-income individuals across eight counties in Northeast Ohio, as well as to re-design the organization’s Community Corner and Brookside hunger centers so they can operate safely and expand hours of operation while observing social distancing guidelines.
  • Cleveland Clergy Alliance ($50,000): To support LatinX families across Greater Cleveland by providing food, basic needs items and emergency financial assistance through a partnership with the Community of Faith Collaborative.
  • Trinity Cathedral ($30,000): To allow the cathedral to transition its A Place at the Table hunger program to a pickup meal service so that it can continue to serve Cleveland’s homeless and low-income populations safely during the pandemic, while also continuing the cathedral’s ongoing partnership with Walls of Love® in filling the walls with essential items for those in need.
  • True Holiness Temple ($25,000): To support the church’s food bank and distribution of cleaning supplies, toiletries and other basic needs items to families in the Fairfax neighborhood and surrounding areas.

Connectivity

Clinical & Behavioral Health

  • Applewood Centers ($35,000): To acquire computer equipment for telehealth services and online coursework, as well as PPE and cleaning supplies, for vulnerable youth in residential treatment facilities.
  • Cleveland Christian Home ($36,000): To purchase food, supplies and computer equipment to care for youth in residential treatment for mental, emotional and behavioral disorders.
  • Community Assessment & Treatment Services ($25,000): To continue providing services via telemedicine, as well as cleaning supplies and PPE, for residential and outpatient clients with chemical dependency and behavioral health needs.
  • Medworks ($40,000): To implement a telehealth platform in order to connect uninsured and underinsured residents in Cuyahoga County with free health care, health insurance, and other navigation services.
  • Mommy and Me Too Inc. ($20,000): To provide transportation, food, laptops and cleaning supplies for low-income pregnant women as well as single mothers and their children in recovery housing.
  • TreatmentWorks, Inc. ($20,000): To provide food, utilities and supplies for men in residential treatment for drug and alcohol dependency.
  • US Together ($86,000): To provide case management staffing and tele-interpretation technology for immigrants and refugees with limited English proficiency.
  • A Vision of Change, Inc. ($40,000): To allow for continued health and wellness home visits, food distribution and the dissemination of community health information in Cleveland’s east side neighborhoods.

Children & Youth

  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland ($35,000): To provide direct relief to Cuyahoga County families through the organization’s Family Resiliency Fund, as well as adding a digital component to its mentoring program.
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio ($26,000): To purchase cleaning supplies and PPE to re-open club locations, as well as food and cleaning supplies to provide to youth and their families.
  • Cleveland Metropolitan School District ($100,000): To purchase grocery store gift cards for the district’s homeless families.
  • Henry Johnson Center ($15,000): To expand tutoring services for high school seniors and to purchase and deliver care packages with cleaning supplies and food items for low-income single parents in Cuyahoga County.

Other Vulnerable Populations

  • LGBTQ+ Allies Lake County ($15,000): To provide food assistance and expand virtual options for community group social-emotional support meetings and wellness programming in Lake County.
  • Milestones Autism Resources ($75,000): To expand the organization’s autism Helpdesk so that families in Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties can continue learn how to access needed services, advocate on behalf of their family member, and use effective de-escalation supports.
  • North Coast Community Homes, Inc. ($34,000): To increase safety, cleaning and disinfecting procedures within the organization’s 205 properties across Northeast Ohio and to provide safe-at-home kits for the more than 650 residents with intellectual, developmental, physical and mental health disabilities.

Adaptation & Recovery

  • Greater Cleveland Congregations ($100,000): For COVID-19 testing support kits for predominately Black congregations in Greater Cleveland as well as a collective buying program to negotiate better prices on electricity, gas and other essential services for the group’s faith institution members facing financial hardship due to the pandemic.
  • Greater Cleveland Volunteers ($7,000): For staffing and technology to help local nonprofit organizations safely re-engage volunteer workers to support their operations during the pandemic.
  • Hispanic Business Center ($17,000): To provide rental assistance for its small business tenants, including those in its CentroVilla25 campus, and for technology to conduct its business coaching and consulting remotely.
  • Old Brooklyn Community Development ($30,000): For a temporary work program to employ Old Brooklyn residents who have been laid off or are facing economic hardship in the midst of the pandemic, paying them to complete greening and beautification projects in the neighborhood.

With the community still facing unprecedented challenges during the ongoing pandemic, Fund partners have decided to extend this initial phase of grantmaking through July 17 to help meet the continued need and to be able to react to a constantly evolving situation as Greater Cleveland slowly reopens. Frontline nonprofits that have pressing needs related to the COVID-19 crisis response should email covid19response@clevefdn.org to receive more information about the streamlined funding process. The funding collaborative will continue to identify potential grantee partners, solicit guidance on proposed projects from community advisors and recommend final awards. Organizations that have already submitted funding requests will remain in consideration for future grant distributions until further notice. The last date for organizations to apply to this phase of the Fund will be Thursday, July 9.  

Overall contributions to the Rapid Response Fund now total more than $8.8 million from 82 different corporate, civic and philanthropic partners, as well as nearly 2,300 individuals and families across the region. New funding partners (since June 12) include The Covia Foundation. Funding partners urge other foundations, corporate entities, individuals and organizations to contribute to the fund via ClevelandFoundation.org/Response, where you can also view a list of partners to date. Donations of any amount are welcomed, and all contributions are tax deductible.

Based upon the charitable structure of the Rapid Response Fund, grants are limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, groups fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, or other charitable organizations able to receive a tax-deductible contribution, such as schools, faith-based organizations and other public entities. The partners are not able to fund individuals or businesses directly, labor unions, or other 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5) and 501(c)(6) organizations.

For more information or to donate, visit ClevelandFoundation.org/Response.

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